EDITORIAL
The Euro volleyball starts Wednesday in France, and it may have escaped you. Virginie Phulpin, the sports editorialist of Europe 1, does not understand the discretion of the organizers.
"Frankly, you knew that France was organizing the Euro volleyball If we want to host an international competition, we go all out, we communicate, we try to make it a popular festival. France has not organized an international men's volleyball tournament, it's been a good 33 years, but it's still a good time to get ready, is not it? The Federation also lacks money, but the French team is starting its European campaign tonight in Montpellier, with almost complete anonymity. put your head under water: 'look, our sport does not interest anyone'.
By the way, the players are very annoyed.
We can understand them. They, they have only one desire, it is to see the public behind them, to ignite this Euro, to give them wings, and why not, help them to win the competition. If they play in half empty rooms, it will be complicated. There, 26,000 tickets have been sold for the moment. Basically, one-fifth of the places available. Of course, if you are not even aware that there is a Euro volleyball, you are not likely to buy a ticket.
And yet, there is something to do. Volleyball is a very spectacular sport, the Euro will be broadcast on TV, and this team from France is among the best in the world. She won the Euro in 2015, and the World League in 2015 and 2017. So the thinking of the players is to say that they do their job. Every year, the best come to play in France team, they trim on their holidays, they win, but behind, nothing happens. There is something to be discouraged.
This lack of recognition will it on the contrary motivate even more players?
They do not really have a choice. We feel that they want to talk, the players. They already say they do not understand how the team of France arrives at the Euro without a main sponsor on his jersey for example. They also explain that they do not play for the money, they understand that the Federation does not have the means to offer them more than 80 euros per day allowances for this Euro, while it is much more for the other great volleyball nations. But they need to be followed and supported. So if they want their words to carry weight, only the results will help them. The final of this Euro will take place in Bercy. And if they arrived so far, maybe French volleyball would advance a little. "