Basketball: For the first time in eighteen years, the French women leave the Euro without a medal

You could call it a fiasco. The French women's basketball team lost (54-69) this Sunday, June 29th in Greece during the Euro final against Italy. For the first time since 2007 (nine editions), the French team left the Women's Eurobasket without a medal.

While the competition ended this Sunday, June 29th, evening with a final between Belgium and Spain, the French women's game actually ended on Friday, at halftime of the semi-final against the Spanish. While the French women led by ten points in a match they seemed to have well in hand, Jean-Aimé Toupane's players suddenly disappeared. They became ghostly in attack, did not make a single shot, and lost by a whisker (64-65).

The French women showed the same face this Sunday afternoon for the bronze medal: they made only three of their 20 three-point attempts, and each basket scored seemed like a minor miracle. The result: only 54 points scored, including only 18 in the second half. It's impossible to win a match by being so clumsy in a sport that relies essentially on skill. Yet there were no giants on their side: Italy hadn't reached the podium at a Euro since 1995. Moreover, they have not qualified for the Olympic Games or World Cups in the 21st century.

Already heavily criticized since taking office in 2021 despite a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, Jean-Aimé Toupane could have lost his job this Sunday. Among Les Bleues supporters, many are calling for his resignation. The coach will always be able to defend himself by invoking the many French players who skipped the competition to focus on their club season in the United States ( Marine Johannes , Gabby Williams , Dominique Malonga in particular). The truth is that even without its stars, this French team could have done much better than a dull fourth place. Les Bleues have not won a title for sixteen years and one victory in Latvia.