They wanted to see Sofia one more time, to keep a less painful memory of Philippe Blain. They will not get the chance. Three weeks after failing to secure a ticket for the London Olympics in the Bulgarian capital, the Blues will not be playing the Final Six of the World League there. And the countdown begins since aprilhas come to an end: after eleven years in office, Blain is no longer the coach of the French team.”I hope this isn’t his last match», Pierre Pujol declared on Sunday in Dallas (United States), a few minutes after the overwhelming victory against South Korea (25-19, 25-15, 25-17). The Blues had thus fulfilled their contract, but a little later in the evening the USA retained the last ticket for the “Finals”. In front of their home crowd they defeated Italy (3-2).
At the end of this reshuffled group stage, the Americans, like the Blues, have a record of nine wins and three losses, albeit with a better established average. With the start of the Games just a stone’s throw away, the reigning Olympic champions could face Cuba, Brazil or even Poland. The Tricolores can go on holiday. Heads up, despite everything, listening to their captain: “We have been through difficult times since our elimination from the Olympic Games, Pujol explained.. I am very happy and proud of the behavior of the French team over the last three days“. It allowed Philippe Blain to record three victories during this Texas weekend.
