By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich announced that the club signed guard Sylvain Francisco to a two-year deal. Francisco last played with Basketball Champions League side Peristeri BC in Greece.
By signing with Bayern, Francisco is bound to make his EuroLeague debut. The French player becomes the second new signing of the team and during the new Pablo Laso era after guard/forward Leandro Bolmaro.
Per Bayern:
FC Bayern Basketball has signed another playmaker: French national team player Sylvain Francisco, who is part of the high-profile squad of twelve players representing the EuroBasket finalist in the 2023 World Cup, has signed a two-year contract until summer 2025 with the German Cup winner. The 25-year-old point guard played last season for Peristeri B.C., the third-place team in the Greek championship, located in the Athens metropolitan area, and was selected for the All-Greek League team along with four Olympiakos players.
“I’m coming to Munich to win something,” says the Frenchman. “I want to continue improving at Bayern as a two-way player and guard who can play the point and shooting guard positions. I believe I am very quick and versatile; therefore, I enjoy playing in transition, attacking the basket, taking threes, reading the pick-and-roll, and, most certainly, not neglecting defense. I’m really looking forward to being able to show all of this in Munich soon.”
World Cup 2023 with “Les Bleus”
Head coach Pablo Laso has followed Francisco’s consistent rise and says, “Sylvain has continuously developed his game. He had a great season in Spain two years ago, and now he’s shown the same in Greece. He’s joining Bayern at the perfect moment. Although it will be his first time in the BBL and EuroLeague, I’m confident he will be a valuable asset to our team.”
Describing the second addition after Leandro Bolmaro, FCBB sports director Daniele Baiesi says, “Sylvain is a very athletic guard who has already demonstrated his talent and quality multiple times. He has improved dramatically under top-notch coaches and will provide us with a lot of energy, playmaking, and scoring. He has shown great hunger in recent years and will approach this new challenge with the same character.”
“I’m coming to Munich to win something”
Sylvain Francisco
The 1.85-meter-tall guard will make his debut in the prestigious EuroLeague after showcasing his rapid development in another international competition over the past two years:
In the 2021/2022 season, he demonstrated his skills for Spanish underdog Manresa, averaging 11.8 points and 3.2 assists on the way to the final of the FIBA Champions League (87-98 loss to Gran Canaria). And last season, playing for Peristeri under then-rookie coach and EuroLeague legend Vasilios Spanoulis, he averaged 16.2 points and 5.8 assists. His energy was felt by Panathinaikos Athens in the Greek semifinals, as he scored 24 points, including a dagger from beyond the arc in Game 4 (76-71), leading to a showdown for a spot in the finals against the overwhelming favorite (67-81).
Greek allstar under Spanoulis
Francisco expresses gratitude to his mentor Spanoulis, saying, “I’ve learned so much from him and his assistants. He will also become a great coach; that’s certain in my mind. He has supported me in my decision that joining Bayern is the right choice for me.”