France NT 2009

[rikhardur]

ITA/FRA - Messina says no to France


MILAN (EuroBasket 2009) – It has emerged that Italian coaching great Ettore Messina was given the chance to coach France next summer but the CSKA Moscow boss turned down the opportunity because he didn’t want to be a “traitor”.

Messina was in Milan leading CSKA against Armani Jeans Milano in the Euroleague and a story appeared in the La Stampa newspaper in which the veteran tactician admitted the French job could have been his but he said he simply could not coach against his homeland in the Additional Qualifying Round for EuroBasket 2009.

Only one of the six national teams in the additional qualifiers can reach the Final Round in Poland.

"The truth is that I did turn down the opportunity to coach the French national team,” Messina said in La Stampa.

"But not for rules that could pose a problem, but because I will never be a traitor to my country.

"We will play against France in a game that means life and death to all of Italian basketball.

“I will never coach a team that could decide negatively the destiny of my national team."

France, Italy and Finland face each other in one Additional Qualifying Round group while Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium square off in the other.

The winners of the two groups then meet each other and the national side that triumphs in that meeting advances to the Final Round in Poland.

Messina once coached Italy’s national team.

He has been persistently linked with the Toronto Raptors the past couple of years and even gave a coaching clinic on big men before the NBA season in the Ontario city before CSKA Moscow took on the Raptors in a pre-season scrimmage.

The speculation won’t be dying anytime soon after the Raptors’ sacking of coach Sam Mitchell on Wednesday.

Toronto, the NBA’s only Canadian team, replaced Mitchell with former Canada coach Jay Triano.

Messina has also been linked with the Barcelona coaching post.

“Regarding the rumors of going to Barcelona, I can only say that I don´t know what I will do at the end of the season,” he said.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/29027/arti.html

Messina could have acted more professionally (if the reason he mentioned is actually the reason)
With that position, he won't coach any other NT imo. If, for instance, he became the coach of Spain and Italy was drawn in the same group as them, would he quit just not to defeat Italy? Or would he lose the game on purpose? This just doesn't make sense to me.

[Aegis]

I heard (I think it was here, in the Euroleague topics) rumours stating he refused because he couldn't be the coach of both Barcelona and a NT.
I think his reason is a mere excuse to keep his fanbase in Italy and to avoid having to explain why the negotiations failed. (when Gomez was named, there were rumours about Messina's "price" and it was waaaaay more than what the federation could pay... or was willing to pay for a coach)

There have been a bunch of rumours lately. Notably Pepu Hernandez and a Collet (ASVEL, ex Le Mans) / Monclar (ex Antibes Paris Dijon) duo with Monclar being the liaison with the NBAers (even when he was still coaching, he always claimed his love for the NBA which is quite rare among the french coaches and is still a NBA commentator / consultant for the main medias. (namely, Lequipe, Canal+ and Europe1).

Anyways, things should move fast once the new president of the bball federation is elected,this friday.

[rikhardur]

FRA/ESP – France considered Spain’s Pepu for national team job


PARIS (EuroBasket 2009) - France contacted Spain’s 2006 FIBA World Championship gold medal-winning boss Pepu Hernandez about the possibility of leading Les Bleus next summer in the Additional Qualifying Round for EuroBasket 2009 but were turned down.

The French only managed a second-place finish behind Turkey in their qualifying group this summer and that wasn’t good enough to book a place in next year’s Final Round in Poland.

Hernandez followed up the 2006 world title in Japan with a silver medal at EuroBasket 2007 in Madrid but was sacked by the Spanish Basketball Federation shortly before the Beijing Games.

In a weekend statement announcing his re-election, France Basketball Federation president Ivan Mainini said: “One of the first things we need to do is focus on the national team in order to get a decision by the end of January.

"We have been working for several weeks on certain paths, such as the former Spain coach Pepu Hernandez, who has preferred to focus on a club.

