The Blues, almost complete, find the French public in Orleans for the League of Nations where they face Argentina this Wednesday then Cuba, Canada and Brazil.
In Orléans, Montpellier’s Nicolas Le Goff will meet his club teammate Danny Demyanenko. Not in the corridors of the hotel that the Blues share with the Japanese selection. Nor on the field, this Saturday (9 p.m.), during the match between France and Canada.
If the Olympic champion has joined his tricolor friends for the second stage of the League of Nations, he is still in the recovery phase after having treated his knee which has bothered him all season. “I can’t play the matches yet, I resumed training a few days ago, confirms the central of MHSC VB. Physically and technically, I’m not ready yet.”
An enticing program
From the stands, he will therefore be able to see his partner try to bring down the Blues at home. He will also be able to see his future teammate at work in Montpellier, the passer Raphaël Corre, retained with France before settling in the Hérault. Nevertheless, this poster against the North Americans will not be the most prestigious.
France will begin its program with a duel against Argentina, which will appear without the captain of MHSC VB, Ezequiel Palacios, recovering in the country at the same time as he awaits a happy event. The Blues, without Le Goff, Ngapeth and Toniutti, will also face Cuba on Friday and Brazil on Sunday.
Something to delight the many spectators of the brand new CO’MET Arena in Orléans, which promises to be sold out: “It’s nice to find the French public, rejoices Nicolas Le Goff. We only played one friendly match in Montpellier against Brazil last summer.”
Euro 2023 target
After having chosen to launch young people during the first stage in Japan (1 victory, 3 defeats), the Italian coach of the Blues Andrea Giani finds a large part of a workforce called to defend his Olympic title next summer at home. “In Orléans, we are going to play difficult matches against great teams.believes the Montpellier player. We will not necessarily have all the automatisms but we are working to improve with a view to the Euro and try to qualify for the final stages of the League of Nations. A competition that France won last summer.
Following this hook at home, the Blues will take the direction of the United States from July 4 to 9 for the third stage of the VNL then Poland in the event of qualification for the Final 8. Before preparing for the competition the most important of the summer period: the Euro in September that Le Goff and the Blues will try to win.
The VNL program in Orléans
Wednesday: Japan – Cuba (1 p.m.), Slovenia – Canada (4.30 p.m.), Argentina – FRANCE (9 p.m.)
Thursday: Japan – Brazil (1 p.m.), Canada – Bulgaria (4.30 p.m.), Slovenia – Cuba (8.30 p.m.)
Friday: Argentina – Bulgaria (4.30 p.m.), FRANCE – Cuba (9 p.m.)
Saturday: Japan – Argentina (1 p.m.), Brazil – Slovenia (4.30 p.m.), Canada – FRANCE (9 p.m.),
Sunday: Bulgaria – Cuba (1 p.m.), Brazil – FRANCE (5.30 p.m.)
