“Volleyball is something else in Italy”, “the Games are going to be something incredible”: Gruissanaise Héléna Cazaute confides six months before the Olympics

Capitaine de l'équipe de France de volley-ball, Héléna Cazaute a hâte de voir à quoi ressemblent les Jeux Olympiques. EPA – TOMS KALNINS

Leaving France and Mulhouse in 2021 for Italy after having passed through Cannes or the Béziers Angels, the Gruissanaise Héléna Cazaute approaches her life on the other side of the Alps where she currently plays for one of the best teams in Europe, Vero Volley Milan, but also the progression of the French team, with which she will play the next Paris 2024 Olympic Games as captain . 

How did you feel when the Games were announced in Paris ? 

Honestly, at that time, we were living summer after summer in the French team. There wasn't really a concrete project. But when we learned that there were the Olympic Games in Paris and that we were automatically qualified… There we felt that there was a real project behind it on the part new staff. We knew we had to build something because we couldn't do it any way, that would have been a shame. The Federation put a lot of resources into our team and we saw that the project was built little by little. Before we did two weeks of training, two of rest and then we met again, now we know that from May to September, the summer is busy with friendly matches against good teams. They really put the resources into it and we felt that something was created.

You saw each other in Paris from the start ? 

Yes, definitely. The first years not necessarily because we had just learned about it but since 2018 and the arrival of Emile Rousseaux as coach, we feel that he there is a huge evolution. And there we just write to each other in our whatsapp group of the French team, that's it, it's in six months finally. As soon as we saw that the project that was put in place was working little by little, it made me want to be there.

Do you sleep, eat and breathe Olympic Games ?

Not yet, because everything is still going to come together. The season will end as late as possible, I hope that would mean that we go all the way in the Champions League, and then we will continue with the French team. We think about it because we see it on all social networks, there is a lot of communication on it, our coach also sends a lot of messages about it. But it's in the back of our minds,  but then we still have to stay focused on our club season and not skip ahead because our basic job is to play for our club. 

Do we realize the impact that the Olympic Games will have ? 

Honestly, we don't know at all how it's going to go. Already, we have never experienced the Olympics so we will not be able to compare to what has already happened. So it's going to be a discovery for us, but in any case it's going to be something incredible and out of the ordinary. But we see the media coverage that is starting to be put in place and we say to ourselves: "Wow, it's going to be something… the ceremony on the Seine too". 

A native of Gruissan, Cazaute came to Béziers at the end of the year to kick off an Angels match. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

There was the first title in the European League of 2022, this best result at Euro 2023 with a quarter-final lost against the ;Italy, the captain that you are senses a French team that is gaining strength ? 

Yes yes clearly. Since the arrival of Emile there has been remarkable progress. Before we were in the second European Cup, and we were holding our own, and now a few years later we won it and qualified for the one above. Whereas a few years ago it was something unthinkable. What is positive is that the Federation has provided the means and that we are behind it and are responding. Which gives us a lot of pride because I don't think they would have bet a coin on us at the time. And for me as captain, seeing the team evolve like that is a blessing.

Have you spoken with your Italian teammates about the next Games ?

We are in the same Nations League group but when I speak to them, very happy to play a first Nations League with France, but they tell me: "Ah no no, I don't want to hear about it (laughs). You will see what it is, how tiring it is. There you are acting beautiful but you will see…" I think they had a summer where they were dead tired.

What did you learn from this defeat against the Italians (3-0) in the quarter-final of Euro 2023 ?

This defeat hurt us a little because we saw that we were capable of doing good things like holding on to the Netherlands (3-2) who won the ;#39;Italy. So there is disappointment since we did not manage to get into this match as well as we did before. Afterwards, it's not easy to play a quarter-final against Italy, at home in a full house. Plus we lost the second set 28-26… so it's a bit annoying. But we still had a good competition and the score does not necessarily reflect our level. 

What has changed between Héléna Cazaute who started in Gruissan and the one who now plays in Italy and captain of the France team ?

Ooh, good question (she hesitates). What has changed is that I have gained a lot of experience. I stayed two years in Béziers, Cannes and Mulhouse where I finished with a double and the title of best player in the championship. So it's a Héléna who has evolved but who still remains a bit like this child who likes to play volleyball. When I come back to Gruissan I am still the same person. There is an evolution as a player, as a person too, but I keep this childish soul. 

I think I made the right choices at the right time

Did you go to Italy because it was a step to accomplish and you had visited France ?

Yes, it was the logical continuation after the season in Mulhouse. I never hid this desire to go to Italy when I started playing at a certain level because that’s the best thing about volleyball. When I wanted to leave, in Mulhouse they told me: "Vasy, of course, it's your dream that has come true". To have left after Mulhouse where I had something special with the supporters and the club. I didn't skip the steps, which is important because if I had had the opportunity to leave earlier, I wouldn't have played much even if I would have progressed. But staying on the bench at 20 was not the goal, it was more to play and gain experience. So I think I made the right choices at the right time.

What place does the women's championship have in Italy ?

It's something else, it's crazy. At the end of the matches there are 200 kids shouting the names of the Italian players, who stay with them for an hour for photos or autographs. The rooms are full, we actually broke a record in Conegliano with 11,500 people I think… Which I never imagined myself doing one day even if I was injured this match there. 

How is life in Italy ? 

It's la dolce vita as they say (laughs). I love it, the people are cool, often outside, the weather is great. It's really pleasant to live in because the way of life is essentially the same as in France. I'm really happy there even if in Milan it's a little more different because the people are rich and it's not something I really appreciate.  more bourgeois so I like it a little less. 

You speak Italian ? 

Yes I took lessons in Chieri twice a week and I immediately got closer to the Italian girls to force myself to speak with them. Especially since in Cannes and Mulhouse my coaches were Italian and I have Italian origins from my grandmother's side. After six months I was already starting to speak the language well.

And with your new Vero Volley Milan team ?

It's a step up from where I was in Chieri. We see that the team was built to win. As soon as there are two little hiccups… We lost twice against Conegliano, we immediately felt that there was pressure behind. Even if they try to make it feel as little as possible. But when we have girls like Paola Egonu, Myriam Sylla or Alessia Oro… They are big players there. So obviously there is a duty to win and these are the objectives we have, to win everything that can be won this season.

How long do you plan to stay in Italy ? 

I would love to play in Turkey one day because it's a good championship too, even if it's not one of the best championships in Turkey. news at the moment. But I'm happy in Italy. I think that the logical next step is that I make my career and then I will come back to play my last years of career as a libero, perhaps in Béziers or even in Gruissan one day if it plays Ligue A with old friends (laughs). 

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