Paris 2024 Olympics: despite the final “disappointment”, for Joris Chotard “it was a unique adventure” with the French team

“Maybe during the week, we will be able to realize what we have done,” says Joris Chotard. MAXPPP – SPEICH Frederic

While he will need some time to digest the defeat conceded in the final against Spain (5-3 ap), Friday August 9, the Bleuets and Montpellier midfielder also wanted to remember the human and sporting adventure experienced with the French Olympic team. 

While many players on the French team didn't feel like stopping to comment on their silver medal, Joris Chotard took the time to look back on these two months with the Bleuets on Friday in the mixed zone at the Parc des Princes. A key player in Thierry Henry's starting eleven, the Montpellier midfielder will have to digest the disappointment but comes out stronger, he explained.

You played a completely crazy match…

It was a very good match. But we lost. We're obviously disappointed. In the heat of the moment, it's hard to be happy about this medal. Tomorrow or the day after, we will be happy to have brought home a silver medal.

Your coach Thierry Henry said before the match that it would be a success no matter what. That's not what you feel ?

We are competitors. We came for a gold medal. We felt like we had done the hardest part by coming back to the score (from 3-1 to 3-3). So it's complicated to appreciate this medal. When we realize, we will realize that it is something beautiful that we did anyway.

We were together all the time. Of course, leaving this group is sad.

Do you feel like you have experienced something exceptional ?

Of course. We had an incredible group. There were the things we saw on the field and in training. And everything that had been happening internally for almost two months. We would stay for an hour, an hour and a half at meals. Even after, we were together all the time. Obviously, leaving this group is sad. We would have liked to leave with a victory and a gold medal. But these will only be good memories.

Do you feel like you have grown personally? ?

It was a unique adventure. We won't have the chance in our lives to be able to do another Olympics in Paris, in France, with a group like that. Humanly, it was incredible. On a sporting level too. For now, disappointment prevails. But maybe during the week, we'll be able to realize what we've done.

The coach (Thierry Henry) told us that we should be proud. We brought home a medal.

What did Thierry Henry say after the match ?

He told us that we should be proud. We brought home a medal. We are disappointed. He wanted us to realize that it was something beautiful that we did. We brought back a silver medal for France. 

What did Thierry Henry bring to this team ?

A little bit of everything. On the sporting level, we know very well the principles he tried to put in place. Humanly, I think it's important to have a coach like that, who is a former player. We've seen it, we see it very well, he is very close to us. For all these things, he is a great coach.

You are no longer old enough to be Espoirs. But according to you, should he continue the adventure at the head of the Bleuets ? 

It's not me who decides. But of course. People came together even more when they saw that he was the coach. I have that impression. And we know very well what he did during this competition. If he stays there, it's very good for France.