AS Monaco Basket has officially marked the end of its professional rise, closing the chapter on a 12-year journey that took the Roca Team from the lower divisions of French basketball to dominating domestically and competing at the highest level in Europe.
In a statement addressed to the “Roca Family” on Wednesday 7th October, the club confirmed that AS Monaco Basket has been placed in cessation of payments and will now enter what it described as a “pause”, with ambitions to rebuild and eventually relaunch the club.
“Today is a sad day,” the statement read, as months of uncertainty surrounding its future finally reached its conclusion.
The announcement follows a rollercoaster summer for the reigning national champions, who were denied entry into France’s top two divisions, before an application to join Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1) was also rejected.
The club’s financial difficulties also continued to mount, with an October hearing revealing liabilities of €27.8 million, while the team remained without a competition to participate in.
Despite exhausting many options in search of a path forward, the Roca Team now must step away from the court months after completing one of the most successful seasons in its history.
FROM LOWER DIVISIONS TO EUROLEAGUE
The end marks a massive reversal for a team that built itself up as one of Europe’s most recognisable basketball teams. Over the last 12 seasons, Monaco won three French championship titles, four Leaders Cups, two French Cups, and one Super Cup. In 2021, the Principality earned its first European title with its EuroCup victory, opening the door to its EuroLeague seasons. The Roca Team went on to reach two EuroLeague Final Fours and one final.
“Nobody can take away what has been built over these 12 years,” the club said in its statement.
Reflecting on the years, the Roca Team pointed to its supporters as its greatest achievement. “This legacy cannot be erased,” the club said. Thousands of fans supported the Principality’s efforts from the lower divisions through to the end.
BASKETBALL CONTINUES IN MONACO
The future of men’s basketball in the Principality now falls on the Association de l’ASM, whose first team competes in Nationale 3 (NM3) along with its youth structure. The Association confirmed that its NM3 team remains entered in competition and will work towards playing its home matches at Salle Gaston-Médecin.
AS Monaco Basket formally passed the torch to the Association in its announcement, expressing its hope that the Principality will one day return to the highest level of competition. “The ultimate goal remains to see Monaco return to its rightful place,” the club said.
A SETBACK FOR FORMER ROCA TEAM STAR
The closing of the Roca Team chapter arrives during a difficult week for one of the players closely associated with the club’s rise to the top. American Mike James, who left the club for Anadolu Efes this season, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during a EuroLeague game against Crvena Zvezda on 1st October. The 36-year-old underwent surgery, with Anadolu Efes estimating his recovery to take seven to nine months.
James became one of the most pivotal players of Monaco’s success during his five seasons with the club, winning three French championships and helping lead the team to its EuroLeague runs.
For Monaco supporters who continued to follow a fan favourite into his next chapter, his lengthy absence brings another difficult moment at the end of an era.
For now, the Roca Team leaves behind a legacy that transformed sport in the Principality. Whether the Roca Team can eventually return remains unwritten, but the club’s final message was clear: it does not consider its story permanently finished.
“Until then, what we have built together remains.”
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo source: AS Monaco Basket