Decimated by injuries again (« I’ve never seen this »), Limoges falls to SIG’s individual talents
23 Jan. 2026
Tom Compayrot
« Do you have a gun so I can shoot myself? That’s how I feel »; Dario Gjergja, devastated after Limoges – Strasbourg
Betclic ELITE - Limoges CSP fell at Beaublanc against SIG Strasbourg (82-86) during the 17th round of Betclic ELITE. After the game, Mamadou Guisse and Dario Gjergja gave frank reactions in an increasingly difficult context for the Limoges club, plagued by injuries.
Photo Credit : Limoges CSP / Sulyvan Manfroi
Limoges CSP failed to break their negative spiral this Friday evening against SIG Strasbourg. On their home court at Beaublanc, the Limoges team lost (82-86) against a solid Alsatian team, particularly strong inside, and carried by their individual talents. In a context of a heavily depleted roster once again, Mamadou Guisse and Dario Gjergja spoke in the post-game press conference, without beating around the bush.
The small details that tipped the game according to Mamadou Guisse
For Mamadou Guisse (1.97 m, 24 years old), the defeat came down to an accumulation of errors in key moments, after a start that followed the game plan.
« At the end, we made a lot of defensive errors, we didn’t really respect the game plan, when we had done so at the start of the match. There are also layups we missed, and me first, there are two layups I miss that I usually make, and Leon (Stergar) too. A bunch of small errors that allowed them to get ahead of us. But nobody gave up and everyone kept giving their all. These are just small details we need to fix. »
Asked about the loss of collective control when Strasbourg took the lead, the Limoges big man acknowledges a difficult-to-explain moment of uncertainty.
« When they got ahead, I think everyone stressed a bit… I don’t really have an answer, but that’s what happened. So we need to work on that in training. »
An interior struggling
Against SIG’s physical impact, Limoges naturally struggled in the paint. Mamadou Guisse doesn’t hide it, also recalling the context of absences.
« It’s true that inside they hurt us. We lost Gavin Ware, who was injured, who still tried and he has all my respect for that. Justin wasn’t there, there was only Nikola Jovanovic and he had a very good game. He gave what he could but it’s true that inside, they are very strong and we were perhaps missing a few centimeters and energy. »
Dario Gjergja, between extreme frustration and tribute to his players
For his part, Dario Gjergja gave a particularly striking reaction, reflecting the state of tension around his team.
« Do you have a gun so I can shoot myself? That’s how I feel. I want to shoot myself. »
The Limoges CSP coach then detailed the many points of frustration, particularly the end-game management and fouls.
« As you know, we’re facing difficulties right now. We were almost there. But if you look at how many things we still missed… The last 5 or 6 minutes… If you look at how we didn’t know how to manage the 14 fouls we had. I told them: ‘Guys, you have 14 fouls. You’re just committing fouls and not playing one-on-one basketball.’ We also missed free throws… »
According to him, Strasbourg showed more clarity in decisive moments.
« As for them, they were a bit smarter in their decision-making. When we were down two points, we had a situation where we shot a 3-pointer after only 10 seconds. We could have been smarter. »
A decimated roster, an unprecedented situation
Beyond the game content, Dario Gjergja extensively discussed his team’s physical situation, which he describes as unprecedented in his career.
« I have to tip my hat to Gavin Ware. He tried to do what he could in the first half and he hadn’t trained the entire week. He brought something to the team. That’s the kind of player and character you want on your team. »
Before concluding with a heavy but assumed statement.
« But somehow, I hope all this, this nightmare, will stop because it’s very difficult to organize training and everything else. I’ve never experienced this in my career, whether as an assistant coach or head coach. A game ends and a new player is injured. It’s not an excuse, but it must be said, it’s the fourth dimension! »
In an increasingly complicated context for Limoges CSP, this new defeat against SIG Strasbourg confirms that the margin for error is almost nonexistent with such a depleted roster, despite the commitment and spirit shown.
At Beaublanc,
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