Emile Rousseaux, father of daughter Hélène and son Tomas, is a lucky guy. He is the trainer-coach of the French national women's team. And thus automatically qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with the organizing country.

Father Rousseaux also still functions as coordinator of the talent schools of the French federation. For example, he commutes between his hometown Oetingen (Gooik) and the southern French Toulouse. Hélène, sister of Tomas, plays this season for the Turkish team Bahçelievler Belediyespor from Istanbul. Her husband Faruk Feray is assistant trainer in the V-League at the South Korean Incheon Hungkuk Life Pink Spiders. Tomas himself has been slowed down by brutal bad luck.

The ever cheerful Tomas is still a bit sad because he could not help the Red Dragons to an Olympic ticket at the ultimate qualifying tournament (OKT) in China due to a back injury. “The fatal defeat in the final match against Bulgaria and the Games gone, is so unreal. It hit me hard. I blame myself a bit for not being able to support my 'copains'. I will never forget that, how the team was so painfully stranded in the face of total euphoria. Oh, the Olympic dream of all the players was terribly shattered. I would have loved to have been there to reach Paris. Together with my father, who is now almost extremely looking forward to the Games. He is really looking forward to that Olympic experience, which I unfortunately have to miss with the Dragons.”

Father and son together at the Olympics: that would probably have been a unique event. “I fear that it will never happen again. Unless the Red Dragons perform miracles to be there in Los Angeles 2028”, 29-year-old Tomas Rousseaux (1m99) fully realizes the missed opportunity. “LA is still a long way off. I think it is an extremely difficult challenge. There is a transition going on at the Red Dragons from older to younger players. But it is precisely that fact that makes it so difficult to predict where Belgium will be internationally in four years.”

Could it be that the Red Dragons are waning a bit, because fewer internationals than before are competing in high-level competitions?

Tomas Rousseaux: “Maybe you have a point. We can currently count the Belgians in foreign employment on one hand: Sam Deroo at Zenit Kazan (Rus), Ferre Reggers at Allianz Milano (Ita), Bram Van den Dries at PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece), Wout D'Heer at Trentino (Ita), Jelle Ribbens at Fréjus (French Pro B) and recently Seppe Baetens, who left Waremme for Al Ain in Dubai to live with his lover who works there. There used to be many more Belgians, that's a sign of the times. I have officially put an end to my commitment to the Greek top club PAOK Thessaloniki. I'll come back to that in a moment.”

Last season you experienced a real triumph. Your Italian team Modena won the European CEV Cup in Roeselare.

“Yes, for me a fantastic experience after a poor season at the Polish Katowice, where I went a second time. That second period is incomparable to my first time there. In my first season at Katowice I was in the Polish top three of best scorers as a reception corner. Magnificent as an achievement and unusual, because the other two laureates played in the main attack. Anyway, the second time was very disappointing and to be quickly forgotten. My heart almost jumped out of my body when Modena wanted to sign me. Back to warm Italy, to the land of pizzas, my favorite food.

In the CEV Cup we had a memorable run. We had lost the final away, at our home, against Knack Roeselare with a resounding 0-3. What an achievement by the Knackies. Yet we still won the gold, in the return in the Tomabelhal in Roeselare after 0-3 and by winning (9-15) the golden set. Heaven on earth. With top trainer Andrea Giani at the helm. One of the absolute highlights of my career, after three titles and as many cups with Knack Roeselare in my early period and a German Cup - nice memory - under the guidance of Vital Heynen at VfB Friedrichshafen.”

PAOK Thessaloniki would become your new biotope. Could you really not stay at Modena?

“That was not my intention. After six years in the Polish League I played too little at Modena. Objectively speaking, quite normal. But something like that gnaws at you. I had to deal with the competition of Marvin N'Gapeth and Tommaso Rinaldi, both absolute world top in reception corner. That duo is very ambitious. I especially wanted to be between the lines much more. PAOK offered me that chance. I would be in action next to opposite Bram Van den Dries. An illustrious compatriot, who has pledged his heart to Greece.

But my performance only lasted one match. I would like to say that it is always useful to team up with a fellow countryman in a foreign club. For example, I was able to perform in Suwalki (Pol) with Kevin Klinkenberg and earlier with Pieter Verhees from Pelt in Monza (Ita). Kevin was in Suwalki a year earlier than me. He was accompanied by his wife Tamara and son Noach. Very nice. You immediately get the feeling that you are not alone. That you are stimulated and supported in your undertakings.”

You yourself were struggling for many months due to a hernia? Can you explain the situation?

“During the summer training of the Red Dragons, something shot in my back. I suddenly had a lot of pain. I could not continue. Unfortunately, I had to withdraw from the national team. Against my will. That withdrawal would have had disastrous consequences at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. I could certainly have contributed something to the Dragons to reach Paris 2024. That goal was completely lost. A severe 'hernia' was the conclusion of the doctors I consulted. PAOK gave me a separate individual exercise schedule to take home. For medical advice I went to the world-famous Lieven Maesschalck, a Belgian authority in the treatment of sports injuries. I was in the best hands with him. I received two injections in my back, call them infiltrations. And I was prescribed extensive exercise therapy. With the approval of PAOK I was allowed to rehabilitate in Belgium. Okay, a nice gesture.”

