Character test passed for France against Slovenia!
August 30, 2025
Alexandre Lacoste
Fauthoux after France’s victory over Slovenia: « the players really fixed things »
EuroBasket - The French team defeated Slovenia (103-95) in their second EuroBasket 2025 match. After a difficult first half, France found solutions to contain Luka Doncic (39 points). Frédéric Fauthoux shared his analysis, emphasizing his team's progress and the importance of following up in the next game.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
After defeating Slovenia (103-95), the French team confirmed their strong start at EuroBasket. While France managed to raise their level in the second half, coach Frédéric Fauthoux mainly highlighted his team’s ability to adjust. « We didn’t set those kinds of goals today. We set progress goals. When you look at our first half, then the second, I think that’s what we should remember. The players really fixed things » he said.
« A fantastic player on the other side »
Regarding Luka Doncic’s 39 points, the coach put things in perspective: « We’re playing against a fantastic player who makes the game completely different. » Above all, he appreciated his players’ defensive performance against him in the second half: « We defended well against him, how we handled him on the pick and roll. Mam’ (Jaiteh) and Alex Sarr were very valuable there. »
While Slovenia scored 54 points in the first half, the response was immediate after the break. « At halftime, they scored 54, but roughly speaking there were 14 we didn’t give up in the second half. The players were great because we fixed that right away, » analyzed Fauthoux, who pointed out the too-easy free throws conceded before the break.
Francisco in the spotlight, but not alone
The head coach praised Sylvain Francisco (1.85m, 27 years)‘s performance, who had a monumental game. « Sylvain had a great game. But given the game we’re playing, tomorrow it will surely be someone else. We can see again that everyone contributes something at some point ».
He also emphasized the team’s role around the point guard: « A player can score that much, but if the other four are in the right spaces, that’s what allows him access to the basket. Collectively, the others were very good too. » As for the end-of-game incident with Francisco’s final basket, the coach downplayed it. « We talked about it at the very beginning of the competition. Especially the staff members who have experience in these competitions. Because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow and Tuesday. We could end up tied with three teams. So every point will matter. »
Risacher and Sarr show signs of maturity
Frédéric Fauthoux also highlighted the contribution of young leaders: « Zaccharie performed very well on distance shooting and was effective on defense. Alexandre is progressing enormously. It’s not at all the same basketball he knows in the NBA. Today he put in a very good performance on pick and roll defense and grabbed important rebounds. »
« We need to validate this victory »
Finally, the coach reminded the importance of staying focused as the French team plays another big game against Israel this Sunday: « I’m especially satisfied with the collective victory. But we need to validate tonight’s game tomorrow (Sunday). Otherwise, it would have almost been for nothing. […] Personally, I only saw one half (of Israel). Another staff member prepared for it. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. But what I know is that they’re not an easy team to play against. I hope we’ll recover well first. That’s the most important thing. »
France will return to the Spodek this Sunday at 5 PM to try to keep the momentum going and confirm this rise in power.
In Katowice,
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
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