“The others have been French coaches. We need to find the right person to guide the team to the level that it should be in Europe."

Former Italy and current CKSA Moscow coach Ettore Messina was quoted in the La Stampa newspaper in Italy recently as saying that he had been approached by France but he didn’t want to be a “traitor” and coach against his homeland.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/29079/arti.html

[damelo]

Rumors right now says that next coach would be Vincent Collet, former Le Mans' coach, and currently at ASVEL. He is still a young coach, but very respected in France.

[rikhardur]

Another rumour for coach: Larry Brown.

http://www.basketnews.net/asp.net/main.news/details.aspx?id=1933

[rikhardur]

France To Announce Name Of Coach On March 4

France will on March 4 reveal who will coach the men's team in the EuroBasket 2009 Additional Qualifying Round.

French Basketball Federation (FFBB) president Yvan Mainini will make the announcement, the FFBB said in a statement.

France finished second to Turkey in their Division A campaign last summer under coach Michel Gomez.

They were not, however, among the top three second-place sides from the four groups and as a consequence must win the additional qualifiers to play at the EuroBasket in Poland.

The French are in the same Additional Qualifying Round group with Italy and Finland.

Should they finish top, Les Bleus will take on the winner of the other group that includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Portugal for the right to play in Poland.

The FFBB yet to specify the location and time of the press conference to announce the new coach.

http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_li3nww2BH9UpSXPUgmQIi0.container_frontpage.articleMode_on.html

[vaslover]

Guys, what about Joachim Noah? Does he going to play for France NT in summer EC qualification games for the last EC ticket or he probably finally will choose Sweden NT?
Thanks

[jugoplastika]

Guys, what about Joachim Noah? Thanks

Yeah, I also would like to know it. Anybody?

Larry Brown to coach French national team?

http://www.ballineurope.com/us-basketball/nba/larry-brown-to-coach-the-french-nt/

Interesting, but I don't see this happening. However, in next 15 days there will be a press conference.

[raph]

Larry brown story should be for some media sale enhancement purpose. Or a way for our suckiest of all universe & before big bang (and whatever was before it) federation to gain some time to avoid having to sign Collet as NT coach. It's quite notorious that Collet can't stand mainini/De vincenzi duo & its well shared (collet used to be Weis'assistant when he was coaching our NT couple years ago). Federation here does not have the money to afford any big names. They don't even have the money to pay for the insurance for Diaw. Situation is just ridiculous with some clown trying to draw attention and desperatly trying to make people think they have a deep choice.

There is also eric girard in the race who could be the surprise. He recently declared that he felt a NT coach should not coach a team in the meantime. Ah, and he's free and if collet is promoted head coach for NT, he has already asked to remain coach of ASVEL

Oh well. Italy can sleep on both ears, more drama incoming in next july

ps : Our federation staff is worse than any of our worst team, that should be enough to get a clue.

ps2 : What i would have liked is our federation to have a look on perasovic. That for sure would have been my first wish, as long as he is ok with coaching a NT and if his health alllows now. No other EL coach left me such an impression in 3 years (well cept maybe former rytas's one triufinovic, and i am refering to his vitoria's experience as well). And i don't think he would have asked much more than our french coaches.

[damelo]

Guys, what about Joachim Noah? Does he going to play for France NT in summer EC qualification games for the last EC ticket or he probably finally will choose Sweden NT?
Thanks

He wants to play for France next summer.

Now... I don't think he developed a low post game, so... He is no use.

[rikhardur]

FRA - Brown Linked With French Role This Summer

CHARLOTTE (EuroBasket 2009) – The last time Larry Brown graced the international stage was in 2004 at the Athens Olympics, when the veteran coached the United States to a bronze medal.

The boss of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats could be set for a return, though not as coach and not with the USA.

Instead, Brown, according to BasketNews in France, has expressed the hope that he might “give a hand” to Les Bleus.

