"Delighted", "pure happiness", "only pleasure" ... It is a Céline Dumerc impatient to put on her new costume who appeared before the press, by teleconference, Thursday. Bombarded General Manager of the French women's team, the 37-year-old leader therefore already finds the Blue three years after leaving them, she who was retiring internationally in 2017. "It's time to give way to young people," said it at the time. Young people who will now be able to draw on the experience of this monument of hexagonal basketball, with its 262 selections and six international medals, including gold at Euro 2009, the coronation of the "Braqueuses", and silver, at the 2012 Olympics.
A new challenge awaits me! Thank you to @ffbasketball for their confidence in assigning me this role. Excited and Honored with the desire to share my experience as well as possible! See you soon for new adventures! https://t.co/v0GrMj3C6x
- Céline Dumerc (@ capsule19) May 7, 2020"Céline is one of the successful examples of French basketball for everything," sums up Valérie Garnier, the coach of the Bleues, who has also been extended until 2021, like Vincent Collet. Dumerc, the perfect counterpart to Boris Diaw, for his part Deputy General Manager for men. "They represent a lot for French basketball, players and also internationally," confirms President Siutat. "It will be a real plus for me to be able to communicate with Boris so that he shares his experience with me and that he guides me a little in what awaits me with the French women's team in particular", slips Dumerc , in all humility.
Double cap
The contours of this post? "At the moment, it's rather vague," she agrees. There is sharing with the players. Sometimes, we know that they sometimes have an easier time speaking with people who are outside the technical staff. I will also be there to listen to them and relay to the coaches. There are tracks like that. ” All of this will be refined in the weeks and months to come. With the current health crisis, it is difficult to know when basketball can really resume. In addition, Dumerc will have to "juggle the timetables". And for good reason, if she hung up in Blue, the heroine of the London Olympics continues (at least) one more year with Basket Landes. "It was an important element and to which the federation had to adhere", she notes, after having compiled 8 points, 47% from afar and 3.4 assists in the French LFB championship (12 matches) in 2019- 20.
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Hyperactive by nature, we imagine that this 1.69m electric battery, which describes itself as "the little news" of the organization chart, will have no trouble accumulating the caps of the player and staff member of the Blue team. "We will already put it to use on all windows during the next season," explains Jean-Pierre Siutat, adding that he wants to continue until 2024 with Dumerc and Diaw. "We will solicit her in full agreement with her club, depending on her schedule, so that she brings her expertise both to France's youth teams and the France pole, and also to other management actions national technique ”, adds Jacky Commère, Director of Performance and national basketball teams.
"I hope I meet the expectations"
Céline DumercOne thing is certain: the big shots of the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) did not take long to convince the ex-captain of the Blue, "immediately enormously seduced" by the project. “I have often been asked what I want to do after my playing career. It was rather vague because I had no particular desire, I had not really planned the end of my career, or after. The proposal of the federation allowed me to concretize the passing of the baton and the post-career ”, tells Dumerc, who arrives in all modesty, with the will to learn and not to step on anyone's feet. "I just want to start the experience and this new challenge to see if I really have the capacity, if I can be successful and bring what I need to bring in my role." And to add: "I hope to be up to the task, try to share my experience with the younger generations, in agreement with Valérie and all the staff."
[OFFICIAL] Vincent Collet and Valérie Garnier confirmed until 2⃣0⃣2⃣1⃣
➕ info: https://t.co/8N7XeNt4rEpic.twitter.com/ZIeZlPucat
That's good, said Valérie Garnier is delighted to be able to rely on her former player, in Bourges between 2011 and 2016, then in the France team, from 2013 to 2017 (Valérie Garnier was assistant from 2012 to 2013, editor's note). “It is really a pleasure for me to work again with Céline. We have a common past, we know each other very well. She will bring her expertise to the benefit of this young group, ”she analyzes. Charge Dumerc to have as much success in this new role as when she played, she who experienced "the best moments of (her) sports career" in Blue.
Program loaded in 2021
In any case, his contribution will not be too much with the Dantesque program that awaits the girls of Valérie Garnier next year. Judge instead: just after the end of their club season, they will fight back to back for Euro 2021 (June 17-July 27), co-organized in France, then the Tokyo Olympics (July 23-August 8). If the gentlemen's Euro was shifted in 2022 following the postponement of the Olympic Games, it was not the case for the European women's championship. What some people find it hard to take, like Diandra Tchatchouang. "It will be up to us to be very relevant and to listen to the players," says Valérie Garnier. They can even confide in Céline now. It will be a real plus (smile). ”
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