Sylvain Francisco signs with FCBB

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."

Francisco made his debut for the French national team in February 2022, and in the World Cup qualifiers, he appeared in a total of six games, averaging 10.8 points per game. In the World Cup squad selected by head coach Vincent Collet, he is the only player who does not come from a EuroLeague or NBA team.

"I didn't expect it; I was really shocked when I saw my name, and everyone at home went crazy," shares Francisco, known as "Paco" among his friends.

Sylvain Francisco's self-made career began on the tough streetball courts near his residential block in Créteil, a "Banlieue" in the Greater Paris area. His parents are from Angola, and left their home country due to the civil war. Sylvain, one of eight siblings, took the initiative to attend several high schools in Florida from the age of 14 to further develop as a basketball player.

A French self-made career

While his initial professional engagements were in France, with clubs like Boulogne-Levallois (Pro A, EuroCup) and Paris Basketball (back when they were in the second division), he then moved to Roanne (Pro A, averaging 14.7 points and 4.7 assists per game). Two years ago, he ventured abroad for the first time, joining the strong Spanish ACB league (averaging 10.8 points and 3.3 assists per game), and eventually making his way to the Greek league (averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 assists per game).

"I definitely know where I come from," says Francisco, who is currently preparing in Athens for the start of the World Cup camp with Les Bleus next week. "I can work hard and want to improve every year. That also applies to Munich now — I want to prove what I'm capable of at the next level."