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Basket: the "rookie" Toupane makes his baptism of the Blue

2021-11-11T08:09:03.289Z


France coach Jean-Aimé Toupane makes his debut Thursday in Ukraine on the first day of qualifying for Eurobasket 2023.


First match at the head of the Bleues, first on the bench of a women's team too: the coach of the France team Jean-Aimé Toupane made his debut Thursday in Ukraine on the occasion of the first day of qualifying at the 'Eurobasket-2023. For his comeback three months after the bronze medal won at the Tokyo Olympics, the band of Sandrine Gruda found a new coach on the board: Jean-Aimé Toupane, named successor to Valérie Garnier a month ago, who left after eight years of mandate marked by four European finals (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) in addition to the Japanese adventure. "

I'm a rookie, I'm landing

"Jokes Jean-Aimé Toupane, coach of the Blues under twenty for the past twelve years. One way to defuse criticism targeting her inexperience in women's basketball. “

It's obviously different, but the levers for high performance are the same, performance is not gendered,

” he underlines.

"

It's a pleasant breeze of freshness

", supports the top scorer of the France team Sandrine Gruda on Tuesday, the third day of this first gathering of the Toupane era.

"

A new cycle

", in the words of general manager Céline Dumerc, from whom more than a qualification for Eurobasket-2023 is expected, starting with a good start against the Ukraine of Alina Iagupova, double MVP of the Euroleague (2020 and 2021).

With Toupane, it runs

The ambition is to go find something that we lack, that we have wanted to go and win for a few years,

” draws the former captain, Dumerc.

Understand a title, since the last line of palmares for this team dates back to Euro 2009.

"

What I find really positive in this group which has already experienced great results is the desire to do well," Toupane appreciates. They are obsessed, want to go get that first step that has eluded them for quite a few years.

To get there, he intends to insist on solidity without a ball. “

If we want to hope for positive results, it goes through defense, he insists. We have this will, it's our DNA. We will build all our victories through defense.

"

No question of revolution, aggressiveness and the desire to disrupt the opponent's shot were already one of the keys to their Olympic journey.

It's still basketball,” says executive Sandrine Gruda (33).

We are not going to reinvent the + pick and roll + (two-player game between a rear and an interior, editor's note), a pass, a three-point shoot.

What Aimé offers is a lot of rigor in defense and flexibility, an intelligence of play in attack.

"With only two real training sessions for the France team before the match against Ukraine on Thursday, Toupane's leg may be overdue.

Absences from the leadership position

Especially since serial injuries in the lead (Marine Fauthoux, Alix Duchet and Olivia Epoupa) propelled two novice leaders in the group: the player of Villeneuve d'Ascq Caroline Hériaud (25 years old, 0 selection) and that of Basket Landes Marie-Eve Paget (26 years old, 0 selection), both regulars in 3x3 basketball - Paget even participated in the Tokyo Games in the discipline. Between the new tactical precepts and the lack of collective benchmark, "

it will not necessarily be very pretty to see

", recognizes Endy Miyem. “

In any case, the state of mind must be there, that we want to give our all, put the necessary energy into it. The tactical side will come later.

"

Another change, her role as captain acquired since 2017 and the international retirement of Céline Dumerc could go to another player.

I try to see how the group lives.

I can not guarantee you that she (Endy Miyem) will be captain, book Jean-Aimé Toupane.

There is a real reflection on my part on this.

It could be another.

"

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2021-11-11

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