If, at the start of the Euro, predicting a future semi-final between France and Sweden was not a daring bet, with undoubtedly an odd that was not likely to change a life, it is clear that the two nations very nearly took the Covid-19 door before meeting.
The first miracles of the last day of the main round, the Swedes overthrew the Norwegians who nevertheless held their qualification firmly in hand with a four-point lead with six minutes remaining.
An a priori crippling gap against Sander Sagosen and company, experienced in the last international squares.
And then by the grace of a thunderous 5-0, including a final throw of seven meters transformed by the young Valter Chrintz, Sweden survived and won an improbable success (24-23).
France also had their share of emotions the next day. Faced with a Danish team already qualified and overhauled with its two main assets – Mikkel Hansen and Mathias Gidsel – remaining seated in the stands, but which dominated for a long time, the Blues got away with it mentally. Led several times by 5 lengths, Guillaume Gille's men did not give in and during the last ten minutes, Vincent Gérard made more saves than in the previous fifty, Nikola Karabatic threw himself on two balls like a teenager 15 and the Danes collapsed to lose by one goal (30-29). The only time, finally, where France will have led during this meeting to the "
so beautiful happy-end
“, in the words of the French coach.
Now, both Swedes and French know that the essence of a miracle is not to reproduce.
Otherwise, it loses all its charm.
A revenge of the 2021 World Cup?
This Friday, in the gigantic arena of Budapest, which could accommodate up to 20,000 people given the absence of gauges in Hungary, there will also be talk of revenge between the two teams.
Indeed, a year ago almost to the day, at the same stage of the competition but during the World Cup, Sweden had heavily beaten the France team (32-26), dominated head and shoulders.
At the time, Hampus Wanne and his 11 goals had hurt the Blues who were just beginning to learn to walk under the direction of a Guillaume Gille who was experiencing his first major competition in Egypt as number 1 coach, he who took the time to grow as assistant to Didier Dinart, sacked after the painful failure of Euro 2020 (elimination in the 1st round).
These Blues have changed so much in one year
But in a year, a lot has changed.
More on the French side it must be admitted than Swedish, where it will be a quasi copy-paste, apart from the "
covids
» Andreas Palicka and Felix Claar who will be missing.
While on the blue side, Michaël Guigou, Luc Abalo and Yann Genty retired, Nicolas Claire, Adrien Dipanda and Jean-Jacques Acquevillo were not selected, Nedim Remili was out of injury, and finally Nicolas Tournat was checked positive for Covid-19 and saw its competition come to an abrupt end before Denmark.
In other words, half of the hexagonal workforce has changed, hoping that Kentin Mahé will be back to restore energy to a heavily used back line, like a still precious Karabatic at 37. year.
Difficult, suddenly, to really speak of revenge.
In their quest for a fabulous double barely six months after their Olympic title in Tokyo, the French know the way forward,
