Evan Fournier will long remember his 81st selection in the blue jersey.
Not necessarily because of the poster this Sunday (5 p.m.) against the Netherlands at the KinderArena in Rouen, but because he will release his new status as captain of the France team.
The tricolor selection begins its preparation for the Eurobasket which will take place in Germany next month (from September 1 to 18).
Gathered in training this week in Nanterre, the Blues of Vincent Collet are playing the first of their six outings before getting to the heart of the matter.
The French will then continue with Italy on August 12 in Bologna and August 16 in Montpellier, then Belgium on August 18, still in Montpellier.
They will also play two 2023 World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic on August 24 at the AccorArena and in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the 27th.
Two leaders.
A captain and a vice-captain 🤝
Evan Fournier is the new captain of the Blues, Rudy Gobert is vice-captain 🤞#TeamFranceBasket x @EvanFourmizz x @rudygobert27 |
#PassionatelyBlue pic.twitter.com/gfI8pY7N7A
– French Basketball Teams (@FRABasketball) August 5, 2022
For the French coach, it was natural to entrust the captain's armband to Evan Fournier in the absence of Nicolas Batum, who gave up the Eurobasket after having "struggled physically, between the sequences of seasons, the Olympic Games the year last ".
The new promotion of the rear of the New York Knicks is logical for the one who is one of the most experienced in the collective with Thomas Heurtel (84 selections).
Even if it does not change much in the facts.
“I am very clearly a team leader, I have a certain weight because I am one of the most capped, but that stops there.
It's just a matter of personality and experience."
At 29, Evan Fournier can also count on Rudy Gobert, who has been named vice-captain.
A way to confirm the takeover of the 92 generation.
