AS Monaco signed Mamadou Coulibaly to his first professional contract last Thursday. The ink on the midfielder’s contract had barely dried before rumours of Aurélien Tchouaméni’s expected departure reached fever-pitch.
The concurrent but contrasting stories provide a perfect snapshot of a healthy club culture, which prioritises youth development, yielding both on-field and off-field benefits.
According to Foot Mercato, Monaco fended off interest from some of Europe’s elite clubs, including Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, in order to sign 18-year-old Coulibaly to a contract running until 2025.
Speaking in a press release, sporting director Paul Mitchell said, “The development of young talent in our academy is a priority in our sporting project… I would like to congratulate Mamadou for the work he has already done. Of course, there is still a long way to go and it’s up to him to continue to work even harder in order to pass the next stages of his progression.”
Whilst first-team opportunities in the short-term may be limited, there is every chance that he could fill Tchouaméni’s role. The French midfielder has once again excelled this year, and as we approach the final gameweeks before the end of the season, rumours about his reportedly probable departure are only intensifying.
During last Wednesday’s press conference, when asked about staying at the Principality side in order to aid them in another European adventure, Tchouaméni replied, “Yeah, why not? The elimination last year stuck in my throat. Playing Champions League football with Monaco isn’t something that would displease me.”
The French international’s contract runs until 2024, with an option for a further year, but just hours after the above declaration, RMC were reporting that he is indeed set on departing this summer.
According to their report on Thursday, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid are the favourites to land the much-coveted Monégasque talisman, although PSG haven’t given up on the idea of bringing him to the Parc des Princes. If he is to leave, he won’t do so on the cheap; a fee in excess of €50 million has previously been touted for the midfielder, a figure that could yet rise further, especially if a bidding war ensues.
Tchouaméni’s two goals in Friday’s win over Lille may have also added a few million to an already hefty price tag. Should he leave, his departure would be an archetypal example of AS Monaco: a club that provides a clear pathway for young players to break-through, develop, and often, eventually, leave.
Now a fully-fledged French international, coveted by Europe’s elite, Coulibaly would do well to follow in Tchouaméni’s footsteps, and he is in the right place to do it.
Greece and America united for an evening of celebration at the Yacht Club of Monaco on Sunday, as the associations representing each country marked important anniversaries in the Principality.
In the presence of HSH Prince Albert II, as well as Ambassador of France to Monaco Laurent Stefanini, Minister of State Pierre Dartout and Petros Machas – Honorary Consul General of Greece in the Principality of Monaco, a joint Anniversary Gala took place on Sunday 8th May, in the prestigious setting of the Yacht Club de Monaco. It was hosted by the organising committees of both the Hellenic Community of Monaco as well as of the American Club of the Riviera, to celebrate their 70th and 60th respective anniversaries of their presence in the Principality.
Members and friends were invited to join in the jovial celebration, which featured a Greek folk dance group performing in traditional costume that had flown in exclusively for the gala.
From left to right: H.E. Ambassador of France to Monaco Laurent Stefanini, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis – President of the Hellenic Community of Monaco, H.S.H. Prince Albert II, Timothy Molyneux -President of the American Club of the Riviera, Petros Machas- Honorary Consul General of Greece in the Principality of Monaco.
In her speech, President of the Hellenic Community of Monaco Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis shared the mission of the Hellenic Community as well as its role and activities in Monaco. Meanwhile, President of the American Club of the Riviera Timothy Molyneux talked about the importance of clubs and associations working together for the common good of the community.
Center: Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis-President of the Hellenic Community of Monaco, H.S.H. Prince Albert II, Timothy Molyneux- President of the American Club of the Riviera, Elena Tsaldari- President of the Lyceum Club of Greek Women, with Folk Dancers from Greece
The Anniversary Gala celebration also included a fund-raising auction and, with the help of Safia el Malqui, the amount raised was €8,150, which is donated to the Cap-Optimist project to support the Monaco – Athens Crossing on Paddle boards, for the benefit of the Princess Charlene Foundation.
H.S.H. Prince Albert II surrounded by the ‘Greek American Odyssey’ team: Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis- President of the Hellenic Community of Monaco and Timothy Molyneux- President of the American Club of the Riviera, together with Greek, Cypriot, American, Canadian members of both clubs.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Nadia Murad has been welcomed at the Palace by Prince Albert, where she shared her harrowing story of survival and mission to protect other women from rape as a weapon of war.
