By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
The National League announced on Friday that the 2026 French champion Monaco will not be participating in the Betclic Elite, nor even in Elite 2, in the 2026/27 season due to “insufficient guarantees on the club’s economic viability.”
AS Monaco is expected to appeal this decision to the French Federation.
AS Monaco, crowned French champion on June 23, will not be able to defend its title in 2026/27. An unprecedented winner of four national trophies in the same 2025/26 season, including the three awarded by the National League (Supercup, Leaders Cup, Championship) in addition to the Coupe de France, has not received the green light from the financial watchdog of the professional body and, as of now, will not even participate in Elite 2.
“AS Monaco Basket was examined by the National Directorate of Consulting and Management Control (DNCCG) regarding its current financial situation and its 2026-2027 budget forecast. Given the lack of sufficient guarantees on the club’s economic viability for the upcoming season and the progress of the club’s takeover plans, the DNCCG has decided to refuse AS Monaco’s participation in the LNB championships for the 2026-2027 season. The club has the option to contest this decision before the Appeal Chamber of the French Federation,” the LNB communicated this Friday.
If the club does appeal, a decision is expected on Monday, July 20. Until then Monaco, entangled in an increasingly delicate economic and governance situation, will need to act quickly to save itself initially before considering rebuilding a squad almost from scratch, as most of its players have already left the team, from Matthew Strazel to Mike James, Alpha Diallo and Elie Okobo.
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