Former coach of the French men’s ice hockey team, Philippe Bozon reacted on RMC to the non-selection of his son Tim Bozon for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina next February.
A few days ago, following the announcement of the 25 players who will make up the group of the French men’s ice hockey team for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, the absence of Tim Bozon raised some questions, given the experience of the Geneva-Servette player. An announcement which made the main person react, who then explained that he experienced it “like a hammer blow, because I was supposed to go”, in the columns of the Swiss media Click.
A few days later, it was the coach of the French team, Yorick Treille, who responded to the 31-year-old player, saying that “there were a lot of explanations to try to make him understand why” and that Tim Bozon’s statements were “a lack of respect for his teammates and the French team jersey. »
“Humanly, it’s terrible”
Former coach of this French ice hockey team, dismissed in June 2024 and replaced in his role by his deputy at the time Yorick Treille, Philippe Bozon spoke to RMC about the absence of his son Tim from the list: “It’s very difficult for me,” the French hockey legend first admitted. A situation painfully experienced by the former coach: “It takes me back a year and a half when I was dismissed. This Olympic dream was taken away from me. I had mental health issues. It’s still not digested. Tim’s non-selection makes me relive these negative emotions. It’s hard to live with. »
Then asked about how his son Tim experienced this announcement, Philippe Bozon declared: “It’s very complicated for him. He has never made the Olympic Games and his dream has just been taken away. And, I think with what he’s done over the last few years, it’s very hard. It’s beyond disappointing.” Recalling in passing that his son “no longer has hope. How not to be defeated? He has a particular life journey. Contrary to what is said, no, everything is not due to him, first of all his life which hung by a thread. He rebuilt himself from the beginning (after his meningitis). We’re still talking about the Olympics! We’re taking that away from him. Humanly, it’s terrible. »
An “incomprehensible” decision
Finally, as for the question about possible problems with his son within the France group, the father readily recognizes “that Tim has character”, but judges that that is not everything and that “in this team there are a lot of players with character”. And that, according to him, if the judgment is based solely on performances, then this decision becomes “incomprehensible”, elaborating: “Over the last five years, Tim is the best scorer (goals and assists) of the French team. I am well aware of the level of everyone in this team, you have Stéphane Da Costa who is the star with incredible talent, and Alexandre Texier who plays in the NHL, but I think that behind him, Tim in his place. »
Before concluding by specifying: “The coach wanted to preserve the balance of the group, the coherence and the alchemy built in recent months, but Tim was in the team in recent months. He was at the qualifier, at the World Championships and on a list at the end of August. » A situation all the more difficult for Philippe Bozon, since if Tim will not be part of the Milan-Cortina adventure, the younger Kévin appears on Yorick Treille’s list.
