This Wednesday, the French women’s team won 67-64 in the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament. It is a major success for the Blue who have not stopped beating on La Roja in recent years, especially in the final of the Euros 2013, 2017 and 2019. Valérie Garnier, coach contested after the defeat in the final of the Euro 2021 against Serbia, is well aware of the great success of his team on this blow.
“Today we won an important match for French women’s basketball, she commented on the FFBB website. I am very proud of my players and my staff. When I look at the statistics they are not not in our favor. But we held on. The plan was to steal the confidence of the Spaniards. Self-sacrifice in defense, to be able to manage weak times, that’s what they did in an exceptional way. I think Spain expected a small French team that folds, that lets go at some point. We had to show that we were always straight, always strong. That’s what they did for 40 minutes. Yes we lost some balls, yes we let out some rebounds but on arrival the defense, the energy and the commitment mean that it is us who pass “
If Lucas Mondelo said his team deserved to win, despite a clear difference in the collective assessment (82 to 60) against the Blue, Valérie Garnier is obviously not of this opinion.
“I like Lucas Mondelo a lot. But in the meantime it’s us who are in the semi-finals. There is a France-Spain past and sometimes it fell on the other side. It is no coincidence that They miss a basket under the circle or the last pass. Because the intensity was present. We deserve the victory as much as Spain … and in addition we have it. “
Sandrine Gruda, after so much failure against these same Spaniards, was also relieved.
“It was very emotional. Any movement, any attitude can be decisive. When they came back to me I said to myself but no, not yet, not tonight, not this time. We were determined not to let go. this meeting between our fingers. We are a determined team and in a momentum that allows us to be united. This energy allows us to go up the slope in situations where we can stutter. We often lost matches against them and beat them on this world stage it’s just huge. “
The French will have to recover from their emotions and prepare for the big fight that awaits them against Japan, against whom they had lost in their first match of the competition (74-70). In-between Friday at 1 p.m. French time.
