Nothing was simple, neither three days earlier in Rouen against Belgium (79-63) and even less against the Finns in the wolves’ den. The France team got off to a very average start to its 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign with only one victory and one defeat. She lost in Espoo in the suburbs of Helsinki without one being able to say that it was undeserved.
To avoid being frightened, we will have to win twice during the next international window at the end of February and the beginning of March in a double confrontation against Hungary. While waiting for that of July, the return of some hoped-for NBA stars to play again against the Belgians at home and the Finns in Pau.
In the meantime, there is no fire yet in the Finnish lakes but the 2027 World Cup and by extension, the Los Angeles Olympic Games are still far away for the basketball Blues.
Above all, we must forget during these windows that France is a double finalist in the Olympic Games. It’s not the same team, nor the same context. It presents itself without an NBA or Euroleague player and it once again becomes a team that is not sure of anything.
In front of 7,000 Finnish fans for a game dressed as wolves, the nickname of their national team, Freddy Fauthoux’s Blues did not even end a strange series. France has not won in Finland since 1988 and had 4 defeats in a row there. The counter rose to five on December 1st.
As in Rouen, the French were messy, clumsy at free throws, not always inspired in their choice or in defense. Faced with a semi-finalist team in the last Euro, who beat Serbia in the quarter-final and who presented themselves with almost the same squad, the Blues were disappointing.
Beaten on Friday by Hungary (89-82), the Finns had to win at all costs. They were led by an old acquaintance of French basketball, Mikael Jantunen, French champion in the spring with Paris Basketball.
Of course, the Blues led the score almost all the time but the Finns were never left behind. They remained in the blind spot, always ready to rush to the right to pass in front. The gap never went above 10 points ahead. Until the start of the last quarter, France led but it cracked in the last 10 minutes, too clumsy and crumbly. She was punished, she punished herself a little.
Andrew Albicy, who we will never see again in the blue jersey after his 110th, dreamed of one last, more beautiful outing in his wife’s country. His Blues did not offer him.