Zvezdan Mitrovic vs ASVEL: verdict expected October 8 in dismissal dispute

The dispute between Zvezdan Mitrovic and ASVEL, which began in 2020 after his dismissal for « gross misconduct », continues in court. This Tuesday, June 10, a new hearing was held in Lyon, but we’ll have to wait until October 8 for the final decision reports Le Progrès. A legal episode that extends a turbulent separation between the Montenegrin coach and Tony Parker’s club.

A dismissal during lockdown, with succession already planned

Fired on May 19, 2020, when the season had been interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Zvezdan Mitrovic learned the news at home in Podgorica, even though he had heard about the club’s plans against him. ASVEL had already planned his succession, giving the team’s keys to T.J. Parker assisted by Frédéric Fauthoux, who had to notify his former employer Levallois in advance.

At the time, the Villeurbanne club justified this dismissal by « gross misconduct ». Mitrovic, who arrived in 2018 with a contract running until 2021, had led ASVEL to a championship-French Cup double in 2019. Feeling wronged, the Montenegrin coach initiated proceedings before the labor court, which ordered ASVEL to pay him 481,464 euros in September 2022. A judgment that the club appealed.

An eventful career since

After his departure, Mitrovic returned to Monaco in summer 2020, where he won the EuroCup in 2021, before being fired again in December of the same year. He then had a mixed experience at Galatasaray, before reviving his career at Olimpija Cedevita Ljubljana this season.

With the Slovenian club, he just won the national championship this Monday, June 9, adding a tenth title to his coaching record. A triumph shared with young French center Joan Beringer, one of the prospects mentored by Mitrovic. The former ASVEL coach remains active in developing young talent, like Frenchman Cameron Houindo, who might join him soon.

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Final legal round?

This Tuesday in Lyon, the hearing did not definitively resolve the dispute. The court of appeal will deliver its decision on October 8. Another episode could still occur if either party decides to appeal to the Supreme Court.