EuroLeague: Nando De Colo Announces Retirement at End of Season

Nando De Colo has confirmed he will retire at the end of the current season. The 38-year-old French point guard, currently with Fenerbahçe, announced his decision in an interview with BeBasket, explaining that he believes it is the right time to close out a career marked by titles and consistent presence at the elite level of European basketball.

"This will be my last season, it's the right time to move on to something else," De Colo said, making clear that his decision is not conditioned by what happens in the coming weeks, nor even by the possibility of winning the EuroLeague.

The announcement comes at a delicate moment for the player, who is currently sidelined by a calf injury that has kept him off the court during the crucial stretch of the season. De Colo himself detailed the nature of the physical issue and the caution with which he is approaching his recovery. "It's not necessarily the muscle that is affected, but the tendon. The pain decreases a bit with each passing day. However, you have to be very careful, especially when I return, to keep training as if I were still injured, maintain the same program, and continue working with the physiotherapist and strength coach," he explained.

During the interview, the French point guard also addressed the reflection process that has accompanied this final stretch of his career. His return to Fenerbahçe mid-season, following his stint with ASVEL, was not an easy decision, especially given the personal and family implications of leaving the stability he had found in France.

"At first, it wasn't an easy decision because, although I don't like having a fixed routine in basketball, being in a dynamic, even if it's not the best one, makes you feel good; you're at home, you have a routine you know," De Colo said when referring to the context he was living in his country.

The family factor also carried significant weight in that decision. "There was also this family routine. Clearly we had a level of comfort in France that we hadn't experienced abroad. While we lived in Russia or even in Turkey, although we managed to get our daughters into international schools and have them play sports, in France it was really much simpler and more practical in that sense," he added.

Despite this, the sporting opportunity ultimately tipped the scales. With the end of his contract on the horizon and the feeling of being in a final competitive window, De Colo chose to return to an environment he already knew and where he had succeeded before.

"We asked ourselves if it was really worth moving the whole family for six months, but I also couldn't imagine going without them," the player acknowledged about the decision-making process he shared with his closest circle.

Ultimately, the sporting challenge was the decisive factor. "I knew it could be my last year. There was a goal to achieve, unlike what we had with ASVEL. After talking with the general manager and coach at Fenerbahçe, it seemed like a very interesting decision and I felt it was an opportunity worth taking," he concluded.