Lyon (AFP)

"I'm at home": after five seasons spent abroad, Edwin Jackson is back home in Villeurbanne, to bring his experience of the highest European level to Asvel, which begins its adventure in Euroleague Friday against the Olympiakos.

At 30, the rear Edwin Jackson is the main summer rookie of Villeurbanne, with the leader Antoine Diot.

Since his last match under the colors of the Asvel at the end of 2014, the birthdays have moved a lot: from Barcelona to Malaga, via Madrid and Podgorica. He even had experience in the Chinese league during the 2017/18 season, with the Southern Tigers of Guangdong.

In five and a half years, the club of its beginnings has changed face: the historic green left the place to the black and white, and the budget went from a little more than 7 million euros for the season 2014/15 to 11 million for the coming season.

"When I left, it was more complicated, the budget was lower and the team was not so competitive In France, Asvel came back to the fore with two league titles (2016, 2019)", notes for AFP the French international, bronze medalist at the 2014 World Cup with the Blues.

Asvel "is starting to get closer to the standards that I have experienced being in Barcelona or Malaga, in terms of logistics and organization," he says.

"I am very happy to return to Villeurbanne where I resigned with great emotion and finding in the workforce my best friend, Antoine Diot," he slips.

"All the lights are green so that it goes well, it only remains to perform and play as best as possible," he adds, hoping to "live a great season".

- Familiar faces up to safety -

The first three matches of the Asvel in the Championship of France, concluded on three victories including Limoges at home (94-84) and Strasbourg (89-88), set the tone of a marathon season to more than 80 matches (at least 34 in Elite and 36 in Euroleague).

Friday is the Olympiakos who is expected at the Astroballe for the first game of the Euroleague season (20:45).

"We are in good shape, I'm back in a competitive team with a lot of French, international, or players that I already know like Livio Jean-Charles, David Lighty, Amine Noua, Charles Kahudi but also other high-performance players. talk about those present in the coaching as TJ Parker, Joseph Gomis or the general manager François Lamy ", details Edwin Jackson.

"I'm at home, all the faces are familiar, until the security people I know since I'm a + gone + (young or child in Lyon)," enthuses the back.

Was it difficult to convince Jackson, like Diot, to return to the fold? For Gaëtan Müller, Deputy President, these two players "from the house" were attracted by "the general project". In addition, "there are also the links they have in the team and a little bit of word of mouth about the atmosphere".

"They could have had better financial offers," he admits. He hopes to keep them in the long term, "so that the public can identify with the players and the club", adds the leader, satisfied to have been able to retain part of the frame of the champion team of France in 2019 .

"It's great for him and for us to have him, he has the experience of the great European clubs and the Euroleague, he, like Antoine, will be important and he will also help the youngest to progress", concludes Captain Charles Kahudi.

© 2019 AFP