“Be a locomotive for French women’s handball, as Olivier was”declared Sébastien Gardillou when he took office in September. At the time of succeeding the historic coach of the Bleues, his former assistant, aged 49, is not afraid of the challenge. At the heart of the French team’s project since 2016, he will experience his first competition as head coach, from Thursday, November 28, with the Euro that the Blues begin in Switzerland against Poland (swipe). dispatch at 8:30 p.m.).
He was part of the titles at Euro 2018, the 2017 and 2023 World Championships, and the 2020 Olympics, not to mention the numerous silver medals gleaned during the most prosperous period of French women’s handball. But from the shadow of Olivier Krumbholz, Sébastien Gardillou, who did not like the media so much, is propelled to the forefront. “He is someone who likes to work on things he has less control over, who is a hard worker, and on a human level he has the ability to question himself to always seek to progress. So I have no doubt about his ability to play this role brilliantly”underlines the captain of the Bleues, Estelle Nze Minko, to franceinfo: sport.
The players, attached to Sébastien Gardillou, worked unofficially for his nomination. “For me, he is a handball genius. He has a very precise vision of what he expects from each player. He is a very good tactician. At the offensive level, he offers systems that allow all our qualities to to express yourself. It’s an encyclopedia.”described Orlane Kanor just before the Paris Olympic Games. “Sébastien, it’s a love, added Tamara Horacek. He is a hyperactive person who always wants to give everything he can for the team and for the handball. He is very close to us, we discuss a lot because he took the reins of the offensive game project”.
Architect of the French attack, the new coach sums up his idea of the game in one word: continuity. “I’m not going to change my method. It has proven itself, so I don’t think it should be called into question. I subscribe technically and tactically to everything that has been defended by Olivier. If things change in the tactical organization, it will be on the margins My convictions are not very far from those of Olivier.“explains Sébastien Gardillou. Like his predecessor, he also plans to continue collaborative coaching to “maintain a close relationship with the athletes, co-build and truly involve them in the project”. A reflection course bringing together a few senior players and the staff was organized for this purpose at the end of September.
For the cohesion of his team, Sébastien Gardillou should also continue to distribute the lollipops that he already gave to the staff and the substitutes before each match when he was an assistant. And he will always be able to count on the wise advice of Olivier Krumbholz, even if the latter intends to step aside. “Seb needs these four years until Los Angeles, in an Olympic cycle, to take charge of the team. He is someone intellectually brilliant, who has a lot of ideas, one every five minutes, he always wants to change things but you have to do this job with complete independence and I don’t know how to be an advisor, I would be a little too invasive. smiled the former coach during the handover in front of the press.
Already defeated twice in his first four matches, in preparation for the Euro, against Hungary in October (30-27) and Spain (28-27) on November 22, Sébastien Gardillou will have less right to mistake for his first official competition. But he assures us: “I am lucky to have worked with a monument. If I am able to take into account a tenth of his advice, I will be a very good coach”.
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