He is back! After a one-season experience in Spain under the colors of Tenerife ( 4th in the La Liga regular season ), Lahaou Konaté is back in France. In Ile-de-France more exactly. But the former captain of Nanterre (2017-2019) will not find the Maurice-Thorez sports center. Not immediately. The international tricolor (12 capes) has signed up for four seasons at the neighboring club of Boulogne-Levallois. A rare change of tunic between the two rival clubs but a nice blow for the Metropolitans who attract one of the most demanded French players on the market. The best Jeep Elite clubs had surveyed him, including Monaco in recent weeks.
The arrival of the 28-year-old winger therefore delights the supporters of Boulogne-Levallois as much as it confuses those of Nanterre. “At the beginning I was a little embarrassed, I know the rivalry between the two clubs well, he admits. I can understand the frustration but it’s my job, I have to think about my career and to put my people away. I called Pascal (Editor’s note: Donnadieu, coach of Nanterre) right after signing my contract to notify him directly. If I am there today, it is thanks to him and Nanterre because he gave me my chance. I already know that the reunion ( first leg on November 2 in Levallois, return to Nanterre on January 16) will be emotionally intense. “
Boulogne-Levallois had been courting him for a while. Alain Weisz (vice-president in charge of sports) had contacted him in March. At the time, Konaté still hoped to continue the adventure in Spain. “I had a few proposals but nothing very interesting and some could not be completed because of the health situation, explains the youngster from Orly, who is getting closer to his family by signing in Ile-de-France. We had to face the facts and I didn’t want to make the same mistakes as last season ( Editor’s note: he had refused certain proposals and had to wait until October before signing in Tenerife ). I didn’t want to arrive in an already built workforce, I wanted to be at the start of a project. “
“The will to play in the Euroleague”
This will be the case in Boulogne-Levallois. “The club made me a proposal that cannot be refused,” confides the winner of the intercontinental cup with Tenerife this season. A four-year contract doesn’t exist in basketball, it’s very rare. It is a proof of confidence which pleases and cannot be refused. The health crisis also pushed him to return to France. “I wanted an ambitious and stable project, which is the case,” says the All Star Game MVP in 2018. We will play the Eurocup and we will have a team to fight against the best. We are competitors so we hope to win titles. We know that Asvel has a great project but that of Boulogne-Levallois is also ambitious with a new venue soon (by 2023) and the desire to play in the Euroleague. “
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