• André-Pierre Gignac, summoned with the French Olympic Team, is “a bit like crazy” at the idea of ​​playing the Tokyo Olympics.

  • He wants to bring back a medal with the French football team which has not participated in the Olympics since 1996.

Having come to join the French Olympic team "with a lot of desire" and "a bit like a madman", André-Pierre Gignac assured Thursday that he did not intend to play in Tokyo, where he will want to "go look for a medal ”.

“It goes back to January, February.

The coach called me and told me of his interest.

He wanted to know my expectations, my desires, ”explained the former Marseillais about his first contacts with coach Sylvain Ripoll.

"When you know that France has not been there since 1996, that we are 35 years old and that we have not returned to the France team for five years, obviously we are a bit like crazy, with a lot envy, ”he added.

"Challenger, that's fine with me"

While the list has been extremely difficult to build, with many clubs having refused to release the players initially chosen by the coach, Gignac believes that the France team still has a card to play. “It's a shame but now we are focusing on the group which is there, which has a lot of desire and quality, as I saw during the first training sessions. We will try to create a group. Sometimes a group is stronger than the best players, ”he said.

“Maybe before, we could have had the status of favorite, but challenging that suits me too. With all that has happened, doing something would be a big thumbs up. I was amazed by the quality of some young people, I think it will go very high. We have to get them to want to break everything. And to do things well is to go for a medal, ”he added.

The former Lorient and Toulousain, who has become for five years a huge star in the Mexican championship, also told of the importance he attaches to the Olympic Games.

“It's my childhood.

It's hand, basketball, judo with Teddy Riner, athletics.

To be in the midst of all these athletes is a sick thing for a sports fanatic like me, ”he said.

“The NBA team, the American footballers… It's going to be fun.

I hope to cross some of them.

We'll see if we are a bit of a fan, if we ask for the photo (laughs).

Seriously, it's magic.

All the sports together, the stars of each country… To be part of it is fabulous, ”concluded the former Ligue 1 top scorer.

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  • Andre Pierre Gignac