Prince Albert II officially received Nadia Murad on Monday 9th May at the Palace.
The 29-year-old is a Yazidian human rights activist from Sinjar, Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. In 2014, she was captured by Islamic State fighters and detained as a sex slave for months before she managed to flee. Since then, she tells her story tirelessly around the world to help Yazidis survivors, defend the rights of marginalised ethnic and religious minorities, and fight against the use of rape as a weapon of war.
She was a co-receiver of the Nobel Peace Prize 2018 for her efforts.
During the meeting in Monaco, Prince Albert spoke of his support for survivors of sexual violence related to conflict around the world as well as the possibility for Monaco to participate in education and health projects, across different entities.
Nadia Murad concluded her emotional story by gifting Prince Albert II her autobiography, ‘To be the last’, which she wrote to help the Yezidi people and all other female victims of violence.
Photo by Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace
LenzWerk Monaco: where German design meets the art of living
How do you highlight the best of German design? Rent a landmark villa in Monaco, fill every room with German design excellence to create individual living spaces, then invite everyone to come and enjoy it, of course.
The Lenzwork Group opened a showroom in Monaco in 2021 with the idea of creating a living experience par excellence, where the crème de la crème of German design brands are able to showcase their iconic furniture, lighting and artwork.
The entire interior of Villa Nuvola, which is purposefully designed as a private residence, can be experienced and purchased. Highlights include the hand-knotted Jan Kath carpet from the legendary ‘Erased Heritage’ series, the unique gesture-controlled lamps by Occhio, as well as perennial living spaces by Walter Knoll.
“When we visited Monaco looking for a store location, we had a feeling that people were flying to London, Milan, or Paris to actually feel how a room can ‘breathe’ with the furniture that is on show, so this is what we wanted to bring to Monaco, then combine it with art,” Jasper Hannan, co-founder of Lenzwerk Monaco, tells Monaco Life.
Villa Nuvola was created by the renowned Parisian architect Jean-Pierre Lott as a pilot project for the neighbouring high-rise Le Stella. He has had a significant influence on Monaco’s skyline with numerous landmarks like TourSimona, Les Cigognes and Ni Box. He is also behind the future Palais Honoria, and the hidden Villa Troglodyte, dug out of ancient rock.
Stretching over 800 m2, the villa showroom displays “The art of German design” and, in cooperation with leading German brands, LenzWerk Monaco establishes tailor-made concepts for interior design. This approach is complemented with selected pieces of furniture from its own LenzWerk manufactory.
“When people think of German design, they think of Bauhaus, which was a very popular minimalistic model for that time,” adds Jasper Hannan. “Many people still think of German design like that, but as you can see, it kind taken a different direction.”
On this particular evening, the design trio EOOS is celebrating 25 years of designing furniture pieces for Walter Knoll. The villa is filled with German designers and guests, making the showroom feel very much like a private home. As the champagne flows, Monte-Carlo SBM chefs hurry around the kitchen and a DJ plays from a desk on the ground floor.
“I want LenzWerk to be known as a place for art and interior design, as well as communication, where people can go for a nice event, meet the right people, and see different things in art and interior design,” adds Hannan. “This place should really live – because without the people of Monaco, it is just an empty space really.”
Jasper Hannah, co-founder LenzWerk
LenzWerk was created by Jasper’s mother Ursula Seeba-Hannan. Her philosophy is “Connected to tradition, facing the future”. Susann and Axel Meise, from Occhio, came onboard as investors to help establish the unique concept – a private showroom in the heart of the Principality that combines German design excellence under one roof, creating individual living spaces and transforming them into a way of life.
“For us, it’s a huge privilege as well as a commitment to offer our German design partners the elegant and one-of-a-kind ambience of the Villa Nuvola where to host exclusive events and jubilee festivities in the heart of the Principality of Monaco,” says Ursula Seeba-Hannan. “Using this private showroom as a special event location for German design excellence generates desire and joie de vivre. We are very proud to celebrate 25 years of EOOS for Walter Knoll in the Villa Nuvola. And this is just the beginning of a long success story.”
Review: AS Monaco Basketball’s Euroleague season ended at the hands of the mighty Olympiacos on Wednesday but, as Oleksiy Yefimov told Monaco Life, the team’s mere presence in the playoffs this year far outweighs any disappointment.
