Lyon (AFP)
France team playmaker Thomas Heurtel has signed for Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne until the end of the season, the Villeurban club announced on Wednesday.
Aged 31, the player, out of ban at FC Barcelona, will not be able to qualify in the Euroleague because the qualiication date for a player who has already played matches this season in the event has passed (January 6).
As a result, he will only participate in the French Elite Championship and the Coupe de France matches.
"He did not hesitate to make big financial sacrifices to join us. It is a beautiful mark of confidence and the sign that Asvel is a real reference for the best French basketball players", welcomed Tony Parker, the president of Asvel, in a press release.
"He will be a real leader to help us get titles on the national scene," continued the manager whose club, with the resumption of national competitions and in particular the championship, will have a very heavy program until June.
Thomas Heurtel had found an agreement in January with FC Barcelona, where he had been playing since 2017 and that Asvel must face this week in the Euroleague, for an amicable separation.
He was in contract with the Catalan club until 2022 and had played in Spain for ten years.
A clause prevented him from signing for another Spanish team this season, but Heurtel could join Real Madrid for the next one.
His lease at Villeurbanne will allow him to give himself a chance to compete in the Olympic Games with the France team.
© 2021 AFP