The Frenchman promised not to play in Russia, but moved to Zenit. You can forget about the team

The isolation of Russia in world sports causes problems not only for our athletes, but also for foreign ones. Over the past six months, dozens of legionnaires from different sports have left Russian teams. In most cases, this happened under pressure from their national federations, although only a few countries made public statements in this regard.

But the French Basketball Federation openly threatened the newcomer of the St. Petersburg “Zenith” Thomas Ertel with removal from the national team in case of transfer to the Russian club.

However, the basketball player did not succumb to blackmail.

They took a receipt from the French

Before the start of the already completed EuroBasket 2022, the French Federation obliged all the players of the national team to sign a document refusing to play in Russia and Belarus.

– If Ertel plays for a Russian club, his commitment will not be honored. In such a case, the playmaker will not qualify for the next international competitions, including the 2024 Olympics, in accordance with the decision taken by the Federal Office on July 28, the French Basketball Federation said in a statement.

Photo: © Catherine Steenkeste / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

At the same time, on September 21, Zenit officially announced the signing of a contract with Ertel, known for playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid. Previously, Thomas has repeatedly received prestigious awards, including MVP of the Spanish Cup.

Ertel went against his

Ertel was among the players who signed a document banning performances in Russia, which he personally reported back in August:

Yes, I signed [договор с федерацией]and you know it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be on the team. Whether I’m a fan of this solution is none of your business. My agents interact with clubs, including Russian ones, if you want to know. But there are other teams that play in the Euroleague and in the championship of Spain. Let’s see what happens in the future, – quotes Thomas Be Basket.

Accordingly, when concluding a contract with Zenit, Thomas understood what he was doing and what consequences awaited him. It is unlikely that an athlete in the current situation would have chosen a contract with a Russian club, having a similar offer in Europe.

In April, Ertel turned 33, so his services are now, apparently, not in great demand in large European clubs. It turns out that the French federation offers its basketball player to refuse a lucrative contract, which Zenit clearly attracted Thomas, and be left without a job? Or sign a contract with the European middle peasant, agreeing to a pay cut?

However, in the end, Ertel did not succumb to this blackmail. And for what reason, most likely, the player himself will tell in the near future.