Let's not forget anything: France could have taken the door a week ago in the round of 16 against the Turks or four days later in the quarterfinals against the Italians.
It happened twice very close.
At that time, we could have cried and talked about failure.
Not there, not now.
Obviously, there is disappointment, a huge disappointment after the defeat this Sunday, September 18 in the final.
Nine years after the Tony Parker and Boris Diaw generation, France is not European champion for the second time in its history.
Spain has made us take out the handkerchiefs again, once too often.
Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert had only had this obsession for two weeks.
But they will not return to the NBA with their first gold medal in the blue jersey.
Philosophers always say that a final is not played, it is won.
head in the wall
The Blues played another one, not always very well, and they lost it.
We can't go back on it.
But something tells us that this generation, with such talents and those who are coming, will win others.
Why not at home, in two years, but we'll talk about it.
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The last remnants of the Berlin Wall still standing are 200m in front of the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
It was therefore France who hit their heads on it, pushed by Spaniards who were probably not expected on the top step of the podium.
But those red devils are there, always.
World champions in 2019, here they are, European champions, a double for history.
Above all, let's recognize the strength of the Spaniards.
They arrived in Germany on tiptoe, without landmarks.
Focused on the NBA stars, no one thought of them at the time of the predictions.
They leave triumphant.
Without high-sounding names apart from veteran Rudy Fernández and the naturalized will-o'-the-wisp just before the Lorenzo Brown tournament, Spain remains a fearsome and impressive winning machine.
A bad start impossible to recover
She showed during the evening, a basketball to show in all schools, with an absolutely insolent address.
Unfortunately, the French also helped them in their conquest.
They missed their start to the match in wide widths.
Very quickly, the gap grew, too high.
+ 21 after a quarter of an hour of play. Even if the delay has (a little) melted, it remained too substantial.
What makes up for it against Turkey or Italy works less well against the world champions.
The Blues have however put what it takes.
They regained momentum in the second half.
They have once again put hearts, ours and theirs, to the test.
It was believed at one time that a new miracle was possible.
Evan Fournier found his address, Guerschon Yabusele cleaned up, Rudy Gobert cleaned up the racket and the Blues came back to -3.
But what to do against a team that scores from 3 points in all corners of the field?
This Sunday evening in Berlin, the annoying proverb "never two without three" did not work.
There was no new miracle.
Spain did not crack, France did not find the solution and the Blues are not European champions.
It's a shame, yes really, really a shame.
But this German campaign announces, no doubt, a brilliant future.
Next year there will be the World Cup in Asia and in 22 months the Games in Paris.
The French team will be there to aim for gold.
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