Roca Team appeal set for 25 August in Elite league fight
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
AS Monaco Basket's appeal against exclusion from the Elite championship has been scheduled for 25 August, though the club is pushing for an earlier hearing.
France's reigning basketball champions are in a race against time. The CNOSF, France's national Olympic and sports committee, has set 25 August as the date for AS Monaco Basket's appeal against their exclusion from the Pro A Elite league ahead of the 2026-27 season. The club was barred on financial grounds, a decision that shocked the Principality given the Roca Team's title-winning status just months ago.
The club has formally requested the hearing be brought forward, acutely aware that pre-season preparation and squad planning cannot be put on hold indefinitely. Every day without clarity makes it harder to retain players and staff who have other options.
For Monaco residents who fill the Salle Gaston Médecin for home fixtures, the stakes are straightforward: if the appeal fails and the date cannot be advanced, the Principality faces the prospect of starting the new season without top-flight basketball. The outcome of the 25 August hearing, or any earlier session the CNOSF agrees to, will determine whether that scenario becomes reality.