Tony Parker: We had €59 million — ASVEL’s project was postponed for a year
Parker says the announced €59 million existed, but DNCG’s rejection of outside financing — linked to Monaco — forced ASVEL to scale back to a €24m 2026/27 budget.
Tony Parker says his plan to turn ASVEL into one of Europe’s richest clubs was real — but it has been postponed after regulatory hurdles tied to Monaco.
When Parker announced a €59 million budget and the intention to sign top stars, the project seemed poised to reshape the French club’s future. He now says those resources existed, but external problems forced a change of course.
Parker: the plan wasn't abandoned, only delayed
Speaking on RMC radio, Parker confirmed ASVEL assembled a roster for the 2026/27 season with a reduced budget of €24 million, while holding out hope to return to a much larger budget next summer.
He explained that a planned Malaysian investment fund was meant to help finance the club, but the DNCG — the French financial sports regulator — refused to approve that funding. Parker warned the delay stems from “the mistakes of Monaco” and that the club had not completed what was required in time to satisfy federation authorities.
Translated from Parker’s remarks: "Yes, I announced that budget, but that is because we had it. Obviously we are paying the price for Monaco's mistakes. We were not able to finish everything that was needed in time to satisfy the federation authorities. The project will be realised. It is a shame it was delayed for one year, but I understand people's frustration."
He added that he is thinking long-term: "I see the bigger picture and I am thinking about the next 10 to 15 years. In two or three years we will have forgotten this episode. In the meantime we still have a very large budget and an excellent team. We will be competitive and fight for trophies. It is not easy to implement big sporting projects in the current circumstances."
On future accountability he was clear: "We should be proud of what we have done, and next year, if everything goes well, we will return to a big budget. I understand that people may think I rushed, but that did not happen at all. I cannot go into details because of confidentiality agreements. I am on the front line and I take responsibility," Parker said.
Photo: press material from the event
