Twenty-two players will participate in the preparations of the French male national team for the European Championships in Croatia.
The players called up by head coach Florian Bruzzo will gather on Sunday in the INSEP training center in Paris.
Bruzzo counts on almost all players who won 6th place at the World Championships in Fukuoka (only Mathias Bachelier is missing).
One big new name of French water polo who didn’t play in Fukuoka but was invited to the preparations for the Europeans is Michael Bodegas.
The experienced center-forward (36) hasn’t played for France since 2014. Between 2015 and 2021, he was a member of the Italian national team (he won Olympic bronze in Rio in 2016 and the world title in Gwangju in 2019). In 2021, Bodegas rejoined Marseille, the club he left in 2013. He played his last game for Italy at the Tokyo Olympics and had the right to return to the French national team last year. Bodegas trained with the French national team last winter. Still, didn’t play in official competitions (the World Cup and the World Championships).
Several young players are among the candidates for the Europeans – Alexis Drahe, Enzo Nardon, Mathias Mas, and goalkeeper Anthony Rossi (the latter played in the 2023 World Cup).
After the first phase of the preparations, France travels to Catania, where it will play against Italy, Montenegro and Australia at the “Sardinia Cup”.
The players called up to the preparations
Goalkeepers: Clement Dubois (Noisy-le-Sec), Hugo Fontani (Strasbourg), Arshak Hovanyshian (Marseille), Anthony Rossi (Sete)
Field players: Michael Bodegas, Alexandre Bouet, Ugo Crousillat, Andrea De Nardi, Roman Marion-Vernoux, Pierre Frederic Vanpeperstraete, Thomas Vernoux (all Marseille), Emil Bjorch, Denis Do Carmo, Remi Saudadier (all Noisy-le-Sec), Charles Canonne,Mehdi Marzouki, Duje Zivkovic (all Tourcoing), Lorris Canovas, Mathias Mas (both Strasbourg), Alexis Drahe, Enzo Khasz (both Pays d’Aix), Enzo Nardon (Taverny 95).
France will play in Group A in Dubrovnik at the European Championships (January 4 – 16) against Croatia, Montenegro and Spain.
The French qualified for the World Championships in Doha, where they will face Greece, China, and Brazil in the first phase.
