Alain Bilicki n’a pas fait une croix sur les playoffs cette saison. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire
Playoffs visés, changement de coach, retour au Barrou… Le président sétois fait le point.
The year started with a strong announcement…
Not renewing Luc Marquet was a difficult decision to make. His investment in the club was up to the project that we wanted to build together. Unfortunately, it is clear that on a sporting level, Arago is not at the level expected by our partners and supporters, so I think it is necessary to start over with a different project. But, I emphasize, Luc remains a coach for whom I have enormous respect and who in any case remains a major figure of Arago.
The rumors are rife. Where are you clearly today ?
What club president wouldn't dream of having Benjamin Toniutti in his squad? I understood that he had extended his contract with his Polish club, so it's not a current topic. My current focus, in relation to the professional group, is to build a budget for next season's team. Today, that's where we are. And, depending on our means, I will contact a coach to offer him a salary. Yes, I received four or five applications, but no physical contact. We are really at the beginning.
What is your assessment of this first part?
It's of course disappointing, because our ambition was to be in the top 4 at the end of the first leg matches. We are currently ninth, so from that point of view the objective has not been achieved.
Afterwards, I think that we may not have anticipated all the constraints of this particular season. During the week, we have to work to train with the rhythm of the students from the Jean-Moulin college with whom we share the Vié hall, which does not allow us to train on Wednesdays. This means that we have one less day of training than the other teams.
Another example, the floor surface of the hall is not very flexible, which generates significant joint constraints when landing each jump. You should know that a player jumps on average 200 times per training session. This situation forced the staff to adapt the training sessions, the strength training, recovery, and care phases, everything is linked and put together these elements necessarily weigh. I am not looking for excuses, these are facts.
Regrets?
I remain convinced that at Barrou with the proximity and support of the public we would never have lost the fifth rounds against Paris or Saint-Nazaire. When you look at the oppositions in the first half, there is ultimately not much missing. We are six points from fifth place. When I think of the poor performance against Cannes at home and the points lost against Saint-Nazaire, Paris or Plessis-Robinson, three matches within our reach, we would be on the right track and in line with our objectives.
Afterwards, I continue to have confidence in this group for two reasons. The first is that it has shown that it knows how to travel with four great away victories. The other is that this group was formed barely five months ago, it lives and works well and I think it really has the potential to become more and more efficient.
Having a good regular season is good, but what counts is to perform well in the play-offs. This was again verified last season with Saint-Nazaire, eighth in the regular season, who ultimately won the title of French champion.
What is the solution?
We have to make the players perform at the same time. It is possible, since many of them have been able to be brilliant punctually, but everyone must gain in regularity. The victory against Poitiers gave, I believe, a glimpse of what this team can be worth, which must switch from alternating current to direct current.
In a year, Arago will return to its Barrou. With great ambitions ?
At the club, we are working hard to ensure that this return to Barrou is a complete success and that we can make the most of the magnificent place that it will constitute. We are doing everything to ensure that it becomes the perfect tool for the team's preparation and that it can welcome, in the best possible way, our partners and our supporters. The objective is simple, to make Barrou the beating heart of the city of Sète on Arago match nights.
We have the tenth largest payroll in the championship. To compete with the richest teams and fight, each season, for the title of champion of France, we must increase this payroll by 200,000 euros. It's a lot and it's not much at the same time when we know the economic benefits that volleyball can bring to a sponsor, the example of Poitiers with Earvin Ngapeth this season is significant…
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