Before ASVEL – Monaco clash, Oleksiy Yefimov lights the fuse: « All ASVEL players want to wear the Monaco jersey »
Apr 10, 2025
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve
Why the ASVEL – Monaco game is a true final for Roca Team
EuroLeague - AS Monaco has a lot at stake this Thursday evening on ASVEL's court. To secure 4th place in the EuroLeague, which means home-court advantage in playoffs, Roca Team must win at Astroballe. Against a pressure-free but fired up Villeurbanne team, the context promises to be explosive.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
The last day of EuroLeague regular season features a clash between two French championship teams that feels like a final this Thursday, April 10. While ASVEL (15th, 13 wins – 20 losses) is already eliminated from the playoff race, this duel against AS Monaco (4th, 20 wins – 13 losses) is far from meaningless. For Vassilis Spanoulis’s men, victory is imperative: it would guarantee 4th place, home-court advantage in quarter-finals, and most importantly, avoid play-in traps.
A Top 4 spot… or play-in threat
Behind Monaco, several European powerhouses (Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Anadolu Efes Istanbul) have 19 wins and could overtake Monaco if they lose at Astroballe. No room for error for a Roca Team aiming for their 4th consecutive playoff qualification since entering the competition in 2021. And even if ASVEL has nothing left to play for, they remain dangerous at home (10 wins in 16 games), especially against a rival.
🛣 From Monαco to Lγon 🧳#RocaTeam #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/A1WOT20Jee
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) April 9, 2025
Electric duel on court… and behind the scenes
Tension between the two clubs has never been higher. In an interview with L’Équipe, Oleksiy Yefimov (ASM GM) added fuel to the fire: « All ASVEL players want to wear the Monaco jersey. » A statement that illustrates both sporting and financial rivalry, with the legal conflict around Skweek – owned by Fedcom, Monaco’s majority shareholder – from which ASVEL still awaits several million euros according to Tony Parker. This war of words translates to the court this Thursday, where ASVEL might want to spoil Monaco’s party.
Keys to the game: defense and intensity
Energized by their victory against Nanterre last weekend, Roca Team comes fully equipped for this clash. Point guard Nick Calathes summarizes the mission: « We need to come with the right mental approach. Defense will be the foundation of everything. » Against creators like Theo Maledon (7th scorer of the season, 17 points average) and Nando De Colo (EuroLeague leader in free throws), defensive intensity will be essential.
Monaco shows Europe’s best defensive statistics: 13.7 forced turnovers (1st), while only committing 10.7 turnovers per game (2nd lowest). And can count on Mike James (15.6 points – 5.7 assists), Alpha Diallo (1.2 steals) and Georgios Papagiannis (1.4 blocks) to make the difference.
Sixth clash this season… for a turning point
This will be the sixth meeting between the two clubs this season. Roca Team has the advantage (3 wins), but ASVEL has managed to hurt Monaco twice, including a recent victory at Gaston Medecin in Betclic ELITE (86-94). In a game where everything can shift, each possession will be crucial.
With a rich shared history, backstage tensions, huge stakes for one team, sporting revenge for the other… This EuroLeague regular season « final » promises a heated evening. The appointment is set for 8 PM, to follow on SKWEEK and TV Monaco.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve is the founder and editor-in-chief of BeBasket, which he has been running since 2010 (formerly known as Catch & Shoot). Having studied at the École Publique de Journalisme de Tours and two universities in North America, he has developed his expertise in French basketball, from the National League to amateur divisions, over the past 20 years. Alongside this, he is also involved in the development of clubs in the Montpellier area.
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