Paris passes through Brest. French basketball players hope to find an Olympic breath in the city of Ponant against Croatia on Friday (8:30 p.m.), in a qualifying match for Euro-2025 marking their return after the humiliation of early elimination in the World Cup. Last year, “the preparation did not indicate that we were going to collapse in this way”, admonished Vincent Collet in front of his players gathered on the floor of the Brest Arena at the end of training on Thursday .
In the absence of the NBA residents, a starting five composed, in order, of Andrew Albicy (designated captain), Isaïa Cordinier, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guerschon Yabusele (vice-captain) and Vincent Poirier took shape during oppositions on Thursday.
“We have to be committed and mobilized from 8:30 p.m. on Friday,” preached the coach. “A significant number of you will be at the start of the gathering this summer. We have this role of re-impressing a dynamic and it starts Friday evening. The lessons of the Canadian slap (95-65) then the Latvian affront (88-86) last summer must guide them towards the Paris Games, according to the boss of the Blues. “We must learn the lessons of this failure. Clearly, our level of commitment and cohesion was insufficient,” he judges.
“There is no need to wait until the Olympic Games are being prepared in June to restart another cycle. This window must also serve, beyond the need to win matches, to re-impress a more conquering state of mind. I’m looking forward to these matches,” said Vincent Collet. A presentation meeting on Wednesday insisted on the values that the Blues should espouse. Due to the lack of numerous training sessions (they have only been together since Monday), the Olympic and European vice-champions will have to rely more on intensity than on the game to win, as is often the case during these international windows.
With the difficulty of having to eliminate Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina (where they play on Monday) from their group of four, in which Cyprus is already qualified as a co-organizing country of Euro-2025. “What we look at is the attitude of the players,” said general manager Boris Diaw. Are they capable of blending into a collective, of showing self-sacrifice above all? This is also what is important for this summer. It’s not because some people show that they are stars in matches that they will be there. There are other values that are even more important.”
Therefore, leader Rodrigue Beaubois appears to be leaving late, he who applied for the Olympics but declined to join the selection for these two matches, according to the French management. Places will perhaps be won these days: Collet remains “deeply convinced” that “seven or eight players” from this gathering will be from the group of around fifteen players to begin Olympic preparation before being reduced to twelve. “We don’t tell the players everything but we observe the involvement,” repeats the coach. I consider this window a godsend compared to this summer.