It is the last straight line. Four more days, four Betclic Élite matches to play and the Metropolitans 92 will leave, after 16 years of presence, the first French basketball division. Head down. Go to Pro B. Championship dunces since the start of the season, with a poor record (16 D, 4 W), they have been officially relegated since April 14.
To start this final sprint without effort, the Mets welcome, this Wednesday (20:00), Bourg in a Marcel-Cerdan sports center deserted from the public that flocked to the games last season to witness the exploits of the players of Vincent Collet and more. especially the arabesques of Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly.
Also a far cry from the warm atmosphere that accompanied Marianne’s 92 this Tuesday night during the first stage final of the French Women’s Volleyball Championship. The Mets players were also asked to practice in a different gymnasium in Levallois at the beginning of the week to leave their usual Cerdan camp for the volleyball players. The beginning of a future that can be played far from Levallois, where women’s sports and volleyball are now prioritized.
For its part, and it is no longer a secret, the town hall of Boulogne-Billancourt, which alone controls the fate of the club via a cooperative company of collective interest (SCIC), wants to reduce the size of the basketball project. The rental cost for the Levallois sports center is considered exorbitant. The construction of a hall on the banks of the Seine in Boulogne – although always mentioned by mayor Pierre-Christophe Baguet behind the scenes – seems to be becoming more and more a pipe dream.
For months, the castle – nickname given to the town hall – has been looking for an investor to support it or a buyer. This last option would also be the preferred route. Last year, the deal was almost done with foreign investors before the absence of a European Cup derailed the transaction. Throughout the year, the club’s managers, who did not respond to our inquiries, are said to have discussed with potential buyers. They also contacted town halls, far beyond the borders of the Hauts-de-Seine, to find a new home for the Mets.
After surveying the city of Évry-Courcouronnes (Essonne) – where a room with 2,200 to 3,000 seats depending on the configuration has just been inaugurated – they established contacts with the city of Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis). Contacted, the latter rejects. However, according to our information, discussions would have taken place to welcome the basketball club. The Red Star and its owner Josh Wander, managing director of the investment fund 777 Partners – also chairman of the London Lions club – are said to have been interested.
The team, which would have taken the name Red Star, would then have played in La Grande Nef, located on the Ile-des-Vannes, which has just been renovated for the Paris Games. But the timing – with the rise of the Reds in Ligue 2 -, poor communication between the players and, above all, too high a selling price would have put an end to it – temporarily? – for exchanges.
According to our information, the hottest path now leads to Anglo-Saxon investors. The discussions would be led by a former American player, who briefly played in the Pro B Championship about ten years ago.
Whatever happens, and to avoid reliving the long uncertainty that followed the fate of the Mets last summer, the Basketball League asked Boulogne to submit its forecast budget for next season no later than May 15. This will undoubtedly be the case. And this, although the name of the future owner could still be awaited.
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