In the middle of the Nanterre sports hall floor, Vincent Collet jokes with his assistants while the players finish morning training on Wednesday. Three weeks after being sidelined from Strasbourg (Jeep Élite), the Blues coach found a smile at the same time as the French team which is preparing to launch - Friday in Germany then Monday against Montenegro - its qualification matches for Euro 2021. The one who will celebrate, in March, his 11 years at the head of the Blues and who will aim for a medal at the Tokyo Games next summer looks back on his situation… and approaches his future.
What is your state of mind three weeks after your eviction from Strasbourg?
VINCENT COLLET. It's still recent, fresh, I was very disappointed after the Strasbourg decision but I have enough perspective now to digest it better than at the time of Asvel (Editor's note: he had been removed from office end of 2010) . I do not know if it is an evil for a good but I will take the opportunity to rest and do things that I could not do before. The first two weeks, I cut with basketball… (he smiles) Finally I watched all the Euroleague and Jeep Elite games and a bit of NBA, but the pressure was no longer there. Spending days in the gym or on the go is tiring.
How do you feel when you find the prosecution and the French team?
Pleasure. I am always happy to find the France team. The real difficulty for me was returning to the club. I was often tired.
The French Men's Team preparation program 👇 # ObjectifTokyo pic.twitter.com/6UIvWruq0N
- French Basketball Teams ⛹️♂️⛹️♀️ (@FRABasketball) February 18, 2020Will finding yourself without a club change your program until the Tokyo Games?
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I will try to visit as many players as possible. This is something important. Until now, I could only make phone calls. Getting around and meeting them will be richer. I will take this opportunity to prepare the Olympic deadline as best as possible.
In basketball, the coach often combines with the club coach cap. Is it reasonable?
There are advantages and disadvantages. The specificity of basketball means that the coach is constantly in the reflexes of decision during the match, the fact of being active maintains these reflexes. In football, the coach can only make three changes. We have five time-outs and this possibility of constantly interacting in the game. This requires training. Failure to do so for too long can be a concern. But I am convinced that it is increasingly complicated to carry out the two projects simultaneously.
#TeamFranceBasket Vincent Collet has unveiled the list of 12 players who will participate in the qualifying matches for # EuroBasket2021 on 02/21 🇩🇪🆚🇫🇷 and 24/02 🇫🇷🆚🇲🇪
➕information 👉https: //t.co/y2qUBZUGAH pic.twitter.com/SeQOLnp6ZC
Why ?
Already because the calendars have evolved. They are becoming more and more restrictive (note: with the qualification windows for the Euro or the World Cup during the season) . When I started in the French team, the French Championship often started on October 5 or 6. We always had three weeks to land and prepare for the start of the season. We missed the first three weeks, which were devoted to physical fitness, and we arrived for tactical adjustments. In the end, it was not too disabling. This season, we arrived two days before the start of the championship. In November, I experienced a fortnight period when I was really worn out. We all made the same observation in the staff, we talk about it between us. I've been saying for two years that I want to stop combining the two.
[WEB-SERIE] The complete
It has already been a month since the French team won the Bronze medal of the #FIBAWC 2019 🥉🌏
▶ ️ The perfect opportunity to relive the Blues' odyssey in 8 episodes from the 1st stage in Paris to the last match in Beijing: https://t.co/Niq6xjHCvY#TeamFranceBasket pic.twitter.com/pCqzMBs7MY
You are at the end of the contract with the France team after the Tokyo Games, will you want to continue if necessary?
I have not made a decision and I cannot speak for the leaders of the Federation. They are the ones who will decide. Maybe they no longer want to continue with me and in these cases the story stops. But the desire is there, yes I would like to continue. The situation has changed now because I am no longer under contract with a club. And the 2024 Games in Paris are an exciting challenge to take up.
When will the decision be made?
The federation has the main cards in hand and I will respect their decision. If they tell me that the decision will be made after the Games, it will be up to me to decide if I take the risk of waiting or if I seek a club before. But I want to continue training.