The rear Fabien Causeur (35 years old, 1.95m) will play this evening (8 p.m.) in Kaunas with Real Madrid, against FC Barcelona, his fifth Euroleague semi-final. The first, in 2016 in Berlin, ended in a cruel failure in the jersey of Baskonia Vitoria against Fenerbahçe (88-77 ap).
Hero of the final won in 2018 with Luka Doncic in Belgrade (85-80) against Fenerbahçe, brilliant last year again in the semi-final against … FC Barcelona (18 points), the Finistère remains on a failure in final, by a small point (57-58), against Anadolu Efes to which the most successful club of the event (10 coronations since 1967) hopes to succeed Sunday in the final, despite the glitches accumulated during the electric series of play -offs snatched in match 5 against Partizan Belgrade and marred by a general brawl at the end of game 2.
” With five Euroleague Final Four, you join Nando De Colo in first place among French players.
I did not know. But Nando won two (2016, 2019 with CSKA Moscow)me only one…
You can win on the second Sunday. But how will Madrid compensate for the absences (interiors Vincent Poirier, Guerschon Yabusele, Gabriel Deck) in the semi-final against FC Barcelona?
Injuries are part of the game, that’s how it is. Gershon (Yabusele) is suspended. On these cleaver matches, anything can happen, no matter who you face, you have to go all out, with your heart. We have shown it in the past, we arrive in a complicated context, after this series against Partizan.
When you qualify after a series that began with two defeats at home, you are necessarily in full confidence eight days later, right?
It can give wings but you also have to channel the emotions. We are missing key players in a position where Barcelona have their best player, (Nikola) Mirotic, so we have to fix that. Tactically, we have prepared things but in these matches, it is played on D-Day on the address, the rebounds, the throws. Against Partizan, we are almost out, we find ourselves twice at -15 -18, once at home (game 3, Madrid win 82-80)once at home (game 5, Madrid win 98-94), and then we put the three points, we gain confidence, they lose a bit of momentum. In the semis, the same thing can happen.
“I always arrive confident for these matches”
What role did the general fight that followed your teammate Sergio Llull’s big foul on Kevin Punter play at the end of match 2 won by Partizan (95-80)?
The answer is a bit complicated, especially since it caused controversy after the Euroleague decisions. (Yabusele suspensions and Gabriel Deck in Madrid, from Punter and Mathias Lessort to Partizan). But it united us, we knew that players were going to be suspended, then we had an injury (Deck to match 4). Either that united us, or our season went completely into a spin and we sank. It turned out on the right side. But we’re not going to lie to each other, it’s a turning point in the series. One way or another, we got our way.
How do you view the Monaco season?
It’s great for the French Championship. I’m very proud of what they do and what they can do. They have huge options on a Final Four. With their physique, their way of playing, if the address is there, anything can happen. On a Final Four, there is not really a favorite, we throw the coin.
So you dream of a final against Monaco on Sunday?
That would be great. I was talking about it with Mike James in my hotel room yesterday. (THURSDAY). We were together in Vitoria (2015-2016). Playing a head-to-head final would be great.
Do you find Mike James transformed since his suspension in March?
He took a long time to mature. But over the years, he gradually manages to do so. Sometimes the cables cross a little (sic) and he’s going into a bit of a spin but he’s still an exceptional player, who has very highs and very lows. But in important moments, he is there for his team as he showed in the play-offs, with 20 points at half-time in Game 5.
You are also the man of the big matches. Do these meetings transform you?
I feel good, on pace after two good matches in the Spanish Championship. It was necessary to give rest to some who had had a lot of playing time against Partizan. Me, I had not had much impact in this series. I always arrive confident for these matches. A career revolves around that, we await these moments with a lot of emotions. »