It is the first strong act of Guillaume Gille.
Since his arrival at the head of the France team, the successor of Didier Dinart had not really had the opportunity to assert his choices.
It is now done with the announcement of the change of captaincy, which sees Michaël Guigou (38), the Nîmes winger, recover the armband held for three years by Cédric Sorhaindo (36 years), at least for the next World Championships (January 13 to 31) and the Olympic qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Games (March 12 to 14).
Injured, the Barcelonan announces leaving the camp which takes place this week at the Maison du Handball in Créteil and withdrawing from the Blues, without excluding a return.
"There is a beginning and an end," says the Martinique (215 selections), who extended his lease with the Catalan club by one year in April.
We discussed it at length with Guillaume and Mika, to finally make a wise decision.
You have to know how to take responsibility.
But that's not necessarily the end of my international career.
We don't know what can happen.
I will stay at home if there is no injury in the group.
The France team is a family.
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"There is a lot of pride at my age to take this armband"
Michaël Guigou, who had replaced his partner when he was injured before the 2019 World Championships, plays the continuity: “There is a lot of pride at my age to take this armband.
I like it.
The values remain within the France group.
We have put a lot into perspective in recent months.
Regarding what awaits us, there is a sense of urgency but it is less than the one we had last March
(Editor's note: the TQO was to take place in April)
.
"
Regarding the face of the France team during the next major events, it is still too early to know precisely.
One thing is certain, it will be without Nikola Karabatic, absent until the end of spring.
Guillaume Gille, who had to compose and recompose his internship this week without several positive players for Covid-19, will find his group at the end of the year to prepare for the two matches against Serbia, qualifiers for Euro 2022, before d '' go to Egypt to compete in the Worlds.
This regrouping will nevertheless be without the players concerned by the Final Four of the previous Champions League, which will bring together PSG, Barcelona, Kiel and Veszprem in Cologne.
Regarding the health threat hanging over the World Championships and the TQO in Montpellier, taking into account a possible third confinement, Guillaume Gille announces: “We can be afraid of everything.
We can also stop being afraid.
We are in the optics of keeping objectives and therefore to prepare for them.
"