This Thursday, the France team begins its Euro against Croatia in Szeged, Hungary. At the end of an incredibly choppy preparation, between multiple cases of coronavirus, packages of executives on injuries (Nedim Remili and Luka Karabatic) and human tragedies, the Blues were able to organize a preparatory meeting on Sunday in Germany (defeat 35 -34).
In Wetzlar, near Frankfurt, they had to evolve without their new captain Valentin Porte, in isolation since last Thursday at the Maison du handball de Créteil. After a first negative PCR test on Tuesday, the 31-year-old from Montpellier was able to reach Hungary. Then return to Guillaume Gille’s group, to close one of the many soap operas that have punctuated the lives of Olympic champions in Tokyo in recent weeks.
Before this final hazard, the right-back tricolor had confided to 20 minutes his impressions of this chaotic period and of the competition to come. After a few mixed years, the French returned to the top last summer and will try to win back a European title that has eluded them for eight years. Valentin Porte, successor of the ultimately not eternal Michaël Guigou, will have to take the helm in bad weather.
Have you ever experienced such a complicated preparation?
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been some preparation problems. But like that, no, and fortunately. We had injuries and pre-internship Covids, Covids at the start of the internship, obviously the tragedy of Elohim Prandi, Luka’s injury (Karabatic), Théo Molnar who comes to replace Luka and who tested positive… We had trouble seeing any clearings.
Given the context, what are the certainties of the France team?
We have a framework that looks like something, with experienced players. Our certainty, it remains our defensive strength and our fast game with also young players starving to give it their all, like the Dylan Nahi, the Yanis Lenne, who have always been a little in the anteroom and who will perhaps go to be able to express oneself. They will bring their dynamism and that can only be beneficial.
In this difficult situation, what is your role as captain?
Mobilize everyone. Of course, we have a lot of absentees but that doesn’t make us a bad team, far from it. We have a lot of guns in addition, guys not necessarily famous who are very good.
My role is going to be to get everyone back on the right track, to re-mobilize by saying: “guys, OK, it’s shit everywhere but let’s refocus on ourselves”. We have already done it. I remind you that at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, no one was waiting for us. There was also the Covid. We stayed focused and we performed. Today, the situation is perhaps worse, but we have what to do and we must do it. Stay focused on us, ignore the rest and move on.
Do you draw inspiration from captains you’ve known in your career?
Honestly, no. I watched, I gained experience watching a lot of players, captains and coaches. After that, I have my personality, my own way of seeing things and I do what I think is right. Afterwards, it’s good, it’s not good, it pleases, it doesn’t please… If today, I am in this position, it is because what I can release or bring pleases the coach. I focus on that without copying or looking at what’s being done next.
Who will be your relays? Luka Karabatic is bound to be missed.
Luka was the assistant captain, a real relay. It’s a shame but there are still plenty of experienced players I can count on. There is always Niko Karabatic, Ludo Fabregas, Dika Mem, who are leaders in the field and in the state of mind. Kentin Mahé has been there for quite a while as well. But frankly, I don’t necessarily need a relay. Everyone, whether the youngest or the oldest, is very motivated and very uplifted.
Do you manage to place France in the hierarchy before this Euro?
Considering the context, it can be very weird. There can be huge surprises when there aren’t necessarily any in a Euro. With all the teams that have injuries, the absences that will happen due to Covid … But injured or not, Covid or not, we have one of the most complicated groups and we will not have the right to make mistakes , from the first game against the Croats.
“He’s a superman” … How Nikola Karabatic has crossed the ages via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/jHk1W86r7N
– 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) January 12, 2022
Are you favorite?
Yes and no. This summer’s victory brought us back to center stage. At the Olympics, not everyone saw us at this level and maybe took us lightly. But today, the France team, which is still expected, will be even more so. Of course, we have a lot of absentees, injured people, a very changed team. But we can be very good and create nice surprises with players who can get out of the hat and bring a real plus.
The Euro is the toughest of the competitions, it has been a long time since we won it (since 2014), and even a long time since we have not performed there. It’s a real marathon facing very high level teams.
Can you build a new dynasty like you did in the mid-2010s, or is the track record going to be more shared among nations in the years to come?
Even when we had no more results, that we were not going to the end of things like in 2018, in 2019 or in 2020, when we got out of the Euro from the hens, I was not alarm. I knew we weren’t far away, even though we were missing a little something. The 2021 World Cup is the same, we are progressing, we are showing great things and once again, having reached the medal gate, we collapsed (to finish in fourth place).
Tokyo is the trigger where we manage to find the keys, to perform on a whole competition by showing a very good level and by dominating all the teams. I felt a real collective and individual awareness, it gave a very nice mix, and it served us to win.
I am convinced that we are able to reproduce it, that we know how to do it and that we are able to collect titles. Afterwards, to win everything as at the time, maybe not, because opposite, that is also reinforced. But we can be in the title race more often than we have been in recent years.
You won everything with the Blues. Do you see yourself continuing as long as a Mikael Guigou, who hung up at 39 after the Olympics?
I have always said that if in my head I want and my body follows, as long as I can play handball, I play. If tomorrow, I don’t move forward, it will be time to stop the France team and the hand.