Photo credit: Panoramic / K. Domas

A few hours before the first preparatory match of the French men’s team, tonight in Paris against Egypt, the coach Guillaume Gille announced the list of fifteen players and two substitutes who will fly to Japan in eight days to compete in the Olympics.

Guillaume Gille and his squad have chosen to leave the Parisian winger at home Dylan nahi, Montpellier Yanis Lenneas well as the two rear left Jean-Jacques Acquevillo Y Elohim Prandi.

Rémi Desbonnet, as third goalkeeper, and Romain Lagarde will leave with the group but will not join the Olympic village. Guillaume Gille explained Lagarde’s choice, “A player who will know how to respond to the greatest number of incidents. The expression “Swiss army knife” suits him. Romain is invaluable in the team because he can actually play base in all positions and also defend in all positions. Prandi and Acquevillo, more specialized in the left-back position, were preferred.

The rest of Fifteen’s list doesn’t seem surprising, even though Dylan Nahi’s cannonball season finale suggested he would get a chance to get on the plane. But the Gille-Mathé couple made the decision to continue, by summoning a group very close to the one that had validated the Olympic ticket during the March TQO.

The France team will enter Olympic competition on July 24 against Argentina, before facing Brazil two days later.

The list of fifteen

Guardians: Yann GENTY (Paris SG HB) – Vincent GÉRARD (Paris SG HB)
Left ends: Hugo DESCAT (Montpellier HB) – Michaël GUIGOU (Usam Nîmes Gard) (c)
Left sides: Nikola KARABATIC (Paris SG HB) – Timothey N’GUESSAN (FC Barcelone)
Media centers: MAHÉ of the city (Veszprem) – Nedim REMILI (Paris SG)
Pivots: Ludovic FABREGAS (FC Barcelona) – Luka KARABATIC (Paris SG HB) – Nicolas TOURNAT (Kielce)
Right sides: Dika MEM (FC Barcelone) – Melvyn RICHARDSON (NC)
Right wingers: Luc ABALO (NC) – Valentin PORTE (Montpellier HB)

The substitutes

Rémi DESBONNET (Usam Nîmes Gard) – Romain LAGARDE (Pays d’Aix University Club)