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Roca Team prevail in offensive festival against Milan

by: Luke Entwistle
27/01/2023

A defensively porous but offensively spectacular AS Monaco Basketball beat Euroleague’s bottom side Milan (101-88) on Thursday to keep pace with the leaders and bounce back following consecutive European defeats.  

Against his former side, James ran proceedings in the opening phases, registering an unreplied eight-point streak to give Monaco an early lead. Whilst the Roca Team were nearly in full flow offensively, they lacked the same intensity in defence, and couldn’t stop bleeding points, allowing ample room for Milan to cause harm from outside the key, which they duly did. 

Elie Okobo’s playmaking and shooting efficiency kept the scoreboard ticking, as every player that entered onto the court contributed, including debutant Chima Moneke, who took just seconds to make his mark with a T2 while attracting the foul. 

By half-time, both sides had pierced the 50-point mark, and a mammoth scoreline was set to be recorded. Attacks continued to reign in the second-half, with Milan quickly erasing Monaco’s seven-point half-time lead, restoring parity midway through the third quarter (70-70). 

However, the Roca Team then hit the accelerator once more. James kicked things off with a T3, which lifted the crowd. Donta Hall and Okobo, who was impressive throughout, then combined; the former finishing with one of his signature dunks. Alpha Diallo then hit on the break to begin to take the game away from the Italian side (80-72). 

Photo by Monaco Life

The American then struck early in the final quarter with another T3 to deflate a Milan side that were starting to feel their way back into the game. The Roca Team finally found their defensive bite in the final quarter and began to make the decisive break, Jordan Loyd registering a T3 that killed the game as a contest (90-78). 

As both sides tired, the efficiency and intensity notably dropped, and whilst the Roca Team didn’t make the 114-points that they were on course to reach at half-time, they did nonetheless breach the 100-point mark. Against the Euroleague’s bottom side, Sasa Obradovic’s men were run closer than perhaps they expected, but the result was ultimately secured (101-88). 

Post-match Sasa Obradovic said that he was happy to have provided a spectacle for the fans.

“Everyone who came here enjoyed the basketball, this is what they wanted to see,” he told Monaco Life, continuing, “Everyone contributed. I’m satisfied with all the players that played. It was a collective win. Milan haven’t played well recently, but that wasn’t the case tonight. They scored lots of hard shots, but we found a way to control the game, especially in the fourth quarter. It is always good to protect the home court.”

 

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Main photo by AS Monaco Basket

Louis Ducruet captains Barbagiuans to Fight AIDS Cup victory

by: Luke Entwistle
24/01/2023

Stars from the Principality and beyond gathered at the Stade Louis II for a memorable charity match on Monday, which saw the Barbagiuans win the Fight AIDS Cup for the first time. 

Charles Leclerc, Didier Deschamps, Claude Puel, Fernando Morientes, Sonny Anderson and many more sports personalities, each inextricably linked to the Principality, competed in the match, which raises funds for Princess Stéphanie’s charity, Fight AIDS Monaco.

Glimpses of the past glory of some of these iconic players were on full display in front of a crowd that contributed to the success of the event, now in its third edition. Goals weren’t in short supply, with fans witnessing five in total.

With the beginning of pre-season Formula One testing approaching, Leclerc’s cameo was only brief, and it was only after his departure that the goals began to flow.

Sonny Anderson’s header was cancelled out by a strike from Arsenal legend Robert Pires just seconds later. However, prolific AS Monaco striker Morientes struck early in the second half to re-establish the Barbagiuans lead.

Ludovic Giuly, who featured over 250 times for Les Monégasques, then gave the Barbagiuans, in search of their maiden victory in the competition, a two-goal cushion with a neat finish.

Cirque FC got a late consolation goal through Clarence Seedorf who, just like in last year’s memorable event, stood out with flashes of skill and composure, befitting of a player that was once one of the world’s best.

However, it was the Barbagiuans who lifted the trophy, with Ducruet being handed the trophy by Prince Albert II for the first time.

“It’s nice to come together and to have fun for a good cause so we’re very happy,” succinctly summarised goal-scorer Giuly after an event that once again offered an enthralling spectacle in the name of a charitable cause.

