Louis Labeyrie (2.09 m, 34 years old) is not leaving Alsace. Arriving on March 17 as medical replacement for William Pfister, victim of a sprained ankle with torn ligament, the French international saw his contract extended in a new form. SIG Strasbourg officially hired him as an injury replacement for Fousseyni Traoré, absent for the rest of the season, until June 30, 2026.
A first successful freelance for a man who knows the house
The return of Louis Labeyrie to Strasbourg, eight years after his 2017-2018 season in Alsace, proves interesting. Since his arrival, the interior player in difficulty in Liga Endesa has averaged 8.1 points at 42.9% shooting success (including 32.1% at 3-points, on 3.5 attempts per game), 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 decisive passes in 27 minutes per game, over 8 games disputed. Solid figures for someone who returned to the French championship after years spent in Valencia, Kazan and Gran Canaria, and who already knows the Strasbourg environment well.
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This second freelance, in a different context, changes the nature of his mission. It is no longer a question of compensating for the absence of Pfister but of taking charge of the slot of Fousseyni Traoré, package for the end of the season. The Malian pivot, who averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 12 minutes, will therefore miss the entire final phase.
Louis Labeyrie vs Fousseyni Traoré – comparison
 A crucial collective issue for GIS
For Strasbourg, the issue of this extension goes far beyond the administrative management of a workforce. The SIG which hopes to qualify for the Betclic ELITE playoffs through the play-ins, and must therefore maintain the density of its racket to approach this final phase in the best conditions.
The good news in the Alsatian injury table is that William Pfister could make a comeback. The interior, a shadow man in the SIG rotation before his ankle injury, had managed to establish himself as a discreet but valuable cog in the collective. His possible return, combined with the presence of Labeyrie, would restore thickness to an interior sector which needs it to maintain the comparison in the playoffs.
The extension of Louis Labeyrie therefore takes on its full meaning: an opportunity born from an injury, but which could well become an asset in the home stretch of an ambitious Alsatian season.
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