The Roca Team, in its current form, are an unrecognisable outfit to the side that set out on a journey which began before the start of this Euroleague season. Very few of the members that sealed the Euro Cup success last season, which ensured their Euroleague participation last April, remained. Rob Gray and Rudy Demahis-Ballou were the only ones to stay at a side that required a mass overhaul if it was to compete.
13 first-teamers came in before the start of their debut Euroleague campaign. From big names such as Mike James, Donatas Motiejunas and WIll Thomas, to newcomers such as Alpha Diallo and Donta Hall, they all had to find their place in this hurriedly assembled side.
Under coach Zvezdan Mitrovic, things got off to a strong start, as the Roca Team won both of their opening fixtures. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit. But that was as good as it got for Monaco in the early part of the season.
Mid-table mediocrity
Facing some of the stalwarts of the European game, Monaco came unstuck. Logical defeats to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Baskonia arrested any momentum that had been generated. The final defeat to Baskonia was indicative of a side on the slide as Monaco conjured up a mere 66 points.
Monaco went on to win three of their next four before a dismal run of results in late November/ early December turned their season on its head. Five straight defeats for Mitrovic’s men prompted the club to make a decision that thereafter made the Roca Team Sasa Obradovic’s men.
The turning point
In what was described by Oleksiy Yefimov in an exclusive interview with Monaco Life as “an extremely risky decision,” the Serbian returned to Le Rocher for a second spell, charged with leading a side that languished in 14th, into the play-off places.
The turnaround wasn’t immediate. Following an overtime win against Zalgiris, the Roca Team lost the next two; the new coach bemoaned the lack of time on the training court as he struggled to instil new ideas into his freshly acquired squad.
Ask and ye shall receive. The latest Coronavirus wave swept across Europe, forcing a swathe of cancellations, whilst Monaco got off rather unscathed. Matches against Lyon-Villeurbanne and Unics Kazan were ultimately postponed, granting Obradovic’s wish of some much-needed time with his team over the festive period.
That time wasn’t wasted. The Roca Team went on to win six of their next seven in the European division, their only defeat coming in overtime against Real Madrid. But a surprise, on-the-buzzer defeat at home against Zalgiris (82-83) once again halted Monaco’s charge towards the play-off places.
Obradovic lamented his side’s performance in that particular fixture. “When you just use your talent and do not play team basketball, you give a chance to someone else who is doing this.”
Yakuba Outtara, however, struck a more optimistic tone. “It’s not over, we can win wherever we go away from home.”
War breaks out
Just two days before Russia invaded Ukraine, Monaco welcomed, and defeated, Russian side Unics Kazan at the Salle Gaston Medecin. The “stop the war” sign pre-tip-off has become a fixture of Euroleague matches in the Principality since late February, but the war had a very tangible impact on the Roca Team on the court.
The Russian teams were kicked out of the competition, and all games against Russian opposition rendered null and void. The decision both positively and negatively affected Obradovic’s men. On the one hand, Unics Kazan, a team that Monaco had to outperform if they were to qualify for next season’s Euroleague, were now out of the picture; qualification for the play-offs was all that was necessary to compete in the 2022/23 season. On the other hand, Monaco’s four wins out of five against Russian sides were wiped off, leaving a mountain still to climb in order to reach the much-coveted top-eight.
But climb it they did. Seven wins in their final eight Euroleague games secured them seventh spot. The side could rest easy in their final game of the regular season against Alba Berlin at the Salle Gaston Medecin, in what was essentially a victory lap, a joyous celebration for a team that had scaled unfathomable heights.
AS Monaco Basketball were defeated by Olympiacos in early May, photo source: AS Monaco Basketball
A bittersweet defeat
With form on their side and a place in next year’s competition sealed, Monaco headed to Greece, where an entirely different challenge awaited them. Although Monaco prevailed in their regular season meeting against Olympiacos, there was a recognition that they wouldn’t have things all their own way in the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
And so it transpired. Olympiacos dominated in the first-leg. Monaco’s hunger to make it to the final four in Belgrade was questioned, an accusation that was rebutted every time it was thrown Obradoivc’s way. Yet actions are stronger than words, and their actions in the second-leg showed they were still alive and kicking, as they took the tie back to the Principality all square.
