On Wednesday, JL Bourg took a significant step towards their first Eurocup title by defeating Besiktas on their home court with a score of 72-60. In the post-game press conference, Bourg’s coach, Frédéric Fauthoux, expressed his satisfaction with his players’ performance but emphasized the need to finish the job next Tuesday, April 28th, at Ekinox.
“First and foremost, it’s a great victory because we know how difficult it is to win here. They had only lost one game at home since the start of the season. It’s a fine achievement. However, we need to win two games to lift the trophy, so it’s not over yet. Next week, the game will be different, so we will rest and review this match to prepare.”
This win was achieved despite Bourg’s payroll being three times lower than that of their Istanbul opponents. As the only Eurocup semi-finalist not originating from the Turkish league this season, Jeu owes its success to its strong French player pool and well-established recruitment methods, according to their coach.
“We knew we didn’t have the same budget as many other teams, so we worked. We are fortunate to have a lot of talent in France. Therefore, we tried to find players who fit my style of play. That was very important. We know how it works: if our players have good seasons, we know they will move to Turkey, for example, to the Euroleague, or even to the NBA. We worked to build the best possible team within our capabilities, and that’s what made the difference. The organization works very well, as does the staff; we are very connected with my sporting director, François Lamy. We know how to build a team. We’ve done good work over the last three seasons.”
Following these statements, the Bourg tactician revealed that he would not be able to coach the team during the 2027/28 season. The reason is that the Federation has asked him to focus entirely on his role as national team coach in preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
English Translation:
On Wednesday, JL Bourg made significant progress in their quest for their first Eurocup title by winning on Besiktas’ court (72-60). In the press conference, Bourg’s coach Frédéric Fauthoux was obviously pleased with the battle his players fought, but he primarily wants to finish the job next Tuesday (April 28th) at Ekinox.
“First of all, it’s a great victory because we know the difficulty of winning here. They had only lost one game at home since the start of the season. It’s a fine performance. But, we need to win two games to lift the trophy, so it’s not finished. Next week, the game will be different, so we will rest and review this match to work.”
A victory achieved despite a payroll three times lower than their Istanbul opponent. The only Eurocup semi-finalist this season not from the Turkish league, Jeu owes its success to the French talent pool and well-established recruitment methods, according to its coach.
“We knew we didn’t have the same budget as many other teams, so we worked. We are fortunate to have a lot of talent in France. So we tried to find players who matched my style of play. That was very important. We know how it works: if our players have good seasons, we know they will leave for Turkey, for example, for the Euroleague, or even the NBA. We worked to build the best possible team with our capabilities, and that’s what made the difference. The organization works very well, the staff too, we are very connected with my sports director François Lamy. We know how to build a team. We’ve done good work these past three seasons.”
Following this statement, the Bourg strategist revealed that he would not be able to coach the team during the 2027/28 season. The reason is that the Federation has asked him to focus entirely on his mission as national team coach in view of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
