He had been promised hell.
It was.
For its entry into the running in the Euro, France was beaten, corrected (63-76) this Thursday evening by Germany, the organizing country which was carried by a Lanxess Arena in Cologne, where the approximately 19,000 places had all been sold for 3 months already.
If the defeat against an opponent who was playing at home is not shameful, the way it raises questions.
The partners of Evan Fournier, bronze medalists at the World Cup in 2019 and silver at the Tokyo Games last year, are already in danger.
They no longer have the right to make mistakes.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by French Basketball Team (@equipedefrancebasket)
What you must remember
Delayed by around twenty minutes due to a ceremony paying a vibrant tribute to the idol of the nation Dirk Nowitzki, whose number 14 will no longer be worn in the German selection, the duel between France and Germany barely to launch.
The start of the match is messy, with two clumsy, timid teams struggling to free themselves from the pressure of the meeting.
Back in the group for only a short week after having treated his thigh in his Spanish club, the leader Andrew Albicy finds his place in the 5 Major.
The tricolor pit bull's mission is to muzzle the opposing leader, the will-o'-the-wisp Dennis Schröder.
He succeeds.
While France had taken the bad habit of starting their last games of the summer by leaving the doors open for opposing attackers, they are more intransigent this time.
The Germans will wait almost 5 minutes before scoring their first basket in the game. But Vincent Collet's players do not take advantage of it.
The partners of Thomas Heurtel, author of two award-winning shots, remain in ambush.
The entry of Maledon, preferred at the last moment to Cordinier for the list of 12, makes a good entry.
If France regains the advantage thanks to 8-0 after the break (39-38, 23rd), the match changes in a few minutes during the 4th quarter.
Carried by their incandescent public, the players of Gordon Herbert inflict a 14-3 on their opponents to take the lead before the last act (43-57, 30th).
The absence of the innkeepers Nando de Colo and Nicolas Batum is felt.
In a very strong group, France no longer has the right to make mistakes.
Victory is already mandatory on Saturday, in the next match, against Lithuania to hope to finish among the top 4 of the pool and qualify for the round of 16.
Player: Guerschon Yabusele
He will have been one of the only Blues to respond.
At 26, the "Dancing Bear" - his nickname inherited from his great mobility despite a maous physique - will have long allowed France to remain in ambush of his opponent.
Present in defense, he finished the game with 18 points, his record in the blue jersey.
But despite his burst of energy, Yabusele could not prevent the defeat of his people.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by French Basketball Team (@equipedefrancebasket)
The number: 3
In 2017, France left the Euro in Turkey through the back door, from the round of 16, after a defeat against Germany.
Five years later, the Blues suffered the same fate.
It is even, since 2013, the 3rd defeat in a row for the French against the Germans during a European Championship.
The phrase
“They were aggressive and we had trouble setting up our game. We lost too many balls which put us in difficulty in defense.
We're going to watch all of this on video, but there's a lot of work.
Nobody said it was easy.
It's a first game against a good team playing at home.
We knew it wouldn't be easy.
I will be better next time.
Rudy Gobert, author of 11 points and 12 rebounds, at the microphone of Canal +.