In the run-up to the new season, everything went quite well. One week before the start of the competition in the Greek A 1, you were ready in Thessaloniki. But things quickly went wrong in your maiden match.

“That's absolutely right. We played our first match away at Olympiakos Piraeus, the reigning national champions. That went well for a few balls, until I was suddenly struck down by... unbearable back pain. I had to leave the field. That damn hernia again. Apparently it was too big to heal spontaneously. I then discussed everything with PAOK. They treated me very tactfully. I can't say a bad word about it. By mutual agreement, it was decided shortly afterwards that my contract would be terminated. Axel Truhtchev would take my place as a 'medical joker'.

Two weeks ago I had surgery at the AZ Monica in Deurne (Antwerp). Part of the protruding hernia was removed and the vertebra was filled with very strong plastic material. That was done via microsurgery, a small scar of barely 5 cm. After one night I was allowed to go home. Yes, I believe in it again. I have been rehabilitating myself again. Okay, I'm doing very well. A 'full recovery' was promised to me. promised. The doctors told me that the procedure was successful and that I can aim for an extension of my career.”

Your manager will soon be looking for a new team?

“Yes, but I will first build up calmly, I don’t want to force anything. I foresee in my planning that I will be completely healthy and well again in February 2024. Canadian Jay Blankenau, playmaker at PAOK, told me that he had the same problem in Maaseik. He was back playing within twelve weeks. That gives me the courage to leave all the misery behind me for good in three months. I am an optimist by nature anyway. Anyone who knows me: optimism is the nature of the beast. I am certainly not a pessimist, on the contrary. My father always hammered on a positive image as a top athlete. After a relatively long career, I realize that positive energy can have a strong impact on the performance of a team.”

That new team could be a European team or further away?

“We'll see. I've been living near the Brussels-North NMBS station for a while now with my American girlfriend Brienne from North Carolina (USA). She's active here in our country for FISU (formerly FISEC, with the university Olympic Games), she gives dance lessons, yoga sessions and also pilates and she could possibly launch me into American college volleyball. That's one option.

On the other hand, I could choose two other scenarios: the Middle East like Seppe Baetens or for a cool club in Europe. February is usually the month that there are gaps in the line-up of many teams that need an additional player. I hope they'll think of me. I'd like to say that I'm also studying 'event manager'. Something like that suits me. That way I'm prepared for a great future outside of sports.”

You played in Italy, Poland and Germany and you had a short stay in Greece. Can you tell us something about your preferences?

“I can’t tell you much about Greece. Only that they are very warm, jovial and very social people. They react very assertively. The daily coffee chats and the ‘chilling’ in the sun are ‘holy’. That the fans sometimes go at it fanatically with Bengali fire, oh well… no problem. The sun shines even more in Greece than in Italy. Especially now that I would be playing on the coast in Saloniki, I find it all so sad what happened to me.

I also found the German Friedrichshafen a wonderful place to stay. The Germans kept everything correct and strictly under control. Italy is traditionally the ‘Mecca’ of volleyball. With Italians, just like with Greeks, you quickly build up a smooth connection. At Modena, set-up Bruno Rezende wanted regular personal contact. Sometimes we sat together very nicely. Italy has a long and great tradition, a unique history in volleyball. Corona caused a dip. But the financial resources are gradually getting back on track.
But the financial resources are gradually recovering as normal.

Rival Poland does not want to be outdone. Well, the people in Poland are a bit more rigid and rather closed towards foreigners. The language barrier is also bigger. Polish is a Slavic language, which is not easy to hear. I had the impression that it is more individualistic - only my ego counts - because sport in such a country offers an escape route from poverty to a higher social and financial status. Just like in Italy, real super pros play in Poland. It is difficult to choose. Personally, I perhaps like Italy a bit better than Poland. Think of the pizza!”

You have been a Red Dragon since 2015. You missed the European Championships and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Do you still have plans for the national team?

“That is a difficult question. I want to focus on my full rehabilitation first. Oh, I am still thinking about how heartbreaking it is that Belgium did not make it to the Olympic Games in Paris. Bulgaria did not give an inch until the bitter end of the match. How is that possible, that Bulgarian stubbornness? For some reason they did not grant us the chance. The way we lost was and still is excruciating. My greatest 'tristesse': unfortunately I could not contribute to that story. Oh so difficult for me. Especially mentally. No one will ever know whether I could have scored the winning points. I think so. After the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in China went fatally wrong in the final seconds, I had a very difficult time for a long time. Difficult to digest. I think our missed qualification was really undeserved. I would have loved to shine together with my dad at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.”

Text: Leo Peeters

Photos: CEV and own photos