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Inside – ASVEL gives itself “two to three years” to travel by charter flight in Euroleague

With 34 home matches and as many away now each season, ASVEL must constantly compose between Euroleague and Betclic Élite. To aim for excellence at all levels, the club has set up a remarkable organization for European travel, with an internal logistics unit. The next step ? Travel regularly by private flight within “two to three years”.

This episode is the second in a series “Inside” of files in immersion with French clubs. To enjoy the next episodes in their entirety and many other content, subscribe to Basket Europe.

15.1 million euros. This is the total budget of ASVEL announced by the National Basketball League (LNB) for the 2021-2022 financial year, an increase of 27% compared to that of the previous season. Quite simply a record in the history of the French championship. This is triple the budget before Tony Parker becomes the majority shareholder of the club in 2014. In seven years, Lyon-Villeurbanne has continued to structure itself, until it obtained permanent member status of the Euroleague. The double reigning French champion naturally aspires to be “ a great Europe from tomorrow, and this is being prepared today », According to a club leader. But the gap that separates it from the European behemoths remains significant. By way of comparison, the budgets of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, ​​CSKA Moscow or Olimpia Milan are still twice as high, beyond 30 million. To reach the top of Europe, and stay there, ASVEL has no other choice but to strive for excellence. And it’s all in the detail.

The structure is preparing to adjust one in the near future: the logistics of travel in Euroleague. Today, the majority of the 18 teams in the competition travel by private plane, in other words a charter flight or charter flight. This is not the case with the formation of TJ Parker who travels 95% of the time on regular or commercial flights. This involves stopovers and connections and therefore wasted energy. ” We try to have a few in the season but it’s still complicated, because the budget is closed », Reveals the sports director Michel Veyronnet. But this is the final ambition. ” Traveling by private flight is more than a desire, it is a necessity. We know that we do not yet have the budget today but that we must do so to become a referenced club in Europe. In two to three years, we’ll be there. If it doesn’t happen, we will have reached the glass ceiling. »

Theo Welsh

ASVEL, which has been working with a service provider, Resaneo, for four years, is currently budgeting for these charter flights for the coming seasons. ” It’s something that we really want to develop, points out Théo Gallois, steward of ASVEL since 2019 and club travel manager. This year, we have really stepped up in terms of the budget and the payroll. We can finally compete with teams of our level, the Euroleague midfielder. So we will bring the arguments to justify an extension of the travel budget. It is known that players will choose one club or another based on details, and private flight is one of them. » « This is the little extra on which we are sensitive to change the structure because our staff is substantial and recognized, with several representatives in the France team., bids the sports director. So now, continuing to progress goes through the details: travel, reception in the apartments… These little things that make the players feel both very good in the club and want to come. »

“In Berlin, we left the hotel the morning after the match at 10:30 am. We arrived in Lyon, it was 9 pm… Real Madrid, who were playing at the same time as us the day before in Athens, they had returned home the same evening by charter flight and the next morning, they were in training . “

So why travel on a charter flight? The reasons are multiple: mental and physical recovery, well-being of players and staff, but also sporting equity. ” This year, on our first trip to Berlin, we left the hotel the day after the match at 10:30 am. We arrived in Lyon, it was 9 pm… Real Madrid, who were playing at the same time as us the day before in Athens, they had returned home the same evening by charter flight and the next morning, they were in training . Recovery times are not the same », Regrets Michel Veyronnet. ” When we are more than 100 days away in the season, the psychological part is important, very important both mentally and for the recovery of the players

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To reread:
Inside – Episode 1: Infinity Nine Media, the ASVEL production company, a unique model

Photo : Bus ASVEL (Infinity Nine Media)

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