The Roca Team’s troubles have deepened after the Fédération Française de Basketball (FFBB) rejected its application to compete in Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1), less than a week before the season begins.

Despite pulling together €10 million in funding to pay off debts and fund the upcoming season, representing a budget significantly larger than those of other competing NM1 teams, concerns surrounding AS Monaco’s recent history appear to have remained an obstacle to obtaining approval.

With little time remaining, the club is expected to file an appeal with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), with only days remaining before competition begins. Should the club choose to forego an appeal or fail to overturn the decision, attention could instead turn to securing a place further down the French basketball pyramid.

Such an outcome would reflect a dramatic fall for a club that entered the summer as reigning French champions and EuroLeague playoff competitors. However, with the domestic season beginning and the Roca Team still without a confirmed competition, the priority is increasingly to find a realistic path back onto the court.

The latest rejection adds another level of uncertainty to the downfall that has rapidly consumed the offseason. Whether through another appeal or an application at a lower level, the coming days could now determine where, and at what level, the Roca Team will be able to continue its season.

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Photo by Monaco Life