Montpellier (AFP)
"It's nice to be able to return to the field," said French volleyball star Earvin Ngapeth, who played again with the Blues and played his first ball at Euro-2019 in Montpellier, with great success. against Bulgaria on Monday.
The Zenit Kazan receiver / striker was unable to play the first three group matches of the European Championship against Romania, Greece and Turkey due to a muscle injury in the ribs.
Monday, he was able to return to the field, the time to perform two services at the end of the first run, thus participating in the clear victory of the French against Bulgaria 3 sets to 0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-14 ), for their first test of the Euro.
"We're going to go gradually, but as long as the team plays like that," said Ngapeth after the match, "you have to be careful, but I think the injury is behind me."
After a rest day on Tuesday, he will be available for the last match of the French in this first round, against Italy (20:30). From there to dispute the whole meeting? "We have to get back to the pace of training, but I'm going to have the time as we are sure to be first or second in the group," he said.
By outclassing Bulgaria, which regularly came back among the outsiders of the competition including the sharp Tsvetan Sokolov, the Blues have marked the spirits, they who absolutely want to see Paris and the room of Bercy for the last square.
"The goal of the first three games was to be full of confidence, there is the fourth match against Bulgaria, we are successful, we try and it works," said the star of the Blues.
"We can do a lot better when we have that confidence in us," he warns.
© 2019 AFP