After Nando de Colo, Nicolas Batum gives up in turn

Nicolas Batum will not participate in the Euro in Germany in September. The captain of the France team, Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo, announced his decision on Friday, in an interview with the media specializing in basketball First Team. Nando de Colo (34) announced two and a half weeks ago in the columns of The Team that he would not participate in this competition, the first round of which will take place in Cologne, and the final phase in Berlin.

“It will be the same for me,” Nicolas Batum told First Team. “I think Nando and I are grandpas there,” added the 33-year-old player and 155 caps with the Blues.

“This year, I struggled physically and I know that there is a huge season ahead of me with the Clippers next year, because we are going to play to get to the end. This may be my only opportunity to be able to do that, ”he said.

Vincent Collet “takes note”

“I spoke with Nicolas last Sunday”, reacted the coach of the Blues Vincent Collet, in a press release published on the site of the French Federation. “He told me about his thoughts on a possible absence from the Euro. For family and physical reasons. This decision was not final. I asked him to hold on and we were to talk about it again next week. I found his ad today. I take note of this information, ”explained the coach.

“Batman”, Batum’s nickname in the France team, has participated in all international competitions since 2009, with the exception of the last Euro in 2017, where the French stopped in the round of 16.

The most decorated player in the French team

He won gold at Euro 2013, silver at the Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2011, and bronze at the 2014 and 2019 Worlds, as well as at Euro 2009, which makes him the most decorated player in the history of the Blues.

The summer will be studious for the French team, with two qualifying windows for the 2023 World Cup at the beginning of July and the end of August, and Euro 2022 in Germany from September 1 to 18.