Nicolas Batum, winger and captain of the France team, felt that a “big questioning” was “necessary” after the defeat against Latvia in Jakarta on Sunday (88-86), synonymous with elimination from the World Cup for of the Blues candidates announced for the title.
“It’s a big disappointment. We fell mentally, we fell physically, we weren’t together. They (the Latvians, editor’s note) had a big game. We must not take that away from them, but this match characterizes what has happened for five, six weeks, ”he said at the microphone of BeIN at the end of the meeting, visibly very moved.
“A lot of people need to be questioned”
“We are a very good team, we have shown it for a few years but we have not shown it in this competition,” he added. “Everyone must question themselves: coach, players, federation, (reflect) on what happened this summer and why it was not good”, castigated Batum, surprised “that we deprive ourselves of some players.
“I messed up my last World Cup, it really pisses me off,” he insisted, visibly very touched, adding “having done everything for this fucking jersey”.
“We’ve been doing something for years. We messed up of course, but we could be world champions. It takes a lot of people to question it. We need everyone in Paris, the best conditions. (…) We need the best possible team in Paris”, launched Batum.
“I don’t give a damn about what is political or I don’t know what”, got carried away the 2013 European champion, referring, without naming him, to the non-selection of leader Thomas Heurtel, the FFBB prohibiting players playing in the Russian championship to be selected with the Blues because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The non-selection of Heurtel, a valid excuse?
Heurtel was part of the Olympic adventure in 2021, when the Blues won silver and took part in the 2014 World Cup, which ended with the bronze medal, the first on a planetary level. The interior Vincent Poirier, not selected for this Mondial, went up on X, formerly Twitter. “You think (sic) to punish a player but you have punished a whole group…”, he wrote.
A start of controversy on which Vincent Collet did not want to bounce back, preferring to question the general state of mind of the France team during this World Cup: “After the defeat on Friday we expected a reaction and I think we had it. A real reaction because during 3 quarters we played much better. But it wasn’t enough because I think we suffered from the same thing as Friday: our state of mind was not at the level of Latvia’s and I think that made the difference in the last 2 minutes. I didn’t say it loud enough before we started the competition but we can’t perform at this level in such a competitive concert if we don’t have the humility to fight”. A healthy slap before the Olympics at home and the integration of Victor Wembanyama?