The National Volleyball Center in the Creps facilities in Montpellier hosted a French group without the historic executives before starting the League of Nations in Nagoya, Japan.
“Montpellier is the historic place for French volleyball, where it all began, explains Arnaud Josserand, the general manager of the France team. Earlier this week, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the National Centre. It is a mythical place where almost all Olympic champions have been trained.
Under the leadership of Italian coach Andrea Giani, the Blues have completed a first internship in the Hérault capital to prepare for summer competitions: the League of Nations and the Euro in September. Without the executives left to rest after a long season for most of them: Benjamin Toniutti, Trévor Clevenot and Stephen Boyer went to the final of the Champions League with the Poles of Jastrzebski and the Montpellier Nicolas Le Goff taking care of his creaking knee since last summer. “It’s a choice of Giani, emphasizes Josserand. Since the Tokyo Games, there has been no cut. The opportunity presents itself one year before the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Faure: “Play my card thoroughly”
Thus, a rejuvenated group will travel to Nagoya in Japan from June 7 to 11 for the first stage of the League of Nations. A workforce review which will be important even if the hierarchy is well established in a France group called upon to defend its title at the next Olympic Games: “There are always places to takecontinues Arnaud Josserand. Everyone will do the Games but we hope that no one will be injured, that everyone will be in good shape. But if something goes wrong, Andrea needs to know who he can count on. You have to be ready for anything.”
So this is a good opportunity to show off. Théo Faure is one of those elements who have a card to play. The young sharp (23 years old) who played this season in Montpellier is aware of this: “It’s always a lot of pride to be with the Blues, explains the one who will join the Italian championship next season. It’s an honor, a pleasure to have fun with this jersey. And then, you have to take advantage of every opportunity, sport is like that, you have to seize the opportunities. I advance step by step but the objective is to stay as long as possible. I’m going to play my card fully in Japan and we’ll see what happens next.”
The Blues program
Title holders in the League of Nations, France will play from June 7 to 11 in Japan, from June 20 to 25 in Orléans and from July 4 to 10 in the United States. In case of qualification, the Final 8 will take place from July 19 to 23 in Poland. Main objective of the summer of the Blues, the Euro will take place from August 28 to September 16. The group stage for France will take place in Israel where the band of Nicolas Le Goff will challenge the host country, Romania, Turkey, Portugal and Greece.
