Translated from this post

"The Greeks wanted to avoid Spain, it looked like a scrimmage"

We wanted to win this match against Greece, of course, but we wanted to work for it. We wanted to win and not to make calculations to know who we'd be playing in quarter finals. And if we can end with a 9-0 record... But the objective was also to work hard. Vincent [Collet, coach] didn't explicitely say he would let the rotation play, but he was thinking very hard about it.

Overall, it was a very strange game. In the first half, it played about normal even tough we weren't feeling the Greeks much in the game, and in the second half we were a bit out of focus because we didn't know how to react seeing how they were playing. We knew there wasn't too much at stake and they weren't all out so we relaxed, I think. So it didn't look like a beautiful game despite some good plays.

So we just had to play a minimum, we didn't have to force ourselves to beat them. We've played, but they weren't resisting too much. To be honest I had never done a game like this one, it's the wierdest game I've played. We asked ouselves questions on their behavior, regading the quarter finals, and then we thought "we don't care, let's work them hard, we'll beat them and then we'll see" I don't like stuffs like "Let's lose on purpose." If we want to win in the end we'll have to beat Spain too so... We thought to ourselves to try to win the game, and if we get the strongest opponent our objective is to be 9-0.

And Vincent rotated well in this game. Alain [Koffi] made a hell of a game. Ali [Traoré] is progressing more and more, Antoine [Diot] did a good game, Yannick [Bokolo] it's the 2nd game in a row he confirms and Nando [De Colo], well thanks. Thanks and good bye ! He came, he did his thing and bye bye. Bang. But Alain did a great game. Until now he was collective. He wasn't really frustrated, well maybe a bit, but he was fine. But here I've found my Alain back, like Vincent said. Well he's not mine, because he remains and Ivorian :) He and I often mock each other about Ivory Coast and Cameroon. Of course it's because of the soccer rivalry. So we've been needling each other for two or three years... But I'm happy of his game, especially because he can bring a lot.

The opposing team really looked like they weren't playing. Spanoulis, there were moments where he wasn't playing at all. Bourousis was playing once every three plays. It wasn't fun. Spanoulis may have scored 16 points, but he played without forcing himself : he got his moment when he put two or three, but he didn't go all out. I think they will step up in quarter finals. But here their objective was to avoid Spain by finishing 3rd.
In the end we weren't particularly exulting because, to be honest, it looked like a scrimmage. So it felt wierd. In the locker room we haven't really talked about it, we're trying to focus on the next step right now.

At the end of the game I went and gave a friendly slap to Spanoulis because of his half court shot in the end of the 3rd. He was in the middle, well in the corner of the half court. I was facing him, there were 3 seconds remaining. It's fine, he'll never have time. And he throws the ball, bang ! I looked at him, he had a great smile, eyes wide open in astonishment and with his hands he did Jordan's sign in 92 against the Blazers, like "It's not my fault". He told me "It's the 1st time it happens to me", I told him "I hope you don't do that every game."

There's Schortsanitis too. Apparently he's lost 100 pounds... he only weights 330 now… Ali has done a great job on him anyway, he massaged his ribs. Well he ended on the ground once, but on this one anyone would have ended on the ground. Except maybe Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard. I'm not even sure. Well Shaq, I think he could take it, but Dwight would have lost his balance a bit, I admit he is... it's crazy how hefty he is.

Tomorrow I'll try to follow games, but for the quarter finals to be honest I don't know who I'd want to play against. Actually there's only one team I've never wanted to play since the beginning, the Turks. It's cool since we won't play them in quarter finals but it's the team I least want to play against. I really don't want to play Turkoglu. Now he may not be doing anything but you never know, and I don't want him to be on fire against me. He's not all out yet and I don't want him to start his garbage on me :) Well for next game I'm sure he won't be for me. Anyway I've said it in a previous post, we're going to play against Spain, unless there's a miracle but there are 75% chances we play against them.

I didn't write a post yesterday, but it was a very quiet day (monday). Nothing happened. We slept in in the morning, we ate at noon, we had a press conference following that, then nap, workout, dinner, sleep. Period. Nothing happened, I try to find something to tell about monday, but it was dead calm, sod all. Oh fu... yes ! Federer has lost ! I've watched the first 3 sets and learned when waking up that Federer had lost. Well, Del Potro is stong, he's good anyways. But I was dusgusted, he fucked up.

Today (tuesday), there was no sleep in… Out for practice at 9:45, workout at 10, then video, lunch, nap, snack and we went to the game. I have to mention today the staff sang right and in rythm the Marseillaise. They've read the blog and they rehearsed. They applied themselves, it was so funny, I had to look at my feet or I was going to roll on the floor. They really applyed themselves and then they came to me and asked "Was it fine or not ?"

Tomorrow (Wednesday), we're leaving at 7:15, but I'm not complaining. The others are playing tomorrow and have to be transfered the day after and then connect with the game. We've done a great job finishing in the top 2.

Tonight no US Open, still no Secret Story [Big Brother], we're going to sleep. It's fine, we're more and more focused. We're boiling-hot. We've played preseason with the qualifications, we've played the regular season with the first 2 rounds and now the playoffs are starting !