AS Monaco Basket has officially kicked off their 2025/2026 campaign, coming back with bold championship ambitions and a reinforced squad.
The Roca Team, who fell agonisingly short in last season’s EuroLeague final, gathered at the Café de la Rotonde on Tuesday morning to present this year’s line-up, headlined by new signing Nikola Mirotic and the return of Matthew Strazel.
Nikola Mirotic, the former NBA, has joined Monaco Basket with one burning objective in mind.
“I chose Monaco because I see this team, this squad as very ambitious, with big goals. This is a squad that wants to build something special,” said the 34-year old Montenegrin born naturalised Spanish international. “When you see those things, you want to be part of it. This is the reason I joined the team – to help achieve those goals.”
The experienced forward, who swapped the NBA for European basketball, acknowledges the expectations that weigh on him but relishes the challenge ahead.
“I like pressure, you cannot hide from the pressure, the expectations are big,” Mirotic explained. “If we work in the same direction, we trust each other and we are humble, I think we can do something special.”
Strazel ready after injury setback
Matthew Strazel is now back in full strength after his frustrating injury that forced him to miss EuroBasket – a rare setback in his career.
“I am very rarely injured and to have been through that for the first time was complicated,” Strazel reflected. “I found myself in a place that was not my destiny. I was complicated, I had to find motivation to continue.”
Now fully recovered, the French guard has his sights on a leadership role within the squad as Monaco Basket prepares for another European campaign.
While new coach Vassilis Spanoulis, is still to arrive, Alpha Diallo praised the squad’s preparation under interim coaching staff.
“I think the preparation was good, we have a good presence in the locker rooms,” said Diallo. “With the team we have come together and we know what to expect. We have all come back with the same mindset: stay in shape and when the coach comes, he beings his philosophy.”
General Manager Oleksiy Yefimov also talked about last season’s achievements, despite falling short of silverware.
“We want to prove that Monaco has everything to be competitive and to fight for the highest goals,” Yefimov stated. “Yes, unfortunately in the past year people may say that we ended up without a title, but I think runner-up of EuroLeague is a huge achievement. It’s not easy to be the second best team in Europe.”
Will Mike James be this season’s captain?
The question of team captaincy remains unresolved, with Mike James’s leadership role still to be determined by the squad itself.
President Alekszej Fedoricsev maintained the club’s democratic approach: “I have said it before and I’ll say it again, this is never my decision, it’s always the decision of the captain.”
However, Yefimov expressed confidence in James’ commitment to the squad: “I think he is fully committed. He is hungry, he is motivated, he is ready. There was no need to convince him to wear the ASM jersey. The entire locker room thinks the same thing, we all have the same goal.”
Beyond the court, Monaco continues to develop plans for a new multi-functional arena, with discussions ongoing with local government officials about the project.
Monaco Basket begins their competitive season this weekend in the inaugural SuperCup against Boulazac, before the EuroLeague returns to Gaston-Médecin on 1st October against Kaunas.
See also:
Interview: Oleksiy Yefimov, General Manager of AS Monaco Basket
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Main photo credit: Monaco Life.