“This room in Bercy is just perfect for us”, savors Hugo Descat after the blue card

At the Accor Arena

Hugo, we imagine you happy to have finally been able to celebrate your Olympic title in Tokyo in front of the French public…
Hugo Descat : Yes, it’s nice to have such support throughout the match. It was a very well filled Bercy and it’s just fun to play in front of a room like that. Bercy is a legendary venue for the France team. As far as I am concerned, it was the first time that I played there in selection and it will remain a great memory. It was a nice transition with Tokyo, where inevitably behind closed doors the atmosphere was much sadder. Even if in Hungary, during the Euro last January, there were a lot of people and in particular many French supporters who had come. But tonight, there was still a big difference.

Do you see yourself playing here at the 2024 Olympics rather than in Lille?
I don’t know where it will be in two years but what is certain is that if the French public pushes as it did tonight, we will have a good chance of winning. Now, I’m not in the organization and I don’t want to put my two cents in there. All I can say is that this room in Bercy is just perfect for us (smile).

You offered an offensive festival to this audience. The Harlem Globe Trotters in basketball are coming to perform here in ten days, but you beat them to the handball version…
No (laughs). We have worked well in training, we have prepared for this meeting very seriously, studying their defense carefully. We knew we absolutely had to set the pace and that’s what we did. When it happens like that and we have fun, it’s great.

On a personal level, you scored 12 goals. You were in Tokyo mode (where he was voted best player)…
It was just me, not in something mode (smile). It was a great match for me because I was lucky to have a lot of balls, especially on the counter-attacks. My teammates put me in often ideal conditions and I thank them for that. It was truly a great evening in every way.