Just over two months away from  European Padel Championships  (October 21-25 in La Línea de la Concepción, Spain), the coach of the French women's team,  Robin Haziza , takes stock of the situation. No training camp this year, a core group of players, new dynamics on the international circuit... the former French champion details his choices and expectations before revealing the composition of the  Team France , probably next September.

“A hard core above the rest”

 Before getting to the heart of the matter, a direct question: why did the French women's team training camp not take place? 

There will indeed be no women's training course this year, for several reasons, in total agreement with the  FFT , especially with  Alexia Dechaume-Balleret , as well as with the girls who are the main interested parties.

The first and main reason is that Alexia and I wanted to have the best players present. However, the scheduling constraints of each player did not allow us to organize a training camp at a time that was convenient for us.

Normal or not normal, everyone can have their own opinion. What I can say is that the density and competition among the girls are not, to date, as important as among the boys. It therefore seems logical to me that Pablo calls up players, given the volume and the very close level between them.

For our part, we have identified 9 to 10 players who can be selected and I already know them all very well. Of course, the young players are starting to develop well, but there is a core group of 9/10 players who, for me, are above the rest and can claim a selection.

Ultimately, the decision not to hold this training camp was a joint one between Alexia and the players involved. A tracker has been set up to monitor each player's results, and I've been able to watch a lot of matches over the past few months.

 Let's get back to the French team. Do you now have a clearer idea of the players who will make up Team France? 

Ten players are likely to be called up. We know them all, so there's no need to make a preliminary list here.

 Are there any pillars that you think are already evident in this selection? 
Yes, and they are pretty much the same as in previous years.  Alix  et  Lea  are the locomotives.  Carla  also has a strong international project. The others are very important on the track, but also off it.

 Who are still in the running for a spot? 
No need to make a list. We know the girls who play a lot and who give it their all.

 Could the internship have been a decisive factor in helping you make a final decision regarding selection? 
No, otherwise we would have imposed it on the girls. We prioritized results and the circuit, so that everyone could defend their projects to the fullest. There are a lot of tournaments, I've seen a lot of matches. The French women play together, but are also testing partnerships with foreigners, which is very positive.

Team France on “a very good dynamic”

 Compared to the last French epic, does this team seem stronger to you? 

With several players regularly involved in the  FIP Tour , the return in form of  Jessica Ginier , a  Carla Toully  very competitive and others who participate in many international tournaments, there is, for sure, a very good dynamic.

Other players, outside of the current core, are also starting to give themselves the means to do so. They will soon be eligible for selection if they remain consistent and continue to play a lot, despite the financial difficulties this may represent.

The real change is that girls no longer wait for their "official" partners to be available to play. Today, they don't hesitate to ask other French women, or even foreigners.  Jessica Ginier  Going to play with an Italian is a strong sign of motivation to be ready with the French team. A year ago, we didn't see that. And Jessica isn't the only one to have reached this milestone. We therefore hope to find our girls at 100% for a great campaign, because we have the means to do well, individually and especially collectively.

2nd place: “Of course, but…”

 Will France aim to regain second place at these European Championships? 
Of course, but the draw will have an important role to play. The format is different: a  Final 8 , that's new. We finished third at the last European Championship, ahead of Portugal and behind Italy, who are our main rivals. But we mustn't forget the Belgians and the Dutch, who are progressing quickly. A podium would be an excellent result, and the higher the step, the better we'll be.

 What can tip the scales in your final decision? 
No need to send a public message, I have them on the phone regularly. We communicate often and I ask them to be as involved as possible, to play as much as possible according to their professional, economic or family constraints. They are obviously receptive, because this is, in my opinion, the year when the French women have played the most on the FIP circuit, helped by a dense calendar and numerous tournaments organized in France, which makes things much easier.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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