“Incredible pride”: Tours coach Marcelo Fronckowiak after the title

Marcelo Fronckowiak (Tours Volleyball coach): "It's something great, an incredible pride, a great emotion to experience this title and to equal AS Cannes by winning this tenth title. We missed the mark last year. It means even more this season, which has not been easy. We never gave up, panicked even when we were at the bottom. There was in-depth work from the staff on a physical level, the fruits of which we see in these play-offs. We found ourselves orphaned with the departures of Pascal (Foussard) then Frantz (Granvorka) , but we were resilient, we knew how to keep our collective values.

Human relationships can affect performance. Everyone did more, and despite the stress and everything that came with it, it allowed us to get to where we are today. Collective success is something difficult to achieve. We did it. I dreamed of it, I worked for it. So the emotion is there. My wife is here. My children are in Brazil. It's been more than ten months since I saw my mother. I want to share all this happiness with them.

"The emotion was incredible. The first set was decisive; we dealt Poitiers a massive blow."

I want to praise the entire club. It's important to talk about everyone's work, at every level. It's an incredible communion, in a cauldron, a legendary venue, where we vibrate every weekend. In this final, we took the big step in the first match, winning in Poitiers. The last two seasons, we came back here with the rope around our necks, fear in our stomachs. We won Chaumont (2023) , we lost against Saint-Nazaire (2024) . This time, we had done the work before coming back home. It's a formula that the League must think about (to return to a format with a play-off match) . In any case, when we see the enthusiasm, we say to ourselves that we could invest in halls of 10,000 people for a final like that. The emotion was incredible. The first set was decisive, we dealt a hammer blow to Poitiers' head. Our team was very solid in defense, it's our DNA. Maybe I had something to do with it. (He laughs.) "

Zeljko Coric (TVB passer): "I put this title on a pedestal, very, very high, after such a special season, with a lot of turbulence. Because in Tours, they always expect you to win. If you lose, even in the final, it's a disappointment. This match and these play-offs have shown our mental strength in this sense. Winning this tenth title for Tours means a lot. I think that in the end, it's the best team in France that is crowned champion."

This year has been very tough, we had to keep our heads up in difficult times. But all these blows we took had an impact on the players, and are one of the reasons why we felt so strong during the playoffs. We never panicked, even when we were 12th in the standings. We were aware that we had the qualities. It was a matter of knowing when they would reveal themselves. Tours doesn't run a sprint, but a marathon. This (Saturday) evening, particularly with video decisions in the first set that went in our favor, we received a stroke of luck. But we made this luck happen, with our ambition, our courage, and our work. In the end, it's a great reward.

Ryan Sclater (Tours point guard): "In the first set, I grabbed two lines in a row, which were judged in our favor by the video. That's volleyball. The higher the level, the more the difference is made on details. So it's true that there, it was a little extreme. But it was so important psychologically in the outcome of the set and the match. Before the match, we had this conviction that if we managed to put ourselves in a position to win, we would be able to make the difference on the points that mattered. Did I have extra motivation because I was leaving the club and Nik Mujanovic (Poitiers) was coming here? Not more than that. He's a great player, and I can't wait to see what he does in his career. It was a bit of a strange situation, but it's not the first time we've seen this in sport; there are always player movements."

"Now I'm ready for the French team, then Poland. I'm going to enjoy a few days, take the few days of rest we have and attack."

Antoine Pothron (Tours forward-receiver): “The emotion is immense. It’s incredible. We had experienced big disappointments with the European Cup (defeat in the CEV semi-finals) , in the French Cup. So to finish with the championship title, the best, it’s the best possible end with the club (he’s leaving for Belchatow in Poland) . It’s a crazy thing, something I’ve dreamed of since I was little, and a long road to get there. We struggled, the semi-final against Montpellier was very difficult, close, we got through it and now we’ve had two big matches against Poitiers.

Compared to the inconsistency we've experienced this season, we've been consistent in the play-offs, we've maintained our level. After such a poor start to the season, it's good to have managed to turn things around. Now I'm ready for Les Bleus, then Poland. I'm going to enjoy a few days, take the few days of rest we have, and attack. The French team is a big goal for me. I want to perform there. I'm taking it step by step. There's competition, but I'm going to give everything to earn my place. This title is part of this journey, it helped me grow. We have to continue on this path.