By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
FC Barcelona in the next step of determining the status of Thomas Heurtel called the players of the senior squad to vote whether they want the French point guard to stay with the team. All of his teammates selected the option of him remaining to shape out a unanimous 13-0 result.
Heurtel, 31, was left in Istanbul after the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 16 contest against Anadolu Efes. He was already on the verge of being released by the Spanish powerhouse, but everything changed when Barca was informed of the possibility of him moving to arch-rival Real Madrid.
In contrast to the players, both the GM Nacho Rodriguez and head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius prefer Heurtel to depart. Barcelona is still willing to offer him the same termination deal but including a clause preventing him from joining another Spanish club.
The next step will either be the player accepting these terms and moving his talents away from the country of the Iberian Peninsula or a demotion to Barca B.
The EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA), the Spanish Players Union (ABP), and players individually have supported Heurtel since the beginning of this unprecedented situation.