IHF World’s best female player in 2009, French girl Allison Pineau is a real specialist for World’s Championships. She played with the French National team twice in the WWCh’s final matches in 2009 and 2011 (China and Brazil), both time defeated, but both time Pineau was named for the WWCh’s best playmaker. One of the world’s best player exclusively talk for serbia2013.com about upcoming event in Serbia.
After France and Romania, you began to play in Macedonia for ZRK Vardar, who made strong line-up in this season. Are you ready for next challenge at WCh 2013 in Serbia?
– The new part of my career is amazing and very interesting. I think that it was a good choice to come to play here, because I was very surprised since I arrived here. I realized how important is my help for the future of this new club.
France played twice at the World Championship Final in a row, but you don’t have that level of results at European Championships?
– We’re better at WCH than at EHF EURO events and we are aware of the fact that we always have problem with European Championships after Olympic Games. I don’t know why, but at the last one, EURO 2012, we suffered a lot because of failure at Olympics in London, even we tried to hide it. Everything was going fine there before the defeat against Montenegro. We were affected psychologically in Serbia at EHF EURO 2012.
Are you ready to repeat results from China and Brazil and again stand on the medal podium in Serbia?
– Yes, I think that we are able to do it, but it will be very tough because of many reasons. The first one is that we changed coaching staff which bring something new and we don’t have so much time to prepare. Some players are missing, but as I said before, we are very successful team at WCH.
Who are the favorites for the WCh 2013 gold?
– I won’t count France among the favorites, because our last performance in Serbia. Norway and Montenegro are definitely the favorites for the gold.
Which kind of impressions you have about Serbia?
– Hospitality was good and tournament was good as well. I expected just more from my team, but again, I expect more next month and of course – medal.
France lost against home team Serbia on the road to semi-final at EHF EURO 2012. Are you ready for revenge to your team-mate and one of the best friends in Skopje, Serbian star, Andrea Lekic, as we know that it’s possible new clash of your teams even in TOP 16 phase?
– Haha, very good question, which I expected. She’s making joke with me often when we speak about that match at EURO 2012. I said to her – you took me two chances for a big success in just 6 months – Firs time with Serbia, and then with Gyor at EHF Champions League, when I played in Romania. Definitely, I am ready to give her revenge, but I know if we have to play against each other, it will be extremely difficult, because she wants to win always, same as me – concluded for serbia2013.com, Allison Pineau.PHOTO: DRAGAN ZABUNOVIC
