This Saturday night, in Poitiers (Vienna), the Stade Poitevin Volleyball (SPVB) fans will surely only have eyes for him. For the first time after thirteen years – and his departure from Tours – Earvin Ngapeth will return to the French championship, with a match against Narbonne (at 7 p.m.) on this first day of the 2024-2025 season.
A little over a week ago, the announcement of this return to French soil surprised and caused a stir. The official presentation by the SPVB of its squad to its economic partners was coming to an end, on Thursday, September 19, when he appeared, with the shirt adorned with the number 86 on his shoulders. “You are not dreaming… Earvin Ngapeth will be fine on the 15thmy man this season »had, at the same time, published the club on its website.
Enough to revolutionize the small world of volleyball, since the 33-year-old receiver-attacker is a strong and emblematic figure of this sport. With the French team, this summer in Paris, he won a second consecutive Olympic title and was named best player of the Games.
“The opinions are unanimous. I receive messages from championship personalities to tell me that we have achieved great successconfides Cédric Enard, sporting director of the SPVB. Signing Ngapeth is equivalent to hiring (kylian) Mbappé in football, or (Victor) Wembanyama in basketball. He is a world star, a top player and also an element of the territory. This is very important to us. »
“A tidal wave”
It didn’t take long for the “Ngapeth effect” to be felt. This Saturday’s game will be played with sold-out tickets (2,468 seats). And a week ago, a simple friendly gathering, which normally attracts few spectators, brought together 2,300 people.
“It’s a tidal wave, everyone is looking for a place for the game. We also sold 70 T-shirts in two days, compared to 68 in two years before Earvin arrived.”exclaimed Mickaël Pichon, community manager and volunteer photographer at Stade Poitevin, on the eve of the championship match.
In the days following the announcement, the club was overwhelmed with meeting requests and had to schedule a second meeting with the media on Thursday. “ It is extraordinary to receive a player of such caliber and we can see it.” exclaims Cédric Enard laughing.
“He is not a player like the others. We are very happy that you are here.Charlotte Malbernard, Stade Poitevin’s main supporter, is delighted. We knew he was coming back, but not so fast. “It will allow us to put the focus on French volleyball and get people back to the gyms.”
Possibility of departure in January.
After playing in Italy and Russia since 2011, Earvin Ngapeth finished last season with a cup double with Turkish club Halkbank Ankara. In July he was close to signing for Nantes-Rezé, before the club declared bankruptcy. After the Olympic Games, he matured his choice after a vacation in Guadeloupe before realizing it. “choice of the heart”as he calls it.
The call of the most capable exotic stables to offer you. “best deal ever” who said to wait until August 25, in a secret message posted on Instagram, will finally wait. “After the Games I was left without a club and I needed a quiet seasondeclared the French international (249 caps). Maybe this is the best time for this to happen.”
This decision brings him closer to his family, deeply rooted in Vienna. His mother still works in a company that sponsors Stade Poitevin. He himself passed through the ranks of the former CEP Poitiers during his adolescence (between 2002 and 2007), like his brother Swan. And he also experienced Poitiers’ first French league title from the sidelines, with his father Eric as coach.
“Earvin and I have known each other for a long time. I was trained by his father. When he was assistant coach of the France team [entre 2017 et 2019], We often talked about possible reunions at the club, one day, says Cédric Enard. It has become more serious in recent months, with my arrival in Poitiers in December 2023 and Earvin’s desire to get closer to his roots. »
Fact sheet
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Record
Earvin Ngapeth will play for Poitiers (11th in the championship last season) at least until the end of December, that is, at least fourteen games. If he signed a contract until June 2025, it was in fact agreed that, in the event of a lucrative offer from a foreign team (whose seasons will resume in January 2025), the two sides would part as good friends. But for now, Poitiers and the French championship want to capitalize on the image of the Olympic champion.