The French Basketball Federation are to announce on Wednesday their coach for this year’s Additional Qualifying Round for EuroBasket 2009.

Brown, who has Frenchman Boris Diaw and Alexis Ajinca in his Bobcats squad that has been playing much better of late, was asked if he would like to coach France.

"I would really like to give a hand, whatever that may be, but I don´t think that this (head coach) is for me,” Brown said.

"There are many good coaches out there that know the international game better than me.

“Because of my relations with my two players (Diaw and Ajinca) and the number of French in the NBA, I would like to help."

France will take on Italy and Finland in Group B of the Additional Qualifying Round and if they finish top will then face the winner of Group A – Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Portugal.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/29512/arti.html

[rikhardur]

FRA - Florent Pietrus upbeat about France’s chances of reaching EuroBasket


VALENCIA (EuroBasket 2009) – Of the six teams that still have a chance to reach the EuroBasket 2009 Final Round in Poland, France are deemed by many to be the favourites.

With Tony Parker pulling the strings at point guard, Les Bleus will go into the Additional Qualifying Round looking to overcome Italy and Finland in Group B.

They will then have to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium or Portugal from Group A.

The French still have one very important matter to solve, however.

They must appoint a new coach.

The federation has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday in Paris to announce the new boss.

An interview over the weekend in BasketNews with former Team USA boss Larry Brown, who is currently at the helm of a Charlotte Bobcats team in the NBA that includes France international Boris Diaw and 20-year-old Frenchman Alexis Ajinca, has caused a stir.

Brown was asked if he would like to coach France but he replied no, although he would “like to give a helping hand”.

Veteran forward Florent Pietrus of Pamesa Valencia, who missed last summer’s campaign while he rehabilitated his knee following an operation, says that no matter who takes the reins, France will be a force to be reckoned with.

He spoke to Jeff Taylor in an interview for FIBA.com.

FIBA.com: We really enjoyed watching you play for France at the last two EuroBaskets and at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. You weren’t able to play last summer when France finished second in their qualifying group to Turkey. Are you going to play for France again?

Pietrus: Of course, of course. We have a nice opportunity. We lost the qualifications last summer and we have only one chance to get to the European Championship (EuroBasket). I hope that everyone will be there to help France qualify.

FIBA.com: Italy will be a tough team to beat in your group, though.

Pietrus. Yes, I think it’s going to be between us and Italy, but I think we have a good chance to make this European Championship.

FIBA.com: There is one other matter. Who is going to be the coach?

Pietrus: I don’t know. Up to now, we don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. What is more important is July 5 when we start the preparations and like I said before try to get to the European Championship.

FIBA.com: You have played in Spain for a long time. How do you like the basketball in the country’s top flight, the ACB?

Pietrus: It’s great. For me, it’s one of the best championships in Europe because after the NBA, every NBA player goes straight to Spain. That makes the level higher. That’s why it’s important for us in the EuroCup and winning this game (against Azovmash) because we have an opportunity (to win a trophy). In the ACB, it’s going to be tough to play against such teams as Tau, Barcelona. This (EuroCup) is our competition, so we have to give 100% to achieve something.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/inte/p/newsid/29504/arti.html

[damelo]

He is THE guy you can't count out according to the joy he showed playing for NT.

For Brown... 1st, his salary is not affordable for us. We are POOOORRR!
2nd... I doubt why he wants to get involved in NT...

[vaslover]

It,s quite doubtful, that after the NBA, every NBA player goes straight to Spain. I suppose Delfino, Garbajosa, Pargo, Chilldres, Boykins, Krstic, Nachbar can confirm my view...

[damelo]

It,s quite doubtful, that after the NBA, every NBA player goes straight to Spain. I suppose Delfino, Garbajosa, Pargo, Chilldres, Boykins, Krstic, Nachbar can confirm my view...

Spain only gets the best ones... Navarro, Elmer Benett, Daequan Cook, Taurean Green...