It is a rare confession.
In the columns of the Team, Valentin Porte, the captain of the Olympic champion French team, explains the reasons which lead him to give up the gathering of the Blues who are preparing this week for two Golden League matches against Norway and Denmark on next weekend: “In my current state, I am not ready to honor a selection.
Out of respect for the France team, I confided in Guillaume (Editor’s note: Gille, the coach) “the Montpellier player confided in a press release from the federation during the day.
In order to regenerate physically and mentally, Valentin Porte will not participate in the gathering of the France team which begins this Monday at the Maison du Handball.
Julien Bos and Mathieu Grebille were called in as reinforcements 🇫🇷 https://t.co/YfXxbRqG1m
– French Handball Teams (@FRAHandball) March 14, 2022
In the evening, Valentin Porte went further, confiding in the deeper and more intimate reasons for this package.
“I don't feel ready, and it worries me, to honor a selection for the France team.
I don't feel comfortable, not well, he confides before telling the whole truth.
My wife left on the return from the Euro (which ended at the end of January).
Which forced me to go to therapy for the first time, to try to manage.
Today, I have the impression that with my wife it will work out, in any case I do everything for it.
But as my therapist tells me, “what matters to me is you”.
There, for two weeks, she has been pressing on things buried deep, that I did not necessarily want to bring out.
And the captain of Montpellier to insist.
"It makes me ask myself a lot of questions and I'm not psychologically ready - and even anxious - to join the France team.
If the coach had told me he wanted me to be there anyway, I would have come.
I thank him because he listened to me and he understands my approach, he notes.
It's not a cheater thing.
The therapist talked about depression and that it must not turn into depression.
There, I slowly go up the slope, but I need a little time.
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