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Updated Thursday, May 19, 2022-01:59

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  • Barça-Real Madrid in the Final Four Pending accounts, historical urgencies and a curse

  • Sergio Llull His love story and records with the Final Four

  • Interview with Laprovittola "When I left Madrid I only thought of a rematch"

With his body full of tattoos, his sailor's beard and his 213 centimeters immensity,

Vincent Poirier

(Chamart, France, 1993) could perfectly be the protagonist of a B-series horror movie. But like so many other times, the appearance deceives.

"I don't like stereotypes, I'm a nice guy, very joking," he tells EL MUNDO randomly jumping from Spanish to English in one of his first interviews since, a year ago, another NBA renegade was signed by Real Madrid of the emergencies.

The French giant, key in the Whites' resurgence during the quarterfinals against Maccabi, and one of

Pablo Laso

's fittest players, is hungry for the first Final Four of his career.

How can you explain Real Madrid's season? Seasons sometimes have this, ups and downs.

We had a big downturn.

We lost the Cup final and that hurt us, it hurt us.

Then we try to find ourselves, as a team, to return to our basketball.

in the

playoffs

against Maccabi everyone focused on themselves and the team at the same time and we were able to get back to where we were at the beginning.

That's the way it is, you go up and down.

We just keep working, believing in ourselves, that was the key.

And we came back stronger. Was it a mental problem? As I told you, that Cup final hurt us, because everyone wanted to win the title.

We lost, it was a disappointment.

And we all started to ask ourselves what was going on, to doubt.

Then, after each loss, we would talk to each other.

The barbecue [at

Rudy 's

] was one more step, it is always good to stay united.

I really don't know how to explain what happened.

I think it's just a part of the season.

Now the important games arrive and everyone knows what they have to do, what we have to improve to win.

We no longer think about that slump.

After the Copa del Rey final and so many defeats against them, is winning against Barça a spur? In these types of games, it doesn't matter what happened before.

It's different, in another neutral scenario, neither of them will be at home, it will be played differently.

We know it's important: a classic, a Euroleague semi-final.

Whichever team we were up against at this point it would be a tough game.

That is what we have to focus on.

I repeat, no one is going to think about what has happened before, the past doesn't matter. He debuts in a Final Four in a great moment.

Are we facing the best version of Poirier? I don't know if my best version is now.

Playing for Real Madrid, for sure.

I just try to help the team as much as I can, that's what I've done all season.

Sometimes it works out better and sometimes worse.

But the key to this team is that sometimes we shine and others, others.

In that sense, we complement each other, we support each other.

I hope it will be like that in the Final Four as well.

The only thing that matters to me is winning.

It's my first Final Four and I'm really looking forward to it. Their second game against Maccabi (31 PIR) was amazing.

How does a player feel on the pitch at those times? Almighty.

It was one of the best matches of my career.

When you catch four, five, six offensive rebounds, you feel like you rule the whole world.

That's my job, you feel the power, how the team grows for you, because the shooters gain confidence, they feel like they have a network with me there.

When I feel good, you can see it on the pitch.

I hope it will be like that in the Final Four as well.

The only thing that matters to me is winning.

It's my first Final Four and I'm really looking forward to it. Their second game against Maccabi (31 PIR) was amazing.

How does a player feel on the pitch at those times? Almighty.

It was one of the best matches of my career.

When you catch four, five, six offensive rebounds, you feel like you rule the whole world.

That's my job, you feel the power, how the team grows for you, because the shooters gain confidence, they feel like they have a network with me there.

When I feel good, you can see it on the pitch.

I hope it will be like that in the Final Four as well.

The only thing that matters to me is winning.

It's my first Final Four and I'm really looking forward to it. Their second game against Maccabi (31 PIR) was amazing.

How does a player feel on the pitch at those times? Almighty.

It was one of the best matches of my career.

When you catch four, five, six offensive rebounds, you feel like you rule the whole world.

That's my job, you feel the power, how the team grows for you, because the shooters gain confidence, they feel like they have a network with me there.

When I feel good, you can see it on the pitch.

It was one of the best matches of my career.

When you catch four, five, six offensive rebounds, you feel like you rule the whole world.

That's my job, you feel the power, how the team grows for you, because the shooters gain confidence, they feel like they have a network with me there.

When I feel good, you can see it on the pitch.

It was one of the best matches of my career.

When you catch four, five, six offensive rebounds, you feel like you rule the whole world.

That's my job, you feel the power, how the team grows for you, because the shooters gain confidence, they feel like they have a network with me there.

When I feel good, you can see it on the pitch.

ACB Photo

Does your tough guy look help your game? [Laughs] My looks have nothing to do with basketball, I don't want to look like a tough guy.

I don't like stereotypes.

This is the look I like to show off.

I'm a kind guy, I like to joke around.

I am not a moody man.

I have a little daughter, she is my love.We see you play with her on social networks, has her life changed?Of course.

Now all that matters is Nola.

I think of her at every game, because I know she is watching me.

I try to make her feel proud. There are few pivot pairings in Europe like the one she forms with Tavares.

How is his relationship? I clashed with him for two years when I was in Baskonia.

He was already a very powerful player.

When I signed for Madrid I already knew that he was in the team and that we were going to face each other in every training session.

And every day is a battle in the paint.

We try our best to improve each other.

We take each other to the limit, but we have a great relationship, there is no jealousy.

We do things together off the pitch, with families.

He's a great guy. Yabusele, Tavares, Deck, Williams-Goss, you... Are many players rejected by the NBA at Real Madrid? For whatever reason, we didn't have our space there, but we know we could play.

We talk a lot about our experiences in the NBA.

But everyone has been able to adapt to the new circumstances, to the team, to the European game.

Now we are here and that is what matters.

Williams-Goss, you... Are many players rejected by the NBA at Real Madrid? For whatever reason, we didn't have our space there, but we know we could play.

We talk a lot about our experiences in the NBA.

But everyone has been able to adapt to the new circumstances, to the team, to the European game.

Now we are here and that is what matters.

Williams-Goss, you... Are many players rejected by the NBA at Real Madrid? For whatever reason, we didn't have our space there, but we know we could play.

We talk a lot about our experiences in the NBA.

But everyone has been able to adapt to the new circumstances, to the team, to the European game.

Now we are here and that is what matters.

ACB Photo

32 games in two seasons, four teams... Was it tough? Of course.

I am a competitor, I like to play, to be important on the court.

The basketball player's career is short.

I don't like wasting time and I really regret it.

I would have liked to have more emotions and experiences on the pitch, that's what I miss.

For the rest, it was a great experience, with my teammates, everything that surrounds the NBA is great. Is much French spoken in the Real Madrid dressing room? A lot!

We occupy an entire corner.

We make noise.

It is a great help to have three French companions.

Our families know each other, we do things together.

Barbecues, restaurants... we live nearby. If he wins the Euroleague... I haven't even thought about it, but he would do something special, for sure.

We'll see if there's any free space for a new tattoo.

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