Olympiacos retook the lead in the first tie in Monaco, before the Roca Team hit back in the fourth to take it to a final, winner-takes-all tie in Athens. With history, statistics, the crowd and all logic going against them, Monaco nonetheless led for the majority of the tie, before eventually succumbing in the final-quarter, bringing an end to this year’s European adventure.
Yet this defeat doesn’t have the flavour of any other. In the moment, it is so easy to decontextualise the event, but the cold light of day gives rise to a realisation of what exactly had just happened. Monaco, a side who weren’t even in the top French division a matter of years ago, had taken the European giants Olympiacos to a winner-takes-all play-off tie on their own court, and almost prevailed.
Whatever the indescribable flavour of this defeat is, it’s a curious one, and one that leaves a lingering aftertaste of optimism and expectation for next year’s continental adventure.
The director reflects
Following defeat in Athens, Oleksiy Yefimov reflected on the side’s incredible achievement, telling Monaco Life, “I don’t believe anyone could have imagined where we ended up. We’re the first newcomer team to have reached the playoffs and the first French league representative to reach the playoffs. We’ve done it with the 14th largest budget amongst 18 clubs, despite the fact that we lost four victories to Russian opposition after the decision to remove them from the competition.”
For the Roca Team’s managing director, their play-off performance proved their worth. “The quarter-final series against Olympiacos proved that what we did wasn’t accidental and that we deserved our place in the play-offs.”
With that success comes a larger platform, heightened interest and ultimately more fans. Yefimov is already considering how to accommodate that increased demand. “The government made a miracle when they increased the capacity from 3,000 to 4,000 last summer, and it’s great that this summer, the arena will be increased up to 5,000 (minimum Euroleague standard).”
He continued, “We probably couldn’t have imagined anything better in the short-term. But of course, the demands for basketball in the Principality are growing and I think that the question of constructing a new arena shall be on the agenda.”
This Roca Team has created an unprecedented demand for basketball in Monaco. It’s now a question of satisfying that demand and consolidating their success both on and off the court.
The Salle des Princes auditorium at the Grimaldi Forum boasts one of the rarest state-of-the-art sound systems in the world, and it’s just been revamped, for the benefit of performers and the audience alike.
The unsung hero of any event is the sound design.
Every performance, and each type of music, requires a different type of sound environment, taking into account things such as reverberation time which vary depending on whether it’s a rock concert, an opera, a ballet or a conference.
In 2000, the Salle des Princes was equipped with a sound system found in only 10 other places worldwide. Called the CARMEN system, a French acronym for Active Control of Reverberation by a Natural Effect Virtual Wall, it is designed and developed by CSTB acousticians, and features an electroacoustic system based on the principle of active virtual walls. Thanks to these virtual walls, it is possible to change the reverberation of the room according to the show to reach the ideal acoustics without amplification systems.
The CARMEN system recently underwent a major upgrade, and was tested in the presence of local media on Wednesday 4th May.
Photo: Grimaldi Forum Monaco
The system allows for different configurations which enable it to be adapted to each specific scenario, making for pitch perfection every time.
“It is no longer the artists that adapt their performance to the concert hall, it is the concert hall that adapts to the artists’ performance,” says the Grimaldi Forum. “This innovative technology immerses musicians, speakers and spectators in an acoustic space that offers the best sound experience, regardless of where you sit in the room.” This is made possible by implementing about 30 cells, each consisting of a microphone, an electronic filter unit, a powerful amplifier and a loudspeaker. These cells arranged in virtual walls are distributed on the walls of the room and on the ceiling, the whole being controlled by a digital audio station.
Microphone and speaker placement ensures natural acoustics for any type of event.
For Sylvie Biancheri, General Manager of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, the system is a dream. “The Carmen system provides ideal acoustics that allow us to offer quality and diversified events. Our resident artists, be it the Philharmonic Orchestra, the Opera, the Printemps des Arts or the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, have been unanimous for 20 years on the added value of this technology. This system upgrade will delight them, as it will continue to attract and appeal to all of our clients and partners who organise high quality events in the Salle des Princes.”
The first performances to take advantage of the upgraded system are coming up from 3rd to 6th June for the Ballets de Monte-Carlo Summer Season opener of Jean-Christophe Maillots Coppél-i.A.
Photo source: Grimaldi Forum Monaco
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