Basketball: "Guiding everyone on the right path," Yabusele named captain of the French national team for the Euro

" I can't say I expected it... " He's the only one surprised. As one might expect, Guerschon Yabusele has been named captain of the French basketball team for the 2025 campaign and the EuroBasket, which will take place in Latvia, Cyprus, Finland and Poland, from August 27 to September 14. " I knew I was one of the veterans. But Mam Jaiteh, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Vincent Poirier and Isaïa Cordinier also have experience," the 29-year-old French international forward told the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) website. Not wrong. But Yabusele has everything of the perfect leader for this young French team, deprived of retired Nicolas Batum - captain still in 2024 - and Nando De Colo or former stalwarts like Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert. Not to mention the "Wemby" phenomenon .

" It's nice to be captain even if it doesn't change my status in the team. I'll have to be an example, be good and fair on and off the court. Guide everyone on the right path. And even if things aren't going well for me personally, always maintain a positive attitude for the group. Establishing the relationship between players and staff is important, but also between players if ever problems arise," explains the Dancing Bear, author of a positive season in the NBA, in the doldrums of Philadelphia, on the momentum of his Olympic tournament in Paris 2024. Yabusele had been one of the main architects of the epic until the final.

Also read : Basketball: "I didn't want it to be taken like that," Yabusele returns to his controversial comments after the Paris Olympics

It must be a real relay on and off the field.

Freddy Fauthoux

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Having played for Roanne, Rouen, China, Boston and Real Madrid, as well as the G-League, the Dreux native made his first steps in the French team in 2020. He won silver at the last two Olympic Games, in Tokyo and Paris, as well as at Euro 2022. On Tuesday, during the Blues' media day at Insep, Freddy Fauthoux assured that he had not yet made his decision. " We should confirm this tomorrow (Wednesday). It has to be a real relay on and off the pitch. We have to talk with him and the executives ," said the national coach .

Asked specifically about Guerschon Yabusele, he added this: " Like every player who is a bit of a veteran, he is not the only one, I expect him to accompany the group well, like Vincent Poirier, Isaïa Cordinier, Mam Jaiteh... They must supervise the players on and off the field. When players have caps, you have to know how to be big brothers to the others ."

In this case, the New Yorker is called upon to be a little more than a big brother, therefore. " I am aware that it is a big responsibility, especially with a new group that is launching a new adventure," he assures, he who also returned on Tuesday to his comments about the fracture between players and staff last year . His message to the seven novices who have not yet played in a major international competition with the French senior team? " We are mainly trying to prepare them, to explain to them that a Euro, for many people and especially for me, is the most difficult international competition. We will quickly switch to decisive matches from the round of 16. There will be blows and it will be very complicated. Everyone will have to be on the same wavelength and think "victory."

I think we can do something special.

Guershon Yabusele

Message received? In the meantime, the Blues will play their first warm-up match on Monday against Montenegro, at the Vendéspace in Mouilleron-le-Captif. A big first for captain Yabusele. " We're entering a new cycle and we're incredibly athletic, with a very high level of intensity. The coach said it was encouraging because we're only at the beginning of the preparation. With all the adjustments we're going to make, we still have a lot of room for improvement. I think we can do something special. And it's also difficult for him. Before, there were 9-10 players who we more or less knew would make it to the end. Now, there are 12 spots to be filled." Guerschon Yabusele's position is hardly in doubt. He's the boss.