After a six-year absence, France’s male national water polo team is set to return to the World Championships.
France has competed in the Worlds four times, with their best success being 8th place in 1986. Following their 14th-place finish six years ago, the team is determined to go several steps further than in Budapest in 2017.
Recent successes, such as their 4th place finish in the World League and 5th place finish in the European Championships, have given the team confidence. Although they were relegated to Division 2 after finishing 6th in Group A of the World Cup Division 1 this year, some of their matches in the World Cup demonstrated that they can compete with the best teams in the world.
Head coach Florian Bruzzo picked a 15-player roster for the Worlds in Fukuoka.
Just four of the 15 selected players competed in Budapest six years ago – goalkeepers Fontani and Garsau, Crousillat, Marzouki, and Saudadier.
Captain Ugo Crousilat won silver at the 2013 Worlds playing for Montenegro.
Many French will debut at the Worlds, but only one of the 15 players will debut for France at a major competition. Croat Duje Zivkovic gained French citizenship last year and played his first official games for France in Division 1. Still, Zivkovic has experience playing in World Aquatics competitions. He won bronze with Croatia in the 2014 World Cup. Zivkovic played in Division 1 of the World Cup this year.
Compared to the team that won 5th place at the Europeans in Split last year, three players are missing: Roman Marion Vernoux, David Caumette and Denis Guerin. They are replaced by Zivkovic, Mathias Bachelier, and Denis Do Carmo. Bachelier and Do Carmo played at big competitions earlier (Bachelier at the 2018 Europeans and Do Carmo in the 2021 World League).
France at the 2023 World Championships
Goalkeepers: Hugo Fontani (Strasbourg), Clement Dubois (Tourcoing)
Field players: Remi Saudadier (Noisy-le-Sec), Ugo Crousillat (Marseille), Thomas Vernoux (Marseille), Alexandre Bouet (Marseille), Enzo Khasz (Pays d’Aix), Duje Zivkovic (Tourcoing), Mathias Bachelier (Strasbourg), Denis Do Carmo (Noisy-le-Sec), Charles Canonne (Tourcoing), Mehdi Marzouki (Tourcoing), Emil Bjorch (Noisy-le-Sec), Pierre Frederic Vanpepestraete (Marseille), Andrea De Nardi (Marseille).
In the first round of the 20th World Championships, France will play against the runner-up from the previous edition, Italy. The next two matches in the group should be less complex tasks. The remaining two rivals are Canada and China.
For more news and the schedule about the upcoming Worlds, visit Total Waterpolo’s 2023 World Championships page.
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