In Europe, leading athletes from their countries are often intimidated by the idea that they will be blocked from joining the national team for their connection with Russia. However, as it turned out, these prohibitions can be ignored. For example, this is what the leaders of French basketball did in relation to Zenit point guard Thomas Ertel.

It turns out that all the “principles” turned out to be false?

Forced to sign a letter and renounce Russia

Ertel is one of the leaders of the French national basketball team. In September 2022, he helped the national team reach the final of the European Championship. Despite the defeat from Spain, the team and its players were considered heroes at home.

Thomas Ertel in the French national team at the 2022 European Basketball Championship / Photo: © DeFodi Images / Contributor/ DeFodi Images / Gettyimages.ru

At the same time, Thomas might not have gone to the Silver Euro. Back in the summer of 2022, talk began about his transfer from Real Madrid to Zenit. Ertel’s potential move to St. Petersburg has alarmed French basketball executives. At the same time, a scandalous order was issued: anyone who wants to play on the national team must sign a letter refusing to cooperate with the Russians.

Ertel was among those who left an autograph on this document. Only he did not refuse the offer from Zenit – moreover, a week after EuroBasket he officially became a player of the St. Petersburg club. The French team immediately publicly renounced their leader. Thomas said that he didn’t care about prohibitions.

“We can tear this letter to shreds”

But all these movements, as it turned out, were fiction. The letter that Ertel signed had no value. The basketball player himself stated this.

The Frenchman became the hero of the Tony Parker Show podcast. Journalists asked him if the national basketball federation knew about his connections with Zenit before EuroBasket. In response, Thomas made what was essentially a revealing statement.

– Of course they knew. Of course, this piece of paper was fictitious. Therefore, we can simply tear this letter and throw it away. “Everyone knew about it,” answered the Frenchman.

The Federation hastened to disown such accusations.

— The leadership of the French Basketball Federation and its president Jean-Pierre Suita did not know about the existence of a contract between Thomas Ertel and the Russian club. The player himself made his choice after EuroBasket, when he signed a contract and left, violating the signed agreement, says a statement on the website ffbb.com.

Have the principles stopped working?

Of course, officials are unlikely to admit that they knew about Ertel’s agreements with Zenit. After all, then all their anti-Russian rhetoric will go down the drain. And fans will have questions – it turns out that EuroBasket silver was won thanks to a disgraced player who did not have the right to play for the national team?

Thomas Ertel in the French national team at the 2022 European Basketball Championship / Photo: © DeFodi Images / Contributor/ DeFodi Images / Gettyimages.ru

According to French media reports, Ertel signed an agreement with Zenit even before EuroBasket – the formal announcement was made after the tournament. The Federation, of course, had to know about this. But, apparently, her “principles” stopped working at that moment.

However, Ertel, being a Zenit player, still did not go to the 2023 World Cup. The tournament turned out to be a failure for France: the current European vice-champions did not qualify from the group and took only 18th place. After the elimination, team veteran Nicolas Batum sharply criticized the federation for not calling up Ertel.

“We need everyone, and in the best condition.” I don’t care about politics. We need the strongest possible French team,” Batum said in an interview with beIN Sports.

After flying at the World Cup, Federation President Jean-Pierre Suita said that in the future he does not rule out calling players from the VTB United League to the national team. His confessions eloquently indicate that politically motivated decisions only bring negativity and scandals to the sport. The French experienced this to the fullest.