The 37-year-old San Antonio Spurs superstar has a profound love of Soccer – which may mean taking a step to the game of his youth.
As a four-time NBA winner, the MVP of the 2007 NBA finals along with also a six-time NBA All-Star, there’s not any denying that the athletic pedigree of Tony Parker. The 37-year-old is regarded as a candidate for NBA Hall of Fame today that he is retired, however, his narrative in game is surely not over.
Since calling time on his profession in the conclusion of this 2019 year, the San Antonio Spurs legend has returned into France, the nation where he had been raised, to move into sports management.
At present, he’s the president of ASVEL Basket, a situation where he’s shown much promise considering shooting it in 2014, but there’s presently a strong suggestion he has been groomed for a career at one of the nation’s biggest soccer clubs.
Over his close quarter-century predominate, no French facet may better the seven Ligue 1 names which OL have won, although they also have gotten to a Champions League semi-final and assembled among their most impressive stadiums in Europe.
In 71, the celebrated negotiator is planning to take a step back before his 75th birthday at March 2024 also it’s Parker who’s being teed up as a surprise possible replacement.
Basketball is one of the most well-known sports in the nation and Parker its most successful ever nationally exponent. There’s very little doubt, then, he would have the esteem of his coworkers, while he worked under one of the very prosperous head coaches in the NBA at the shape of Gregg Popovich, supplying him with a superb history in man-management.
“It is true that Tony gets the profile to look after a world-level professional sports team with all the economical and communicating elements connected with it,” Aulas informed L’Equipe . “I tell myself he checks all of the boxes”
Henry introduced to Aulas in an EA Sports occasion in 2005, and Parker wouldn’t approach the job entirely green.
Really, the No.9 he superbly uttered together with the Spurs came out of his background in soccer, in addition to the legendary Michael Jordan, who wore that shirt using the 1992’Dream Team’ in the Barcelona Olympics.
“Nine was my number before that,” he advised Le Parisien at November. “I wore it once I played soccer once I was small. And it was not because I had been the center forward who scored the goals!
“I recall the 1990 World Cup as though it had been yesterday. These are the pictures which were impressed on me when I was young because I was completely into soccer. And even when I changed to basketball following the Michael Jordan finals, I kept my love of the game.”
The upcoming logical step, therefore, seems a go into soccer and the function of OL president would be just one the self-confessed Football Manager enthusiast has confessed he would love to take.
“For me personally, it is an honor to be regarded as a candidate and Jean-Michel is considering me for the place,” he informed So Foot.
“Obviously, I love what it entails and the work for this. I know I have a lot to understand. But if one day he asked me to shoot over, I could not deny it.”
The connections between Aulas and Parker are more powerful than mere platitudes from the media. Both clubs have been part-owned from the OL Groupe, while Parker has bets in each, such as a commanding one in the prior.
“His expertise is enormous. For me personally, it is priceless,” Parker explained of the mentor. “In my view, Jean-Michel is the best president of the past 30 years in all sports. He is a good example of that I’m inspired and I believe I could learn a whole lot more from him.
“What Jean-Michel has setup is something very unique. In my view, OL is among the best-ordered clubs in Europe.”
If Parker one day takes the step into Aulas’ function, he’s big boots to fill. His predecessor still dreams of top Lyon into a European name and to does his prospective successor.
“The best thing about the game is that whatever is possible.
“Moreover, PSG have not won the Champions League, despite their own investments”
Having a bullish attitude, he’d require the best out of his group.
Remembering France’s 1998 World Cup wins, he explained: “This success has given me the motivation to indicate French game in precisely the exact same well.
“I never knew that sentence. For me personally, the main thing is to triumph. In France 98, we eventually found France winning. It motivated me to inspire other French athletes as well as the entire nation.”
Furnished with all the mindset, the athletic history, and increasingly the company encounter, Parker’s go into soccer threatens to be Aulas’ closing masterstroke.
