With a workforce yet very reduced because of the covid 19, deprived of the coach but also of the captain Nicolas Lang, the pivot Grismay Paumier, the winger Assane Ndoye and the leader Ingus Jakovics, the Limoges CSP staff expected their players to be as aggressive as possible Sunday at Beaublanc against the leader of the Boulogne-Levallois championship. But also to put a lot of rhythm against a team from the Metropolitans who had come to defend their 1st place and were vengeful after their defeat at the Eurocup a few days earlier in Belgrade, but not necessarily willing to play at a high tempo.
We were afraid that they wanted to kill us right away
“Already, we wanted to confront their aggressiveness because we feared that after their defeat against Partizan, they would come back really up. We said that we also had to be high from the start. And enjoy the atmosphere of Beaublanc because we needed energy. We feared that they would want to kill us right away and make a gap that it would have been so difficult to come back with this workforce. Mentally, you had to be there at the start. And for that, we had to do things defensively and offensively very rhythmically, with a lot of energy. That’s why we defended very aggressively and tried to run at the start.” explains the deputy Romain Chenaud, head coach for one evening in place of Massimo Cancellieri.
Massimo Cancellieri’s texts during the match
The Italian coach was behind this strategy although absent from training sessions because of the covid throughout the week preceding the meeting. Massimo Cancellieri who had to follow the match from home while remaining in contact with the staff as much as possible during the match relates Romain Chenaud: “there’s a bit of a lag with the video, so the time he sees something and transmits something, it wasn’t easy. We still had a few text messages, especially before the quarters. That way, it gave us time to digest some info and pass it on to the players at times when it’s easy to do so. A little phone call also at half-time to give us some information.
I really had the feeling of being the coach of this team and it made me feel very comfortable.
Knowing that Massimo Cancellieri has already been in the same situation in Italy, having to accompany his team from a distance. “With his outside perspective, it was great. I thought his experience helped a lot. He was fair. He accompanied us in the game plan during the training week. He really guided us. But without directing us. I really felt like I was the coach of this team and it made me feel very comfortable.” appreciates the one who will return to the Elan Chalon training center at the end of the season, and who does not forget the contribution of all the staff and in particular the other assistant. “Benjamin Villeger really gave me a big hand to make sure that I had to coach the match“.
No time to savor, you have to continue
The rest is up to the players. The whole group was enormously self-sacrificing. They literally gave it their all. Corn as magnificent as it was, it was only one game on the road to the playoffs. “We can simply say that it is a big bonus that we have just taken in view of the playoffs. But if behind, we don’t validate that with other victories, that would be completely stupid! And it should not be the acme of our season. It’s a big game but we still have a few more to provide. I hope we will finally be calm with the covid but we will face other complicated situations anyway. At least we know that in complicated situations, we have a group that responds“Rejoices Romain Chenaud. A group now focused on Friday’s match in Cholet. Hoping that he can prepare for this meeting a little more calmly than Sunday’s.