Paul Bernardoni, Angers goalkeeper summoned with the France team for the Olympic Games, returned to a press conference on Tuesday on his dream of participating in this competition and on the group’s ambitions.
“How does it feel to represent France at the Olympic Games?
It is a huge pride to be in the final list and participate in this unique adventure. it’s been a long time since the France team took part in the Olympics. I was talking about it this afternoon with Lucas Tousart, we started the adventure with the group four years ago and we are here to finish it. We have a great desire to do well and to be efficient.
With this revised list, is France still a contender for the medal?
I honestly think we’re going there to piss everyone off and perform well. I’m not going to say we’re a surprise team, but why not? We have a group with a lot of talent.
There are players that we know little, others that we know well (Thauvin, Gignac). How is it going on and off the pitch?
We start to discover each other, we tell each other about our lives, how we got there. We have all played with a player that the other knows or been coached by a coach in common. In the field, we exchange a lot, it will go through there to discover and appreciate. The fact that “Dédé” (Gignac) and “Flo” (Thauvin) arrived yesterday, the adventure is launched. There is a great atmosphere.
How do players like you, who have been in the squad for four years, perceive the arrival of André-Pierre Gignac, Florian Thauvin or Téji Savanier?
We’re super happy. We were part of the adventure to qualify for the Olympics and they are so happy to be there with us. We also did it for them. It’s great that players with these careers and potential are like kids and join us in our dream. They are totally included.
After the disappointment of the Blues at the Euro , do you feel you have a mission this summer?
We especially want to do well. We know what we represent, we go to the end of the world to play the Games. We want to live a beautiful story, like the French team which made us dream of the% Mondial 2018. Why not, in our turn, make a few people dream?