The situation seems to be worsening for Metropolitans 92, who are currently at the bottom of the French Championship. With only 11 days left before the end of the season, the team has suffered 20 losses in 23 days, making their relegation almost certain. To add to their woes, they have recently been hit with a fine of 10,400 euros by the Basketball League’s Legal Disciplinary and Regulations Commission.
The team was initially flagged by the French National Basketball League (LNB) in early February for making unauthorized changes to players’ contracts. These changes allowed players to exit the club under specific conditions. The Boulogne club was found guilty of breaching article 79 of the regulations, which pertains to the “transmission of contractual documents.”
This penalty, which was decided on February 28, is solely related to the case of team leader Matthieu Gauzin. Gauzin had requested to leave the club to join Nancy, as a clause in his contract permitted him to do so. However, the approval and qualification commission denied this transfer, stating that “this amendment, which was not transmitted to the LNB when the player was qualified, is contrary to the professional basketball collective agreement.”
Other Metropolitans players who exited the club during the season due to these amendments will also have their cases reviewed by the LNB’s legal disciplinary and regulations committee. Philippe Ausseur, the League’s president, stated in the wake of this scandal, “We are considering, within the framework of the new regulations, making the sanctions even more dissuasive so that the use of these clauses disappears.”
After a long hiatus due to the Leaders Cup and the international break, which included the French team’s qualifying matches for Euro 2025, the Mets are set to return to the championship this Saturday (6:30 p.m.) when they host… Nancy.
