“I relish feeling useful for the team”, confides Nicolas Burel, the center of Spacer’s Toulouse
Back from injury, central Nicolas Burel intends to bring all his energy to Spacer’s who will play their last cards with a view to the play-offs.
Nicolas, how did you experience this return to competition in Montpellier, three months after your ankle injury?
It was an incredible kiff (he smiles)! Given the context (Kevin Kaba and Luiz Sene, the other two included, were respectively “covid” and suspended against Montpellier, editor’s note) I found myself starting when I preferred to resume on the bench but it went well . I felt ready for this game. My ankle held up and I really enjoyed it, without any particular apprehension.
The team remains on ten defeats in the last twelve games: how did you experience this period?
I felt a lot of helplessness. In addition it had never happened to me: in twelve years here, I had to miss only five or six games in all. There, I see myself feeling useful again for the team. I was almost all the time with them but it’s not the same when you’re not on the floor. I was trying to bring a little optimism, joie de vivre, but I was especially looking forward to playing again
You come back at the right time as the battle for the play-offs rages on…
February is going to be very important, yes. We are quite close to the good wagon but on one of the more matches (3 points behind the 8th but two more matches, Editor’s note). Each meeting will become decisive and it is indeed the best time to come back (he smiles).
Despite these ten defeats in twelve games, do you still believe in the Top 8?
It has been better for three games (4 points taken out of 9, editor’s note). In the game and in the attitudes too. We have warriors in the group between Antoine (Pothron, the young receiver-attacker) or “Facu” (Facundo Santucci, the libero) who are there to boost the team. We are all convinced that it is doable and we will fight until the end, that is a certainty.
It starts tonight in Nantes…
I come from there and it’s really a match that is close to my heart! In addition, the first leg (3-1 defeat for Toulouse and jostling after the match point, editor’s note) had been very tense and we know that it should still be quite hot this evening.