2024-01-04 09:01:40
After a first training session before Christmas at the handball house in Créteil and a rare week of vacation between the two holidays, the Blues met again on January 1 in Nantes. They arrived separately to spend the first year of the year together. Until Sunday, the Olympic champions are on the banks of the Loire to complete their preparation for the Euro (January 10-28) in Germany. “We always had the players available between Christmas and New Year to work. This time, given the density of the season, we took the bet that mental and physical freshness compensates for the relative work time in order to prepare for this Euro” explains coach Guillaume Gille.
In the vast XXL Hall of Beaujoire, Guillaume Gilles’ players are playing two final preparation matches before crossing the Rhine this Thursday, January 4 against Tunisia (8 p.m., BeIN SPORT) coached by Patrick Cazal then Saturday against Brazil (4:30 p.m. ). The two nations are obviously not competing in the Euro but are preparing for the Olympic qualifying tournaments.
“They will not prepare us for the problems that the more traditional nations of the European continent will pose to us,” continues Gille. But they fit into this perspective of a very intense week. These nations are certainly a little exotic in terms of references, but are excellent opponents to allow us to gain strength. »
Apart from the final adjustments, the objective of these two matches is to avoid injuries because for once in winter, apart from Vincent Gérard recovering from his pubalgia, everyone is fit. The other challenge is to establish a beginning of hierarchy at the goalkeeper position. In the absence of captain Vincent Gérard, the three called Rémi Desbonnet (27 caps), Charles Bolzinger (8) and Samir Bellahcene (3) have less than 40 caps combined.
“If we consider the time spent by each during a major competition, they are relatively equivalent,” replies the coach. This is a position in full evolution and for which we hope to find certainty with a new configuration to be established. For the moment, no hierarchy is established; the main thing is that the goalkeeper position works well during the Euro. »
The group of 20. Goalkeepers: Samir Bellahcene (Kiel) – Charles Bolzinger (Montpellier) – Rémi Desbonnet (Montpellier); Left wingers: Hugo Descat (Veszprem) – Dylan Nahi (Kielce); Left backs: Thibaud Briet Nantes) – Nikola Karabatic (PSG) – Timothey N’Guessan (Barcelona) – Élohim Prandi (PSG); Center halves: Kentin Mahé (Veszprèm), Aymeric Minne (Nantes) – Nedim Remili (Veszprèm); Pivots: Ludovic Fabregas (Veszprèm) – Luka Karabatic (PSG) – Karl Konan (Montpellier) – Nicolas Tournat (Kielce); Right-backs: Dika Mem (Barcelona) – Melvyn Richardson (Barcelona); Right wingers: Yanis Lenne (Montpellier) – Valentin Porte (Montpellier)
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