[Video] When Guerschon Yabusele gets irritated with Georgian journalists in mixed zone
Sept 7, 2025
Alexandre Lacoste
« We were collectively naive »: the final reactions of Team France following their elimination
French National Team - Defeated by Georgia (70-80) this Sunday in Riga, France exits EuroBasket 2025 in the round of 16. Jaylen Hoard, Guerschon Yabusele and Mam Jaiteh pointed to the lack of shooting accuracy, experience and discipline to explain this premature elimination.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
The French national team exited EuroBasket 2025 in the round of 16, beaten by Georgia (70-80) on Sunday in Riga. With catastrophic outside shooting (6/36 from 3-point range) and a certain naivety in key moments, France failed to impose their game. After the match, Jaylen Hoard, Guerschon Yabusele and Mam Jaiteh analyzed this defeat, expressing disappointment, realism and calls to build for the future.
Hoard: « We didn’t reach our set goals »
In his first major competition with France, Jaylen Hoard (2.04m, 26 years old) summarized the general feeling: « Guerschon said we gave everything during preparation, during all our games. Unfortunately, some injuries, things like that… We could have played better today. It’s a new group, in the years to come, it can do something beautiful. »
The interior player acknowledges that lack of experience was a factor: « It’s a reality, not necessarily an excuse. But yes, we have a young group. Experience is only gained through games like today. We’ll need to use this for next time. »
While he speaks of « failure » regarding objectives, he values the team spirit: « We can be proud of ourselves on that point. Of course we would have liked a medal, but we’ll need to learn from this. »
Yabusele: between frustration and pride
Captain at this Euro, Guerschon Yabusele (2.01m, 29 years old) didn’t hide his frustration regarding Georgia’s success: « They were tougher than us. We missed a lot of open shots, they were good shots, we had to keep taking them. »
Facing exuberant Georgian journalists after the victory, the New York Knicks forward even snapped « Calm down, you’re journalists, not players », before regaining his composure.
He then emphasized building a lasting collective: « Of course it’s a failure, we lost, but I’m proud of this group. The Euro is complicated, there are small nations with nothing to lose who give everything. I hope the team will stay the same, these are my brothers. »
Jaiteh: « A game we gave away »
Honorable in the paint, Mouhammadou Jaiteh also pointed to inexperience: « We lost this game more due to lack of experience than anything else. It was a first for many players. We feel like we gave them the victory, even if we don’t take away their credit. »
Personally, the center fought hard defensively against Goga Bitadze and Tornike Shengelia: « I tried to do the best I could. Overall, I limited Bitadze who was averaging 18 points in the competition, and Shengelia at the end. »
But it’s mostly collective regret that dominates: « We lacked consistency. They showed from the start that they wanted it more than us. We were especially naive collectively. This defeat must allow everyone to gain maturity. »
This Monday morning, the French delegation returned to Paris, while eight other teams prepare for the quarter-finals on Tuesday and Wednesday. The next challenge for France comes in late November/early December, with the start of 2027 World Cup qualifications.
In Riga,
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve is the founder and editor-in-chief of BeBasket, which he has been running since 2010 (formerly known as Catch & Shoot). Having studied at the École Publique de Journalisme de Tours and two universities in North America, he has developed his expertise in French basketball, from the National League to amateur divisions, over the past 20 years. Alongside this, he is also involved in the development of clubs in the Montpellier area.
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