Berlin (AFP)

As in a dream: French volleyball players outclassed Germany on Friday evening in Berlin, validating the qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (July 24-August 9), the second Olympic participation for the most beautiful generation of French volleyball after Rio -2016.

Despite the waivers for "personal reasons" (Stephen Boyer), despite the absences due to injuries (Thibault Rossard, Trevor Clevenot), despite the sores (Julien Lyneel, Kévin Le Roux) which limited the rotation, Laurent Tillie's men overcame all the obstacles on their way to Japan.

It is on this point that Tillie also insisted during her pre-match chat broadcast by L'Équipe to motivate her troops.

"This is the match we all expected, and nobody was betting on. And you're still here. So we're going to go out, warm up, look the guys in the eyes. Hold, hold, hold, hold until 'at the end and for us ", he said.

Friday, in the final of the Olympic qualification tournament, the last competition which only delivered a ticket to Tokyo, his men overpowered the German hosts, even in a third set dominated by their opponents but overthrown in "money time".

- Clear the carioca failure -

They closed the deal in three sets (25-20, 25-20, 25-23), 80 minutes to make their way to the boarding gate for Tokyo, especially driven by the excellent meeting of his expert, Jean Patry , a true revelation on the tricolor side of this mini European Championship and author of 14 points, best French marker.

And as often with this French team, its star Earvin Ngapeth tightened the game, to set the pace. And like all a symbol, it is "Pépette" who killed all suspense on a last ace, to then receive the "Daruma", Japanese papier mache figurine symbolizing the qualification for Tokyo-2020.

Laurent Tillie, in tears for long seconds on his bench after the protocol ceremony, made strong choices for this final, leaving captain Benjamin Toniutti, regular passer for almost eight years with the Blues, on the bench, preferring Antoine Brizard , breathtaking.

He also left his son Kevin Tillie on the bench, to bring him in the last moments of the meeting. Decisions identical to those which had overturned a semi-final against Slovenia on Thursday.

Because the Blues had largely opened the way to the strength of the arms, by defeating the European champions Serbian from the first match for the group phase, then Slovenia in the semi-final in an anthology match.

In Tokyo this summer, the band in Ngapeth will want to forget the carioca disillusionment, an elimination from the group phase when they arrived in Brazil with a title of European champion in 2015 and a World League 2015. A Brazilian failure which they kept in memory throughout the Olympiad.

This qualification, which seemed highly improbable Thursday when the French were led two sets to zero in the semi-final against the Slovenes, comes a few months after a disappointing fourth place at the Euro in France.

"Despite the disappointment, we got back into the saddle after three months. We wanted to go to Tokyo so badly, it seemed impossible with all the little problems we had. To be able to qualify is simply incredible "," it's a bit our medal, "savored Laurent Tillie.

© 2020 AFP