France to exclude national team players from Russian and Belarussian clubs / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

The French basketball federation announced that the players who represent Russian or Belarussian teams won't be available to represent the country in international tournaments.

According to the statement, the decision will also apply to staff members. So, the players or staff members who have contracts with a Russian or Belarussian club won't be selected for the upcoming EuroBasket 2022 and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

A couple of the few French players who currently have contracts with Russian clubs are Louis Labeyrie and Livio Jean-Charles.

FFBB statement

The players and staff of the French teams will no longer be selected if they sign a contract with a Russian or Belarusian club, as long as the conflict is ongoing.

In addition to sanctions and measures aimed at limiting partnerships and other financial support from entities with links to the Russian state and Belarus, international sports federations, including FIBA, have decided to exclude national teams, Russian clubs, and athletes in international competitions.

The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) supports all of these measures. Meeting on July 28, 2022, the Federal Bureau decided that players and staff who sign a contract with a Russian or Belarusian club can no longer be selected as long as the measures exclusion from all international competitions will be in effect. This decision also applies to players and staff members who have already signed with a Russian or Belarusian club.

All players selected for the senior men's and women's French teams are invited to sign a sworn statement to participate in international gatherings and competitions. Players and staff members must sign this statement indicating that they are not engaged and will not engage with a Russian or Belarusian club for the duration of the conflict with Ukraine.

If this commitment is not respected, the player or staff member won't meet the selection criteria for the next international competitions, including the 2024 Olympic Games.

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