Monaco’s future has taken another unexpected turn, with Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho reportedly entering the race to invest in the French basketball club.
The former Barcelona and Brazil star has emerged as a potential backer of a new takeover proposal alongside Andorran investment fund Clayton Sport, according to L’Equipe.
The proposal was reportedly sent to Monaco executive director Oleksiy Yefimov on Monday evening in the form of a letter of intent.
The timing is particularly significant. Monaco had only recently reiterated its confidence that a takeover led by former NBA All-Star Jamal Mashburn and his Helen Holdings consortium could still be completed.
Now, Ronaldinho’s involvement has introduced a completely new option at a time when the club is fighting to preserve its place in French professional basketball.
Communiqué : Point de situation au 10 août 2026
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) August 10, 2026
La Chambre d’appel de la FFBB a confirmé, samedi 1er août, le non-engagement de l’AS Monaco Basket en Betclic Élite pour la saison 2026-2027.
Le communiqué entier : https://t.co/WIxZdU3lTo#RocaTeam #DagheMunegu pic.twitter.com/cj53tn3tsZ
Ronaldinho enters the race for Monaco
The reported proposal would see Ronaldinho become involved in an investment project supported by Clayton Sport, with the Brazilian putting himself forward as a potential candidate to take control of Monaco’s basketball operation.
That immediately creates another layer of uncertainty around the club’s ownership situation.
Monaco has spent much of the summer trying to complete the proposed takeover by Mashburn and his investment group. The former NBA All-Star has been at the center of efforts to provide the financial guarantees required by French basketball authorities and keep the club in the LNB Pro A.
However, the arrival of another potential investor could now force Monaco to consider whether Ronaldinho’s proposal offers a more viable solution.
Monaco faces a race against time
The latest development comes with the club under significant pressure to resolve its financial and administrative situation.
The club subsequently appealed the decision, but the FFBB Appeals Chamber refused to reverse the exclusion.
Monaco have since indicated that they intend to continue their legal fight by taking the case to the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF). The club has until August 18 to formally submit the reasons for its request for conciliation.
That leaves Monaco with very little time to determine which ownership plan can provide the guarantees needed to satisfy the authorities.
Mashburn takeover still remains on the table
Despite Ronaldinho’s reported approach, negotiations with Mashburn’s group have not been abandoned.
The two sides had reportedly been working toward completing the transaction by August 14, with Monaco publicly expressing optimism that the proposed takeover could eventually resolve the club’s financial problems.
The Mashburn project represents a major change in ownership for Monaco, which had previously operated with one of the biggest budgets in European basketball.
Ronaldinho’s emergence, however, could potentially alter those plans if his proposal proves capable of providing the necessary financial backing.
For now, Monaco are effectively working against the clock. The club needs to establish a credible ownership and financing structure, convince French authorities to reconsider its exclusion and simultaneously prepare for the possibility of returning to the LNB Pro A.
Whether that solution ultimately comes from Mashburn, Ronaldinho and Clayton Sport, or another proposal remains one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding Monaco’s future.
