The question seemed settled! The suspense is over and the fate of Thomas Heurtel in the French team is definitively sealed. Barely a few days ago, during an interview for the newspaper L’Équipe, Jean-Pierre Siutat, president of the French Basketball Federation, announced the end of the tumultuous story of the playmaker of 33 years with the Blues. The recent silver medalist at the Euro under the orders of Vincent Collet had, during the summer, signed a charter in which he had pledged on his honor not to commit to a Russian club in order to compete.
Barely a few days after the end of the Euro, however, we learned that Heurtel had signed for one season, plus another optional one, with Zénith Saint-Petersburg… in the Russian championship. An announcement, perhaps experienced as a betrayal, which had provoked the ire of the boss of the French Basketball Federation. “We can discuss those already in Russia who had not signed the certificate (Louis Labeyrie in Kazan and Livio Jean-Charles in CSKA Moscow) but concerning Thomas, to whom we had clearly presented things, he did not respect his commitment. To date, for me, I consider that he will no longer be there (in the France team). It’s over,” said Siutat.
“He is neither scratched nor in the France team either”
The situation now seems less clear. On the sidelines of the gathering of the France team in Nanterre for the qualifying matches for the 2023 Cup, this November 11 in Lithuania then November 14 in Pau against Bosnia, the staff of the Blues was questioned about the case of the European champion 2013. On his future in the French team and his possible presence, in the event of qualification, during the 2023 World Cup (from August 25 to September 10 in Asia) and especially for the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 he did not extend the adventure in Russia at the end of the current season.
“We are not there yet, took care of answering Boris Diaw, General Manager of the Blues. We can only talk about now, for the future there will be decisions to be made. He is neither scratched nor in the France team either. »
A surprising answer. Has the Federation reviewed its judgment concerning the fate of Thomas Heurtel? Is it simply a way of not insulting the future and leaving it an open door for the next deadlines? Only the future will tell.
