If USAM players didn’t enjoy their vacation well, they might regret it. From Monday, they will be on deck in contact with their new coach Ljubomir Vranjes. The Swede has been in the Gard for a few days and he has had time to refine his start. A 1st week at Parnassus where there will be no room for improvisation. From the height of his 66 meter, the technician has definite ideas. “The decision to come to Nîmes was not difficult to make. It’s a family club with values that suit me. I like rigor and I attach great importance to discipline, but it must also be done in a good mood. Physical preparation will be very important. Not to mention a commando course, the whole group will continue its 2nd week of preparation in the south-west near Temple-sur-Lot. Gathering every day from 7:30 am on the track, land work then swimming before a weight training session with meal, nap and handball at the end of the afternoon. “I know what I want. To play well in defense and run a lot, you have to be physically strong. I want us to put intensity in training without it being a shock for the players. The preparation will ramp up so that from September and the first round of the French Cup in Caen, everyone is efficient. In bad shape during the break, USAM struggled in the second part of the last championship to finish in 6th place. Efforts badly rewarded since the European Cup is not there, the EHF having preferred to favor emerging nations. “It’s a shame not to play it. The positive in all this is that I will have more time at my disposal to shape the group, to adapt it to what awaits us. We will have a good team to achieve the objectives set.” And on this aspect, even if the decision of the European Federation made him angry, the president David Tébib was unequivocal. “A club like USAM must appear at least in the Top 5 of Starligue. » Ljubomir Vranjes is not one to let himself be impressed even if contrary to his unfortunate experience in Veszprém, he asks for the time necessary to build. “I’m not a magician, I’m a trainer. I can’t do anything alone, with a snap of my fingers. I have known everything in my career. tops (with Flensburg, the club that shaped its international reputation with an EHF Cup in 2012 and the Champions League 2 years later) but also bad times (Veszprém where in September 2018, the day after this 3rd Champions League match lost at home against Vardar, he was sacked, the Hungarian fans having already prepared the tar and the feathers). Continuity is important for achieving success. You also have to have ambition. The European League will be the first objective. But we have to aim higher. The Champions League takes time. To develop the club financially, to recruit the right players. Already, let’s use what we have but it’s true that it’s not forbidden to dream. » A speech that can only suit the Nîmes public attentive to the slightest spark to ignite Parnassus. With Ljubomir Vranjes and five new players (see below), USAM is determined to write a new chapter in its already long history.
Five arrivals in the pro workforce
Above all, it was necessary to compensate for the departures of the two goalkeepers of the past season, Rémi Desbonnet (for Montpellier) and Téodor Paul (for Toulouse). USAM opted for the former Raphaelois Alexandre Demaille and the Slovenian Joze Baznik (formerly Cesson). The scheduled stoppage of Rémi Salou has accelerated the arrival of another Cessonnais, the pivot Hugo Kamchop (our picture). This position will be well filled with two other top players Tom Poyet and Benjamin Gallego. The Norwegian Henrik Jakobsen, who had one year left on his contract, reached an agreement with the Nîmes club to return to one of his former clubs, in Denmark at GOG. Ljubomir Vranjes will not feel out of place since his compatriot Jesper Konradsson joined the Gard. The 28-year-old Swedish playmaker comes from the Skjern club with which he played twice in the Champions League (between 2017 and 2019) and the European League (2020-2021). Boïba Sissoko – The Best Of Boïba Sissoko is USAM’s 5th recruit. Unfortunately for his partners, the former Cristollian will have to wait until the return phase in February 2023 before igniting Parnassus. On June 9, the left winger seriously injured his knee on the last day against PSG.
Michaël Guigou stopped his career while the two backs O’Brien Nyateu and Baptiste Bonnefond joined Dunkirk and Toulouse respectively.
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