The top French club ASVEL Villeurbanne had been making big claims at the start of the summer. After an investor pulled out, little remains of those ambitions. Even star signing Sylvain Francisco has now left the club. Tony Parker has now weighed in on the matter.
In a press release published on their website on Thursday, the French club stated that the budget for the upcoming season is now finalized. It is said to be at an “unprecedented” level.
“For several years, but especially in recent months, we’ve been working on an ambitious project,” coach and president Tony Parker was quoted as saying. The financial irregularities “do not call the project into question,” the longtime NBA player clarified.
However, there are certainly legitimate grounds for doubt. In recent weeks, it was leaked that a major Asian investor was unable to provide sufficient financial guarantees for his investment, prompting the national federation to block the deal.
Doubts About Parker’s Account
Parker did not address these reports in his statement. Instead, he explained that “discussions and agreements are taking longer than expected,” though some investors had “reaffirmed” their support.
However, it can still be virtually ruled out that ASVEL will start the new season with the originally targeted, record-breaking budget of nearly 60 million euros. Just today, Thursday, star signing Sylvain Francisco parted ways with the French club again without having played a single game for them. The star guard terminated his recently signed contract and joined Panathinaikos Athens on a three-year deal.
Uncertainty, however, continues to surround the two German national team players. Nick Weiler-Babb and Daniel Theis had already been announced as new additions to the Lyon-Villeurbanne team. According to rumors, however, their future at ASVEL is also up in the air.