The reactions of the Blues after their victory over Italy in the quarter-finals of the Euro this Wednesday, in Berlin.
Vincent Collet (coach of the France team, after the 93-85 ap victory against Italy this Wednesday, in the quarterfinals of the Euro) : «We started to come back before the last seconds. We were brave, we stayed the same. We make too many mistakes which sometimes help our opponents. But there is something that cannot be taken away from this team, it is determination. We never give up. Even in bad shape, we try to get out of it. (…) Thomas (Heurtel) had a very full match. Seen from the bench, we were convinced that it was up to him to get the last balls and the creation, even before Evan (Fournier) had five faults. We felt he had the upper hand. Several times he created a breach to finish them off. He also put shots (…) It’s very positive, we need it. This team has less creativity than its predecessors.»
Rudy Gobert (pivot of the French team) : «I don’t really believe in luck. When you’re at -7 two minutes from the end, it doesn’t take luck to get there. You have to make stops and you have to score. And that’s what we managed to do. Afterwards, would I like to be able to take a 20-point lead when we are able to do so? Yes, I would love to. Keeping the same level of aggression throughout the match is our room for improvement.»
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Evan Fournier (captain of the French team) : «I don’t know how to feel. We can be so strong, that’s the truth. I want to see the positive side. We can be so strong that it’s frustrating to see each other like this for a few minutes. I think you can dominate everyone in any game if you play well for 40 minutes. (…) Like this team, I started well and then I had a hole in the air. The game is really stagnant, I force situations a bit and I no longer have any skill. It’s a bit of a vicious circle. Thomas (Heurtel) took big shots and held the ball well. He is our leader and creator, we really need him in this role because he is alone compared to previous years. He has a big pair of baloches.»
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (winger for the France team) : «Each time, we put ourselves in the hole. We had success at the end because he (Simone Fontecchio, editor’s note) misses his two throws. Thomas got us out of this situation, he put in big shots and helped us. (…) We lose balls, we let them gain confidence. We are disunited, that’s twice. That’s our big problem, when we start winning, we start wanting to do things for ourselves. We forget the teammates next door. Then in defense, we are disunited because the attack frustrates us.»
Comments collected in the mixed zone and at a press conference