Former Lille duo reunited: Marcos Suka-Umu and Gaetan Meyniel join Denain

Marcos Suka-Umu and Gaetan Meyniel will wear the same colors again. According to BasketEurope, the two former Lille players will join Denain Voltaire for the 2025-2026 season. At 39, the Spanish shooting guard comes off a successful season with Boulazac, crowned with a Pro B championship title, while Meyniel returns to the North with ambitions to establish himself as the primary point guard.

A complementary duo to structure the backcourt

Denain’s recruitment starts strong. The northern club will be able to count on two experienced division players who know each other well from playing together at Lille. The idea of reuniting this duo isn’t random: in an increasingly competitive Pro B championship, betting on existing collective experience can make the difference.

Marcos Suka-Umu (1.93 m, 39 years), who played for Melilla, Oviedo and Palencia before coming to France, continues to impress with his longevity and consistency. This season, he still posted solid statistics with Boulazac: 9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 24 minutes per game across 37 games. Most importantly, he fully contributed to BBD’s title run, playing almost the entire season.

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Meanwhile, Gaetan Meyniel (1.89 m, 24 years), returns to a familiar setting. After trying his luck in Betclic ELITE with Le Portel – in a limited role (15 games, 1.4 points average) – he revived his career at Blois in the second half of the season. In Pro B, he showed great activity: 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 20 games. His notable stint at Lille between 2022 and 2024 remains a reference point that Denain plans to build upon.

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From Lille to Denain: A Regional Anchoring Strategy

Beyond their on-court complementarity, the arrival of these two players also illustrates Denain’s desire to focus on regional stability. Lille is only about thirty kilometers from Denain, and this proximity isn’t coincidental in creating a strong local identity. The club, led by Yohan Senez, seems to want to combine experience, mutual understanding and territorial roots to build a solid roster, following the signing of center Olivier Cortale (2.07 m, 28 years).

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