Nedim Remili is ready to guide the Blues in Poland
After spending six seasons at Paris SG, the international left-back has been playing for Poland’s biggest club, Kielce, for six months. Perfect timing for the Blues, who take on the home nation this Wednesday (8.30pm).
Follow the guide! Even if Nedim Remili was only one member of the France squad among others playing in Kielce – after pivot Nicolas Tournat and winger Dylan Nahi beat him (Benoit Kouncoud was forced to announce the pack at the end of training), his discovery of the Polish Super League for the 2023 World Cup this Wednesday could be indispensable for the Blues, who will start the day (at 20:30) with the first (big) test against the Polish hosts. “We know that it will be a very big match at home against Poland“The 27-year-old center half was convinced.”In my turn, I remember that my first major competition in the French national team was Euro-2016 there, and I played against him at that time. Which didn’t go well, by the way.»
Indeed, at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, the “blues” suffered from the law (25-31) of Karol Bielecki and others in the last match of the 1st round. A defeat that will drag the French like a ball, who did not qualify for the last four for the history, with a difference of up to three goals against Croatia and Poland. A bad memory that Nedim Remili intends to erase during this 2023 World Championship: “I think we are still favourites, because we are the French team, winning the Olympic title and 4th place in the Euros, which was of course incomplete, but we have done great things during that time. But above all, of course, we should not underestimate this Polish set-up, which seems to me less strong than in 2016, but has been waiting for this race for so long that it will already be ready in terms of motivation..” Especially since the Polish players can count on the atmosphere of Katowice’s Spodek (French for saucer) and its 10,000 spectators seething with enthusiasm.
It will be a trap match in more ways than one, due to the atmosphere, the character of the opponent, the fact that it is the first match of a big competition, our very short preparation…
Nedim Remili
“The Polish public knows how to set the mood», analyzes Nedim Remil. “In fact, he fully understood the role he had to play in the game. He feels when he has to carry us more. This was seen in Kielce’s run in the Champions League last season and I believe they were unbeaten at home. (eight successes in eight matches). Now that I have experienced the Kielce-Plock shock from the inside, I can tell you that there really is a special passion for this sport.The Tokyo Olympic champion added:There I experienced the match between France and Poland in the world football championship (The victory of Kylian Mbappe and his partners in the round of 16 3-1), was amazing. Poor people… They’re going to get their revenge, even if it’s not the same sport. It’s because of the atmosphere, the nature of the opponent, the fact that it’s the first match of a big competition, our very short preparation… Nothing will be easy, but that’s how it is. If things don’t go our way, we shouldn’t sound the alarm.»
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A warning sign that the former PSG player has not drawn on a personal level despite his difficult start with his new club, particularly due to a knee problem. “These six months have been difficult for me“, he eagerly agrees. “It’s been better since the beginning of December, but before that I was never able to play 100%. I had to learn a lot in life off the field. Compared to the integration into a new group after six seasons in Paris, where I was part of the walls, the language was not the most difficult. I discovered a new way of working, directing, and it took me time to adjust.“As a result, statistically, he has yet to show the full extent of his talent, even if the two matches against Celje in the Champions League lifted him up (11 goals in two games).
“Physically, I am now at 100%“he says, determined.”A year on from the disappointment of missing out on the Euros, I can’t wait to play this World Cup (with injury). After the games I really wanted to continue and we wanted to win everything together. And then there was this 4th place in the Euros…“Not to mention the 4th place in the last World Cup held two years ago, it remains a disappointment. So much so that talking with him about the 2024 Olympics in Paris is useless for now. “I don’t play handball every four years just for the Olympics. We are both lucky and unlucky to have such a great competition every year and all we want is to win them all. This has been the leitmotif of this team for many years and it will not change. This team really owns the plate, they want to make their mark. We want to do better than the experts, even if we know it’s impossible.»
Everyone needs to find their role that allows us to win together, not shine individually.
Nedim Remili
And the center half of Kielce details the procedure to be followed: “The most difficult thing in this team is to be able to collectively express all its potential. Individually, there are many players who can take the ball, double, shoot and score. Our pivots, they can go three and still score. Our wing players can also score from an angle (shows a few millimeters with his fingers). Now the question is how to shape all this so that everyone finds their benefit. Everyone needs to find their role that allows us to win together, not shine individually.“Beating their host nation Poland this Wednesday will already be an exciting part of the journey towards that achievement.
