Posted by Jack Brodie | Jul 7, 2026 | Sport
Monaco's basketball club has been refused entry into professional competition for the 2026-27 season by the LNB's financial watchdog, just ten days after the Roca Team were crowned French champions — a situation described by the National Basketball League as stemming from insufficient guarantees regarding the club's economic viability and the status of ongoing takeover negotiations. The ban extends to both the top-flight Betclic Élite and the second-tier Elite 2, meaning Monaco cannot compete at any level of professional French basketball unless their appeal succeeds. The club has appealed to the French Basketball Federation's appeals chamber. The deadline is July 20, by which point a takeover plan must be finalised and sufficient financial guarantees presented to the DNCCG — the National Management and Financial Control Board — to secure readmission.The financial crisis at the Roca Team has been building for months. A 30 million euro contribution from the Principality via the National Financing Company allowed the club to finish the 2025-26 season and pay salaries until June 30. Despite that intervention, the underlying ownership and governance situation has not been resolved.The Roca Team won an unprecedented four national trophies in the 2025-26 season, including the Supercup, the Leaders Cup, the French Championship and the Coupe de France — yet most of their key players have already departed, among them Matthew Strazel, Mike James, Alpha Diallo and Elie Okobo. LNB president Philippe Ausseur had warned as recently as June 24 that there would be no special treatment: "We all hope that AS Monaco can restart but it will only happen by respecting DNCCG rules. The right decisions need to be made as quickly as possible.".