Tony Parker talks with Roxana Maracineanu on July 31 before the Coupe de la Ligue final between OL and PSG at the Stade de France.

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FRANCK FIFE / AFP

  • Due to the current confinement in France, Tony Parker fears "the death of French basketball", which is currently trying to continue part of its season behind closed doors.

  • The president of Asvel has been carrying for a few days the claims of the Jeep Elite clubs, which clearly depend on the ticket office to survive.

  • The former star of Spurs and the France team met Monday with the deputy minister in charge of sports Roxana Maracineanu.

From playmaker of the Blues for 16 years to French basketball leader in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

For several days, Tony Parker has been on a media tour to educate the French government on the very delicate situation facing all French sport, like his club Asvel.

Reached live by

L'Equipe du soir

, the president of Villeurbanne confided in particular that he had a long exchange on Monday with Roxanna Maracineanu, the delegate minister in charge of Sports.

Our file on the coronavirus

"I really liked our phone conversation, she reassured me on a lot of points, he said on the channel L'Equipe.

We will continue this discussion next week with the Minister of Education [Jean-Michel Blanquer].

We must continue to educate the people who will decide.

The goal is not to create controversy, we just want to be sure that the government takes into account everything that is happening at the moment.

"

The closed session would lead to "the death of basketball" according to "TP"

If Tony Parker, discreet since the start of the coronavirus crisis in March, suddenly launches into the front line, it is a wish of the leaders of Jeep Elite.

"The presidents have all pushed for me to speak and show the way," said TP Saturday on beIN Sports.

I have always tried to bring people together and be an ambassador for French basketball.

I take this role with pleasure to save French sport in crisis, and not just basketball.

We are all united, all mobilized, but playing behind closed doors for a whole season would be the death of basketball.

"

đź“ş #beINCENTER


🏀 We welcome Tony Parker on video to discuss the situation of French sport and the growing crisis for clubs ... pic.twitter.com/nf2DQh6Cri

- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) November 8, 2020

Volunteer, like Monaco and Boulogne-Levallois, to host championship matches behind closed doors during the confinement period, Asvel beat Orleans (93-83) in an empty Astroballe on Sunday, a match broadcast on the L'Equipe channel .

It was important for us to lead by example by playing behind closed doors for a month.

But I have always made it clear: we cannot do more.

We have already lost enormous sums last season.

I'm afraid for French basketball: if it continues, clubs will not spend the month of January.

"

After the NBA, a “bubble” in Jeep Elite?

Because as the former icon of Spurs specifies, "for many clubs, the ticket office represents three quarters of their budget".

It is expected that an aid fund of 110 million euros for French sport will be distributed soon, which "will not be enough to save sport," said Tony Parker.

What exactly does the latter expect from the state?

"The government can do a lot of things to help us try to survive during this crisis: partial unemployment, the withdrawal of employers' charges," he said on Saturday on beIN Sports.

Among his ideas about this Jeep Elite season (the teams have played between three and seven games so far), the president of Asvel evokes "an end of the championship moved from June 10 to July 31".

And even "a bubble", like what the NBA had achieved last season.

“This is an option that we should study very seriously,” he insists.

Monaco, Paris and us, we could position ourselves.

"

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  • Roxana maracineanu

  • Lyon

  • Sport

  • Tony Parker

  • Covid 19

  • Basketball

  • Coronavirus