Vincent Collet, stop or again? In place since 2009, the coach of the Blues basketball team saw his position largely weakened by the World Cup fiasco. “It is normal that this question is asked,” agreed the person concerned. Evan Fournier and company left in the first round, after two defeats against Canada and Latvia. Unworthy for a team which was aiming for a medal – it would have been the fourth in a row – and even the coronation. Under contract until 2024, the 60-year-old Norman technician should however remain in place for the Paris Olympic Games next year, as Jean-Pierre Siutat very clearly suggested this Saturday evening, on the airwaves of RMC .
“After a failure, we always look for those at fault… The first two are first the head coach, Vincent,” said the president of the FFBB at the microphone of Stephen Brun. We experienced this situation in 2016-17, the Olympics and the Euro. And the second, through the federation, is its president. The players ? Yes of course. Everyone is responsible for a failure just as everyone must take responsibility for a medal or a success. Vincent resigned twice in 2016-17, I refused it twice because I thought he had the ability to bounce back. And he did it,” recalls the 64-year-old leader. France indeed won bronze at the 2019 World Cup and silver at the Tokyo Olympics, then again silver at Euro 2022. And Siutat concluded: “We will see what we all decide together, but I think that Vincent will remain the man for the job to lead the team in 2024.”
The coach’s file is therefore a priori settled. What about the squad called to defend the colors of France in Lille and Paris? Obviously, a question that will remain unanswered until next spring. We nevertheless know that Victor Wembanyama will be there, he who withdrew a few days before the announcement of the list for the World Cup. “I will be present at the Olympics, and there is no other goal than gold,” the 19-year-old prodigy recently indicated during a press briefing organized to promote the broadcast of a documentary on Canal. Until then, “Wemby” will have an NBA season in his hands with San Antonio.
An NBA that Joel Embiid already knows by heart. It remains to be seen whether the Cameroonian pivot will join the Blues. Last season’s NBA MVP has been flirting with the French team for several years… but he also has an American passport. “We have a firm desire to do it, we are working on it, he knows it, we have had the opportunity to discuss it with him. We are now awaiting a decision. We know that the American team would be very interested in having him and Cameroon qualified for the TQO. It’s a fairly delicate situation for him,” judges Jean-Pierre Siutat, who however does not want to see the suspense drag on until 2024. “It will happen very quickly. That’s what we hope for and he knows it. You still have to give it a few days. Maybe we will have an answer by October 10. We set this deadline of October 10,” explains the president of the “fed”. Tick-tock…