Football: coach, team, club, Nîmes Olympique in turmoil

Têtes basses, les Crocos ont subi la loi de la lanterne rouge Châteauroux, vendredi (3-2). MAXPPP – THIERRY ROULLIAUD

The Crocos, relegated after 18 National matches, are unable to escape from a vicious spiral. Their coach, Adil Hermach, is weakened. Who can save the club ? 

After the attack on Nîmes supporters on Friday evening in Châteauroux – according to several sources, the attackers were Montpellier Ultras, who had come to steal the Gladiators' away tarpaulin… more than 500 kilometres from home! – no one had the heart to talk about football on the Gard side. The Crocos have had a nightmare week and evening.

Extrasportive and sporty, a bad week

“In the life of a man and an athlete, when things are not going well, it only takes a little thing for the whole house of cards to collapse. The week was difficult from an extrasportive point of view. We will not go into details… It hurts. And when we learn that our supporters, who travel all over France, who take their time and money to push us, especially in the current context of the club, are being attacked, it hurts even more.”

Waly Diouf did the difficult job of responding to the press on an evening of pitiful defeat. If he was captain, it was because his central hinge partner, Formose Mendy, was held up in Nîmes for family reasons. Just like physiotherapist Anthony Lombardo. Fitness coach Aurélien Boche, who was ill, was also unable to travel to Berry. And the two midfielders Picouleau and Akkal have been injured in recent days. No more!

Finally, the day before the match was marked by tensions between the team and the supporters, with coach Adil Hermach not having appreciated the banner “Hermach, Larcier, more football” installed at the Bastide. “I could answer them: fewer banners, more presence”, the coach had reacted. “I was very hard on them yesterday (Thursday). They are hard on me too. We have the right because we are pulling in the same direction”, he said.

Opening the score then three goals conceded: a ruined match

And yet, everything had started well. A pass, a cross, a header that hit the target, NO was off to a good start (1-0, goal by Abdeldjelil, pass by Labonne). “We were lucky to open the scoring away, then history repeated itself”, observed Diouf.

First, an equalizer offered to the opponent by Simon just before half-time (44th). One of the passes by the Cameroonian goalkeeper had already nearly cost Aubagne a goal. This time, it was the case.

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The rest is told by his coach Adil Hermach:“There is no question of blaming him, even if he puts Châteauroux back in the game. It is forgiven, forgotten, he is a young goalkeeper who will learn and who will help us save ourselves. At the worst of times, they come back. We get walked all over a bit at the start of the 2nd half, a recurring problem lately. We equalize, then we miss the ball for 3-2, even 4-2 (sic). The game is open, then they score a goal that I still haven't found the words to explain and that I don't want to see again (on a tackle by Diouf, the ball ricochets off Clairicia's leg and lobs Simon, Editor's note)“, he fumed.

With a midfield that is not strong enough in the duels, a rearguard at bay and a team caught on the counter. When the attack finally scores away (twice, as many as in the first seven), it is the defense that falters…

At the end of these 90 minutes, there was still this immense feeling of “frustration” in Labonne, Abdeldjelil or in the incoming El Hamri. “We often have the impression that we are stronger than our opponents but in the end, we lose”, they could only observe.

How did they manage to lose this match? “We all ask ourselves the same question, us first, players, staff, answers Diouf. We repeat ourselves every week, unfortunately, not everything is to be thrown away, but the final result, zero points away. We are relegated, it is not for lack of trying, of persevering, but we will have to be even stronger in resilience, come together, stay united. Because we have an institution behind us, we do not have the right to give up. This club cannot go any lower.”

For the moment, NO is at rock bottom. And almost at the bottom of the ranking: second to last with two points ahead of Châteauroux.

Two points gained in three months: a weakened coach but for the moment maintained

The result is there, or rather the lack of results: Nîmes has just taken two points in three months and seven league games (two draws, five defeats). For a record of 15 in 17 games, and three meager victories. A relegation rate. The team is too often harmless and sometimes fragile defensively. Adil Hermach, the savior of last season (4 wins in the last 6 games), has tried almost everything, without success.

So? Can he do it again? Sporting director Sébastien Larcier, who, according to our information, has received quite a few calls from potential replacements, still wants to believe in it:“Of course Adil is weakened, but I maintain my confidence in him. We are not in the same situation as last year: there is a basic game, opportunities. Now, we will have to quickly take points, and set precise and quantified objectives. I am the one who chose him, I take responsibility for it. And having spoken to them, I think that the executives and major players are still behind him. Afterwards, if the management decides otherwise…”

We know many who have been thanked for… more than that. Especially with a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, this fine of €7,500 that the club must pay for each official match, Hermach not having the diploma required for the National…

President Rani Assaf did not wish to comment. The final word will therefore go to the coach whose credit is almost exhausted: “If I'm afraid? No, I'm not afraid. Afraid of what? Nîmes is an emblematic club, when we've been in the shit, we've always gotten out of it. So we're going to get out of it”.

Since 2019-2020, no crocodile coach who started a season has managed to finish it…

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