First out of the Brest locker room at Roazhon Park on Sunday, Brendan Chardonnet stopped at length in front of the press to comment with “proud” on the historic qualification of his favorite club in the European Cup. But the captain of the SB29 also broke into a precise smile: “Enjoy, because you will see less of us until the end of the season! » Between the defeat suffered against Monaco on April 21 and the victory in Rennes on the 28, the entire squad, encouraged by a few executives, had decided not to respond to media requests, numerous on the return phase since that Brest takes the light and gets close to the summits of the L1. A collective decision which only concerns the pre-matches but not the mixed zone after the matches nor the obligations linked to the championship broadcasters. An initiative at least renewed this week for the Nantes reception, Saturday at 9 p.m.
“Put yourself into mission mode”
“The objective is to put ourselves in a bubble and in mission mode,” we are told internally. There is no distrust towards the media but the players only want to think about their matches which they consider to be finals and not let go of their energy aside. If Chardonnet and his teammates felt that they needed to refocus their final sprint, it was also because the victory against Metz, when Brest led 4-1 before being caught at 4-3, had shown “a unconscious relaxation that we cannot afford in the race for Europe,” says Chardonnet.
Pierre Lees-Melou then spoke of “an excess of confidence, an excess of ease” and the following defeats, against Lyon and Monaco, were going to be attributed to the refereeing by some. What was perceived as dispersion among others, all in a context where France football was wondering if Brest would ultimately manage the enthusiasm surrounding it to calmly conclude its superb season.
Lorenzi: “The most difficult thing is knowing how to manage your emotions”
In Rennes, Grégory Lorenzi, sports director, spoke about the new outlook that people have on Stade Brestois and the different pressure that the Finistère club must understand. “When you’re not used to being in this place, the most difficult thing is knowing how to manage your emotions. Teams are ready but we are not at all. We learn, there are thoughts that may have been running through our heads: would we be able to achieve this dream… It was therefore important to concentrate on the matches and the team’s performances rather than on subjects that could be confusing, such as arbitration. We were able to rectify the situation and the players were able to respond.”
“It is obvious that Brest has never experienced this media treatment before,” notes Éric Roy, coach who did not consult in advance on the choice of his players. Is it heavy for some people? Maybe. But I start from the principle that it is better that people talk about us than not at all. This year, we had a larger exhibition and if it was decided, it was because it was the right decision. Maybe it’s good, at some point, to know how to refocus.”
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