After the first titles, the Toniutti, Ngapeth and Grebennikov generation offers French volleyball its first quarter-final of the Olympic Games on Tuesday and its newfound relaxation can give it the conditions for a feat. Faced with the double Polish reigning world champions led by Wilfredo Leon, the Blues show no apprehension, even if it is the "
best team in the world
", according to Laurent Tillie. "
It suits us, no problem
": the sharp Jean Patry, in unison with the Blues, shows the indifference of those who came back from afar, an elimination in the first round ready to fall on the French volleyball players. "
The fact of having nothing more to lose
", summarizes Earvin Ngapeth, with the brilliance found against Brazil (29 points).
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Five years after Rio where the six surviving executives had said to each other "
never again
", the Blues came close to a new disillusionment in Tokyo with their third game, lost against the Argentines (3-2). “
We were sickened after Argentina
,” says Laurent Tillie.
It's crazy how sport can bring you down mentally. You don't want anything ...
"The"
Team Yavbou
"has already had its share of anguish and prostration in Tokyo, it has decided not to ask any more questions after having formulated too many. “
We have thought too much. You have to play without thinking,
”urged Laurent Tillie after their inaugural rout (3-0) against the United States, finally released in the first round.
Even without calculating, they will have to find a solution to contain "
King Leon
" who confirms his status as the best player on the planet in this Olympic tournament. Best server (13 aces), the former Cuban international has formidable efficiency in attack (44%, third ratio of the tournament) in the wake of Poland, the most efficient team in this area in Tokyo (42%) . Still, Leon's 23 points and Bartosz Kurek's 20 were not enough to beat Iran in their first game of the Games. And the duo was there, in Rimini, when the Blues won 3-2 against them in the League of Nations, five weeks ago.
Going back to their last ten confrontations, the results of the French against the Poles are even perfectly balanced (5 successes). "
When the Tricolores find their style of play, they are able to beat anyone
," summed up the 1976 Olympic champion Wodzimierz Sadalski before the Games, in the form of a warning to his successors. Poland has been chasing Olympic gold since this 1976 team. The most talented generation in French volleyball dreams of a first medal after having hoisted it higher than ever, to a European title (2015) and two World leagues (2015 and 2017). All in nine years under the orders of Laurent Tillie, who is living his last week as a coach and perhaps his last match on Tuesday. "
We will talk about it after the Games,
”he said after Russia. Now is not the time to ask questions.
