AS Monaco and Matthew Strazel have agreed on a 3-year extension, which will keep the Olympic silver medalist with the Monegasques until the 2026–2027 season. Coming off an excellent performance with France NT in the Olympics, the explosive guard remains a young and promising prospect at 22 years old.
Matthew Strazel’s previous contract was set to expire in 2025. He was part of LDCL ASVEL before joining the Monegasques in 2022.
“I want to be able to climb the ladder with the club, to continue to contribute what I know how to do, and to be a part of what contributes to the success of this team. There are still goals that we haven’t achieved, and I really want to be part of this project while becoming a better player.”
With Matthew Strazel stepping into a backup role behind Mike James and Elie Okobo last season, the young Frenchman feels indebted to the club for the opportunity.
“I’m in a competitive club with players around me who exude experience and talent. Already on this side, it is super enriching for me. And as for the weather conditions, I am someone who loves the sun. So getting up here necessarily puts you in a good mood; it makes you want to work, to go and train.”
Strazel says there are regrets’ for the Olympic Final loss to the USA.
Matthew Stranzel was one of the players that stood out during the recent Olympic Games, and he was a big part of the French team that reached the final against Team USA. As he admitted, the young guard felt some kind of regret after getting close to winning a gold medal in front of the French fans.
“Yes, it’s undeniable; there are regrets about this final. Even if, overall, we came up against a team that was stronger than us.
We were both very close, but also a little far away. There are these, let’s say, regrets on how we executed our plan because we let Team USA gain confidence in the first half by not stopping their fast play. Overall, we know that against them, you have to play the perfect game, whether in offense or defense.”
Matthew Strazel finished the competition averaging 5.0 points and 1.6 assists through five games. His best performance came against Japan, when he had 17 points, including the play that sent the game to overtime and allowed France to win in the extra period.
