The big interview with Alain Contensoux, CEO and Technical Director of the French Basketball Federation: « We know how to do things very well, but we don’t know how to sell them »

One year after the triumph of the Paris Olympics, where French basketball won three silver medals and its youth teams won four European titles, summer 2025 came as a brutal reality check. No titles for youth categories, a historic fourth place for the women’s national team, and an early elimination of Les Bleus against Georgia in the EuroBasket round of 16.

Criticism flew. Yet, Alain Contensoux refuses to panic. Having joined the Federation in 2010 after notable stints at the Ministry of Sports and the French Tennis Federation alongside Patrice Dominguez, he has experienced many cycles. « It’s always more complicated to stay at the very top, regardless of the sport, » he states from the outset, reminding us of a truth sometimes forgotten in the demand for immediate results.

The reality of a changing European competition

The leader hides nothing: « Today in European basketball, Italy has made very strong progress in youth teams. Germany has implemented criteria in their training centers for over a decade now to truly have high-quality coaching. » Spain launched its U22 league last weekend to counter NCAA influence and retain its best talents. France is no longer alone at the top, and the European average level is inexorably rising.

But beyond competition, Contensoux points to an unprecedented « combination of circumstances » this summer: « I have never experienced a summer where no youth team was made up of the players we had planned for during the year. » Between three and four absences per selection, due to injuries or other reasons, the mix proved harmful. For the women’s A team, Marine Fauthoux’s injury during preparation, combined with WNBA-related absences, weakened an already depleted roster.

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