Handball: in Créteil, in the bubble of the France team

No one comes in and no one leaves, not even to stretch their legs.

It is the strict and inviolable rule around the house of handball in Créteil, the Clairefontaine of the small sticky ball.

Guillaume Gille's Blues have been locked up there since December 27 to prepare for the World Cup in Egypt (January 13 to 31).

They no longer have any direct link with the outside world to avoid any possible contact with the virus.

They will only come out to play against Serbia (January 5 in the Balkans and January 9 in Créteil) to qualify for Euro… 2022 and to go to Pharaoh's country on January 10.

There, too, the health bubble will be closed with a double turn, without physical contact with the press, for example.

No positive test

The Blues will remain isolated from the world until their return from Egypt, as late as possible: "When we arrived at Créteil," said Adrien Dipanda, the right-back of Saint-Raphaël, we all had a PCR test.

We then went up to our single room without contact with the others to wait for the result we had the next morning.

"

No test was positive.

The French were then able to lighten the rules of social distancing and barrier gestures: “As each of us is healthy, we do not need to circulate with masks, continues the 2016 Olympic vice-champion. But there are rules : one floor is reserved for us but we are not allowed to go to the others.

We cannot leave the esplanade.

To get some fresh air, we have a small courtyard.

It is obviously binding but it is the rule and we comply with it as the French must do to all those imposed on them.

It's normal.

As the Blues have time, they train and work hard.

The Parisians arrived on Thursday

The only exception to the rules: 11 players joined the bubble on Thursday.

Luc Abalo (Norwegian Cup), Romain Lagarde (Bundesliga), the Parisians, Barcelona and those who participated in the Final Four of the Champions League at the beginning of the week.

They were thus able to enter the entrenched camp.

On condition: they passed a PCR test in Cologne, another on their arrival before taking up their quarters.

“They only had a few hours to go from one competition to another,” says Adrien Dipanda.

Even though we are used to this kind of rhythm, it is not easy.

We help them all to make the transition, especially since none of them came back as European champions.

"

Fortunately, there was a great way to forget the worries, this failed Final Four, the catastrophic Euro 2020 which saw France finish in a pitiful 14th place, the Covid and this period when the France team remained almost a year without playing: New Years Eve. Because the players did not come home for December 31st.

They stayed together at Créteil: "This is the first time that this has happened to us when we still have an important tournament in January," notes the Var right-back.

Like everyone else, we like to spend these moments with the family.

But, again, this is a rule that cannot be waived.

We do not endure it, we accept it.

It's a New Year's Eve that we will remember all our lives because it was so unique.

"

A small glass of champagne

Less than two weeks before the opening of the World Cup against the Norwegians of the former Parisian and new European champion Sander Sagosen, the Blues were not allowed to splurge.

But they are not satisfied with a chicken breast with boiled beans either: "We are all big boys and we know what we have to do," said Adrien Dipanda, already crowned world champion in 2017. The dinner was a little better and we were treated to a little glass of champagne at midnight.

"

After the phone calls to relatives, the Habs did not look very far for the three wishes they wish for each other: a seventh world champion title in a month, an Olympic qualification in April and a third gold medal in the Tokyo Games.

The 20 players gathered for the course

Goalkeepers: Yann Genty (PSG) - Vincent Gérard (PSG) - Wesley Pardin (Aix)

Left wingers: Hugo Descat (Montpellier) - Michaël Guigou (Nîmes)

Left-backs: Romain Lagarde (Rhein-Neckar) - Timothey N'Guessan (Barcelona) - Elohim Prandi (PSG)

Mid-centers: Nicolas Claire (Aix) - Kentin Mahé (Veszprem) - Melvyn Richardson (Montpellier)

Pivots: Ludovic Fabregas (Barcelona) - Luka Karabatic (PSG) - Nicolas Tournat (Kielce)

Right-backs: Adrien Dipanda (Saint-Raphaël) - Dika Mem (Barcelona) - Nedim Remili (PSG) - Valentin Porte (Montpellier)

Right wingers: Luc Abalo (Elverum) - Yanis Lenne (Montpellier)