The sharp French Stephen Boyer, best scorer of Euro 2019 volleyball, has renounced for personal reasons the Olympic qualification tournament (TQO), which begins Sunday in Berlin, said Thursday the coach of the Blues Laurent Tillie. "He won't be with us. It is a personal decision, I cannot intervene. We take note, ”explained the latter.
The player told L'Equipe: "I still want to play for the France team and I hope to be present this summer. It hurts me not to be able to come and help my teammates in Berlin, but that's how it is today, ”without specifying the exact reasons for this package. However, he brushed aside rumors of an altercation with Earvin Ngapeth at the end of Euro-2019, as reported by several Italian media.
Rossard and Clevenot already forfeited, Lyneel and Tillie in uncertainty
At 23, Boyer was one of the revelations of the last Euro, with in particular a breathtaking performance during the victory in the quarterfinals against Italy (25 points, including 9 aces). To make up for his absence, Laurent Tillie will bet on Jean Patry, used sparingly during Euro 2019. The coach will leave with a second expert in Berlin, either John Wendt or Julien Winkelmuller, present during the preparation course for which Boyer was invited but was not present.
It is a new blow for the French volleyball players after the packages of Thibault Rossard and Trevor Clevenot, while Julien Lyneel suffers from the back and that Kevin Tillie is awaiting the birth of his daughter in the coming days in Warsaw. The Blues, European champions 2015, compete in Berlin from Sunday the European TQO, which will issue the last ticket for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Competition promises to be very strong, with notably Serbia, European champion 2019, Slovenia, vice-champion of Europe 2019 and Germany, vice-champion of Europe 2017 and pushed by its public.
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Euro volleyball: With Stephen Boyer, the French team is pretty well served
NC with AFP