Nimes happy to rub shoulders with 'best teams in Europe'
25 years ago, in their most recent participation in a European Cup prior to this season, USAM Nimes Gard played in the Last 32 round of the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Now, the club from the south of France, who are celebrating their 60th birthday in 2020, are back in the Men's EHF Cup group phase.
While Nimes aim to win as many games as possible in the group phase, they also want to gain experience.
Three questions before the Men's EHF Cup group phase:
- Can Nimes make up for their lack of experience in the EHF Cup?
Nimes have many players in their squad who have played in the VELUX EHF Champions League in the past, including Michaël Guigou and O’Brian Nyateu, to name just two, so it might be wrong to say they lack experience.
“There is a real enthusiasm in the club around the EHF Cup and we have to keep it all going. We will travel, gain experience and I hope that, in these conditions, we will manage to reproduce what we do now with a lot of character and enthusiasm,” explained coach Franck Maurice.
- Will Mohammad Sanad be one of the biggest surprises of the season?
Egyptian right wing Mohammad Sanad feels right at home in Nimes, where he landed in 2017. After two-and-a-half seasons, he has already scored more than 300 goals. In the two games against Csurgói KK in qualification round 3, Sanad netted a total of 18 goals.
His connection with goalkeeper Rémi Desbonnet is amazing and one of the keys to Nimes’ success.
- Can they keep the rhythm up in group B against Rhein-Neckar Löwen and TTH Holstebro?
It remains to be seen how Nimes will do against Rhein-Neckar Löwen and TTH Holstebro as both teams have huge experience in European competitions. But coach Franck Maurice is, first and foremost, happy to be playing against such strong contenders for the title.
“We’re going to play against Rhein-Neckar Löwen, one of the best teams in Europe. Holstebro and Cuenca are two very good teams. We’re going to give it a go, we’ll have nothing to lose in this competition. We are outsiders and we like that position,” he said.
Under the spotlight: Rémi Desbonnet
He is only 182 cm but Rémi Desbonnet is a phenomenon between the posts. Born in Montpellier, he is famous for scoring a goal against HSV Hamburg in the VELUX EHF Champions League for his former side, Montpellier HB.
And that shows how crazy the goalkeeper can be on the court. Desbonnet, who is adept at using the 'block shot-long pass' combination, will be one of the main assets for Nimes this season.
Self-esteem
Back in European competition after a 25-year absence, Nîmes are aiming for the quarter-finals, like all 15 teams participating in the EHF Cup group phase, but the French side are also aware that humility might be one of their best assets.
“The confrontation against Rhein-Neckar seems a little bit unbalanced. Winning against Holstebro will be complicated too, but we’ll have something to play for in this group,” said Franck Maurice.
What the numbers say
Nimes have played in a European Cup nine times, but it is 25 years since their last appearance in Europe.
One of the highlights in the club's history was when they played the 1993 Champions League quarter-final against Benfica in the city's Roman amphitheatre.
Fun fact
Only four of Nimes' 18 professional players are not French: Slovakian goalkeeper Teodor Paul, Algerian line player Hichem Kaabeche and Egyptian duo Mohamed Sanad and Ahmed Hesham.
But Nimes' method of integrating their small group of non-French players has been successful.
USAM Nimes Gard (FRA)
Qualified for the Men's EHF Cup group phase: 54:48 vs Csurgói KK (R3)
Newcomers: Jean-Jacques Acquevillo (Cesson-Rennes), Michaël Guigou (Montpellier)
Left the club: Jérémy Suty (Limoges), Yvan Gérard (Strasbourg), Tom Poyet (Valence), Jimmy Brun (Angoulême), Mike Brasseleur (Limoges)
Coach: Franck Maurice (since 2013)
Team captain: Julien Rebichon
Opponents in the group phase: Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER), Liberbank Cuenca (ESP) and TTH Holstebro (DEN)
European Cup records:
EHF Champions League:
Group phase (1): 1993/94
Cup Winners’ Cup:
Last 32 (1): 1994/95
French league: four titles (1987/88, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1992/93)
French cup: three titles (1984/85, 1985/86, 1993/94)
Images for this article were supplied by Kevin Domas
TEXT:
Kevin Domas / jw