 

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Photo by Monaco Life

Monaco return to winning ways after midweek draw

by: Luke Entwistle
30/10/2022

AS Monaco ended a four-game winless run with a 2-0 victory against Angers on Sunday after a midweek draw against Ferencváros leaves Philippe Clement’s side with work still to do to ensure qualification.

Monaco go into the key clash against Red Star Belgrade on Thursday with a win under their belts. Last Thursday’s draw against Ferencváros in the Europa League means that qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament hinges on getting a result in the final group stage game.

Wissam Ben Yedder had put Les Monégasques ahead with a clever flicked finish in the box. They had chances to kill the game, one of the most gilt-edged of which fell to Kevin Volland.

In the final minutes of regulation time, Monaco were made to pay for not killing the game. Kristoffer Zachariassen got the equaliser to retain Ferencváros’ spot at the top of the standings with one game to spare.

That draw stretched Monaco’s winless run to four games – an unwanted record that was ended at the Stade Louis II on Sunday. In Angers, Monaco came up against an opponent also in desperate need of a win, or two. Like Monaco, they are on a four-game winless run and sit rock-bottom of the Ligue 1 standings.

On paper, the result looked simple, but the reality was that this was a hard-fought win for Monaco, who found themselves under pressure at times in the first half.

There was an early scare for Monaco, who thought they had conceded a penalty when Adrien Hunou tumbled theatrically in the box. Stéphanie Frappart pointed the spot, but the decision was overturned following consultation with VAR and Hunou was sanctioned for his dive.

Monaco then earned a penalty of their own, and this one stood. However, the usually clinical Ben Yedder struck his penalty poorly and it was easily saved by Yahia Fofana, who guessed the right way to make the stop.

In need of offensive thrust, Clement brought on Vanderson at half-time, the Brazilian deemed fit after picking up an injury in the club’s midweek draw. The substitute immediately reaped rewards, the right-back crossing for Breel Embolo to tap in from close range.

Photo of AS Monaco v Angers by Monaco Life

Two more substitutes combined for the second. Kevin Volland set up Aleksandr Golovin on the edge of the box, the latter unleashing a sumptuous curling effort into the top corner. At 2-0, Monaco turned on cruise control and saw the match out.

Clement’s comments

“The first quarter of an hour was good and Angers had a response with a compact block, but as time went on the tempo slowed down. In the second half, it was a lot better. The team were higher and added pressure. Our domination was rewarded with two beautiful goals. The reaction in the second half was very good and that’s what we have to remember. We leave with the three points and a clean sheet,” said Clement.

“The rotation allows me to have fresher players for the match against Red Star on Thursday,” the Belgian manager added.

Man of the match – Breel Embolo

The Swiss international striker is beginning to outshine his strike partner. He now has six goals in 13 Ligue 1 matches, after once again proving decisive on Sunday. As well as becoming more clinical in front of goal, his overall game and profile give Monaco the option to do different things and play in different ways.

Monaco now need to maintain their momentum, with a crucial match on Thursday, on which the fate of their European adventure lies.

Photo by AS Monaco 

Work on Stade Louis II to restart in 2023/24

by: Luke Entwistle
27/10/2022

The renovation of the Stade Louis II has entered its fifth year. Starting with an initial budget of €355m, the next phase of development will get underway in 2023/24 and will last for “multiple years.”

The news was announced by the Conseil National during a 2022 budget review earlier this month. Whilst significant work has already been carried out in the VIP lodges in the stadium, at the Salle Gaston Médecin, on the athletics track and on the swimming pool, further work is to be done.

The announcement will be of great interest to everyone in the Principality, but mostly to AS Monaco and their thousands of fans that attend football matches in the stadium on a regular basis. Fans have been crying out for work to be carried out on a stadium that they have previously described as “decrepit”.

AS Monaco CEO Jean-Emmanuel de Witt has previously said the following: “We are by far the biggest user of the stadium. We hope, and we are in discussions with the Monégasque authorities to envisage works in the stadium, that are already planned. We just need to sort out the details and timings. It is a very important topic for our development. We have seen stadiums that are already way ahead of ours.”

