A little over two months before their entry into the Paris-2024 Olympic tournament, the French handball players will face the modest United States on Saturday (4:45 p.m.) during a friendly meeting in Lyon.
Several players were spared: in addition to the Montpellier players Yanis Lenne and Karl Konan, who were reduced, neither Vincent Gérard, Mathieu Grebille nor Elohim Prandi were selected to play this match.
“We wanted them to benefit from an additional period to regenerate and finish their club season well,” explains coach Guillaume Gille in a Federation press release. “And to apply, in full possession of their means, for the launch of Olympic preparation in Tignes, on June 20.” In Ile-Rousse, in Corsica, the Blues carried out a burst of physical tests this week mixed with moments of cohesion. Like a boat trip to a wild beach where, some in swimsuits printed with “European Champions 2024”, they took part in a sequence of beach volleyball, Top Gun style.
The United States participated in the World Cup last year for the first time since 2001. They won two matches, against Morocco in the first round, then against Belgium in the main round.
