Handball/Proligue Final Four: an adventure that will remain engraved in Frontignan memories

ls ont perdu, ils ont pleuré mais ils ont terminé leur périple par une communion exceptionnelle avec leur horde de supporters. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

Les handballeurs du FTHB ont fait honneur à leurs couleurs, sur le terrain comme en tribunes. Retour sur deux journées historiques, dans les coulisses de ce Final Four de Proligue.

It's six o'clock in the morning, this Friday, May 31. Not an hour to put a handball player out. It stings. And yet, they are all there, in front of Ferrari, ready to embark on this unknown land that is the Proligue Final Four. Well, almost all of them. The wake-up call has struck and, for the sake of discretion, we will not mention the name of the traveler who arrived with his hair stuck. We can still reveal that he is neither a player nor a member of the staff. This reduces the search.

Eleven hours of travel

On the bus, it’s completely calm. It smells like a weapons vigil. Asier Antonio's troops are at rest, their noses in the screens, their heads certainly elsewhere. Head to Alsace, but not to hike on Mont Sainte Odile or taste a Flammekueche. Only the Sélestat intercommunal sports center was checked on the roadmap.

Relax in a good mood. FREE NOON – Jérôme Belluire

After eleven hours of travel, the city names you see when you look up make you want to head towards the beer tap. But as soon as you leave your suitcases at the hotel, you have to leave for training. We're no longer a 25-minute drive away.

At the CSI, Asier Antonio and Kévin Mesnard sacrifice to the imposed figure of the press conference with their counterparts from Tremblay (already in Starligue for having won the regular phase), Istres and Sélestat. With more or less delight, especially when we ask the Istrian coach how his team will approach their match against Sélestat, knowing that this second semi-final will perhaps (understand: certainly) offer the second ticket for the ;rsquo;upper floor. Asier Antonio will, without a doubt, have appreciated…

Flavien and his madmen were of course there. FREE NOON – Jérôme Belluire

The right words of Asier Antonio

Meanwhile, the team that finally had its place on the poster for this Final Four was on the field. Ball at the foot for a football match by way of cleaning up, marked in particular by a high class action between Minne and Alexandre. They definitely know how to do everything. Later, the Frontignanais switch to handball and Pelegrin's first shot hits the top of the bar. The balloon flies away and hits a curtain. We knew that the FTHB was there to break everything, we had no idea that he was in such a hurry.

There were 2,000 spectators, but Frontignan occupied the entire space. FREE NOON – Jérôme Belluire

Saturday morning, as soon as breakfast is eaten, head to the video session. As an intro, Asier Antonio does not fail to remind his players that « the FTHB plays against everyone », just to pique the competitors a little. And the coach added: « You taught me a lot of things. You didn't have a name in professional handball before wearing this jersey. And today, you even have a first name. »

Tears… to tears

1 p.m., it's time for Adri, Nathy, Antho, "Guéguette" and the whole gang to head to the arena. The bus has not yet parked when it is greeted by a pack of supporters. When you love, you don't count the miles. And these, they really love their FTHB.

The emotion was too strong for warrior Anthony Laurens. FREE NOON – Jérôme Belluire

« Frontignan! Frontignan! » We were then going to hear nothing more than that, for hours. Of course, Tremblay also had his supporters. But the match in the stands was largely won by Flavien and his madmen. No one gave up, especially not them. The tumult was the same, when Frontignan was leading as when we understood that the season was going to end there. And even then.

The emotions were hard to contain for those who are leaving… MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

In Asier Antonio's ranks, tears flowed at the final whistle. The heroes seemed inconsolable… Until they joined the “kop”. The cheeks did not dry out, but they were adorned with big smiles, joy, pride and friendship. The team that had just lost was the last to leave the field, unable to put an end to this communion that says a lot about the state of mind that reigns in the ranks of the “Black and Gold”.

Istres had to wait to start the warm-up. The players did not want to leave the field. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire