Alexis Lebrun: Aiming for European Title Success

This Sunday, the Lebrun brothers’ Blues won the European team title.

“We managed to be good when we needed to”: crowned European champion on Sunday with the French team, Alexis Lebrun returned to AFP on the performance of the Blues, who had “to heart” to win the title in Croatia.

Q: You already have a European title in singles and doubles since 2024, what does it feel like to add this team title?

Skip the ad

R : It’s nice, I think it’s very rare even if I don’t have the +stats+. I’m super proud, I’ve had a fantastic year and to be able to make it happen like this, with these titles, it’s incredible. I am very proud to have been part of this team and to have been able to make my contribution.

There is also a historical dimension, France had not won the Euro since 1998. Was it also important to confirm by teams?

Yes that’s it. We get along very well and we have a great team. Being able to experience this week, with the five players (Alexis, Félix Lebrun, Simon Gauzy, Flavien Coton and Thibault Poret, Editor’s note), the staff. We had a great time. We wanted to win the title together. We made it happen. (A milestone passed in the semi-finals with the victory against Germany?) I think that all the matches at the end of the competition were difficult, but we managed to be good in the moments when we needed to. Whether it was quarter-finals, semi-finals or final, we had great matches and that’s what we must remember.

You launched your teammates ideally by easily beating Iulian Chirita (3-0). You also started in the semi-final. Was there a desire for continuity in the order of passage of the players, or was it a question of preference vis-à-vis the opponent?

I think it was a choice from Nathanaël (Molin, the coach), who also wanted to keep me on the right dynamic, give me confidence and ensure that I could play an opponent who suited me well in the style of play. This allowed me to put them under pressure from the start. I had already played Iulian Chirita on the youth circuit, I had no senior reference but I always had the feeling that it was a game that suited me so I’m happy to have played a match like this.

Aiko Tanaka

Aiko Tanaka is a combat sports journalist and general sports reporter at Archysport. A former competitive judoka who represented Japan at the Asian Games, Aiko brings firsthand athletic experience to her coverage of judo, martial arts, and Olympic sports. Beyond combat sports, Aiko covers breaking sports news, major international events, and the stories that cut across disciplines — from doping scandals to governance issues to the business side of global sport. She is passionate about elevating the profile of underrepresented sports and athletes.

Leave a Comment