The French basketball team takes on water against Italy, and fails to reach the podium at the Women's Euro

It's hard to get back on track when you 've "taken a big hit to the head." After experiencing its worst day on Friday in Piraeus (Greece), and seeing its dreams of a continental final disappear, the French women's basketball team knew its plan: "Take it in and quickly go back to war," summarized point guard Romane Bernies, quoted by L'Equipe after the semi-final lost to Spain (64-65). Because on Sunday, June 29 in Piraeus (Greece), Italy stood in the way of the Blues, with the firm intention of concluding their surprise run at Euro 2025 in style. At the end of a small final dominated by the Transalpine team, the French women fell from a great height (54-69) and finished the competition without a medal - interrupting their series of eight podium finishes in a row.

Qualified for the semi-finals for the first time in thirty years, the Squadra Azzurra came close on Friday to creating a huge upset by overturning the Belgian title holders (57-60). A duel between two disappointed teams, Sunday's match did not see the French capable of rediscovering their basketball, lost against Spain. Conversely, Italy played their chances bravely. "We will have to continue to fight like [against Belgium], warned center Lorela Cubaj, in BeBasket . We know that France is a good team, but (…) we have been playing very well lately so we can beat anyone."

Although they were unbeaten against the Transalpine team since 1996 – twenty wins in a row until Sunday – the French women fell back into their old ways. They, who "were all a bit hungover" – in the words of center Marième Badiane, in L'Equipe – took on water in Piraeus. Victims of the efficient Cecilia Zandalasini (20 points), the Blues struggled on both ends of the court, not finding their three-point accuracy (2/20). "We forgot that we were not necessarily a nation of shooters," coach Jean-Aimé Toupane had nevertheless admonished after the semi-final.

Deprived of several regular players ahead of the competition – Gabby Williams, Marine Johannès, and Marine Fauthoux – the French coach had set lofty goals for his team. And the start of the competition seemed to prove him right, seeing the French women roll through each opponent, driven by insolent three-point shooting. Until this final four, where the edifice collapsed in two forty-minute stretches.

"Everyone understood that the bronze medal had become our gold medal," insisted Jean-Aimé Toupane before the third-place play-off, keen to extend the French team's run of podium finishes. But faced with the fresh Italian team, who returned to the European podium after a thirty-year drought, Valériane Ayayi's teammates were unable to remobilise. "It's a lesson in humility," observed full-back Migna Touré in L'Equipe , regretting that France had not managed "to play as a team against a team that passes the ball around and does things collectively. We're paying for it."

Less than a year after looking the invincible Americans in the eye and finishing second at "their" Paris Olympics, the French team has recorded its worst performance at a Euro since 2007. This will haunt them for a long time after their narrow defeat in the semi-finals, which saw their largely renewed team lose their footing.