During the budget review, Priorié Monaco (Primo!) politician Nathalie Amoratti-Blanc said that the club should play in a stadium that “is in line with the best European standards”. Her colleague, Marc Mourou, went on to describe the terraces of the Louis II as “quite dilapidated.”

Interior Minister Patrice Cellario has admitted that there remains “a lot of work”, but sought to highlight the omnipresent monégasque issue of space as a factor that renders the task difficult. “The margin for maneuver is particularly reduced,” he said.

Whilst plans for the renovated stadium are yet to be released, there is at least the certainty that the iconic arches will be maintained, although work will be done on them to reverse their decay. “The problem with the arches is a superficial one. They will be taken into account in the stadium’s reconstruction,” said Cellario.

He added, “Reconstructing such a building can’t be done in a matter of months or even years, and that is regardless of how hard we work. The operation is complex to imagine and execute because they must be done whilst the stadium remains in use.”

Change is coming at the iconic Fontvieille stadium, but it won’t come quickly.

 

Photo by Monaco Life

ASM preview: “An important match, but not a decisive one”

by: Luke Entwistle
05/10/2022

AS Monaco are looking to bounce back against Trabzonspor following defeat to Ferencváros in the last round, in what Philippe Clement described as “an important, but not a decisive match” on Wednesday. 

As a result of the 1-0 defeat at home to Ferencváros just before the international break, an extra importance has been accorded to Thursday night’s fixture. Whilst as Clement says, it is “not a decisive match,” there is a greater need for points on the board than had they won that game against the Hungarian champions.

The club currently sit in third after the first two Europa League games, and are separated only by goal difference from their Turkish opponents. “There are six games (in the group stages) so it’s an important match, but not a decisive match. We mustn’t look at what others are doing, but stay focused on our own game, our qualities and our tempo. In this group, there are four teams of around the same level. It’s up to us to prove that we’re the best and we will only have our answer at the end of the six matches,” said Clement.

However, with difficult away trips to Turkey and later to Hungary, it is important to bounce back quickly. “Against Trabzonspor, we need to make sure that the match against Ferncváros was just a mistake,” said captain Wissam Ben Yedder.

That match is the only recent blot on Monaco’s copybook. In the league, the club are on a four-game winning streak, and carrying that form into European competition is the task that Clement’s men face.

“I liked the match against Nantes, and I hope to see the same ingredients against Trabzonspor. I want even more automatism, to create more opportunities, and to concede fewer chances to our opponents,” said Clement.

Easier said than done; and in Trabzonspor, they are coming up against “an experienced European side.” Seasoned internationals fill the side, from Slovakian international Marek Hamsik, who has 135 caps for his country, to Hassan Trézéguet (57 Egypt caps), and even former Barcelona centre-back Marc Bartra (14 Spain caps).

As a result, Clement says his side “have to play the full 90 minutes with their qualities, and even then, there is no guarantee of a result.”

Medical report

At least, as he told Monaco Life, Clement has almost a full squad to pick from. The side remain without Ruben Aguilar, an absence which leaves the manager in search of solutions at right-back with Vanderson the only first-team, out-and-out player who plays in that position.

Having played a full half against Nantes at the weekend, Kevin Volland is fit enough to start for the first time since his return from injury. However, he may find it hard to displace Breel Embolo, who having come off at half-time at the weekend, participated fully in a group training on Wednesday, attended by Monaco Life. 

Some of the club’s youngsters, including Yann Liénard, Félix Lemarechal, Yllan Okou, and Soungoutou Magassa, are away with the Elite Group squad and therefore won’t be in the squad for the fixture.

Against Trabzonspor, Monaco can’t afford any more “accidents.” The nature of European football is brutal; slip-ups are punished and with only six gameweeks and a high-quality of opposition, it can be difficult to refind one’s feet. That is the challenge that now faces Clement and his group of “young lions.”

 

AS Monaco predicted starting line-up

(3-4-3) | Nübel – Henrique, Badiashile, Sarr, Disasi – Golovin, Fofana, Camara  – Ben Yedder, Embolo

Football: AS Monaco v Ferencváros

by: luke@monacolife.net
08/09/2022

Monaco begin their Europa League campaign against the reigning Hungarian champions.