Mike James, playing against Juani Marcos in the Monaco-Barça Euroleague Play-In game, was a central figure in a season marked by financial turmoil.
The epic effort, courage, and merit shown by Monaco’s players this season amid the club’s severe economic crisis have been accompanied by a shameful and painful image displayed throughout the campaign by the reigning Euroleague runner-up. The persistent non-payments affecting the roster forced the team to trim its payroll mid-season. One of the players who left Monaco was Yoan Makoundou, targeted by Barça last summer, who will finish this season in China. He was invisible for a Vassilis Spanoulis who, fed up with the financial problems widely denounced by some players, packed his bags and abandoned a project that nearly reached the continental summit in 2025.
Yoan Makoundou and Monaco have officially parted ways.
/ Euroleague
**Monaco defeated Barça in the Play-In but had no chance against Olympiacos in the playoffs**
Monaco was the executioner of Barça in the Euroleague Play-In, defeating the Catalan team 79-70 and leaving Xavi Pascual and his players without a playoff spot for the first time in nearly a decade. With eight to nine players available, the Monegasque team made a titanic effort but were swept 3-0 by Olympiacos on the road to the Final Four. An undeniable series win for Georgios Bartzokas’ side, who dream of lifting the Euroleague title at OAKA, home of the eternal rival Panathinaikos in Athens.
The season continues, and despite talk of a significant injection of around 15 million euros from the Principality, Monaco’s basketball financial woes appear far from over.
Tornike Shengelia during the Play-In game against Monaco.
/ EFE
**New non-payments and Okobo refuses to play**
This past Sunday, Monaco faced a league match against Paris Basket, one of the top contenders for the French title. Minutes before tip-off at the Salle Gaston Medecin, RMC reported that Elie Okobo, whose future points to Dubai Basket, refused to suit up and take the court due to unpaid salary.
Elie Okobo was the major talking point of the game.
/ EFE
What unfolded bordered on semi-professional and amateur levels. With injuries and suspensions (Mike James serving a penalty for confronting referees), Monaco coach Manuchar Markoishvili could only count on five players from the first team. That number dropped to four after Nemanja Nedovic was ejected just five minutes into the contest.
An emergency roster and a home thrashing by Paris
Jaron Blossomgame, Kevarrius Hayes, Terry Tarpey, and Matthew Strazel (who scored 34 points) were the only seniors on a lineup completed by young players Mathyss Moudio Martel, Mantas Laurencikas, Kyllian Michee, and Ysaam Moungalla. The game itself was one-sided: a comfortable 95-123 victory for Paris, with seven players from the capital side scoring over
