For personal reasons, Jean-Michel Lesage has asked to step down from the professional team staff. ©Damien Deslandes
Officially presented this Monday as the new HAC coach, Didier Digard – with a contract until 2026 (with an optional year) – returns alone to the Ocean City. The young technician, who will blow his 38e candle on July 12, did not bring any assistants with him. He will rely largely on the staff already in place under Luka Elsner, including number 2 Serge Costa, goalkeeping coach Nicolas Douchez and physical trainer Thomas Joubert. A priority in the eyes of Mathieu Bodmer. “It’s been working well for two years. We’ve seen the results (with promotion to Ligue 1 followed by remaining in this division). We have found a certain balance”the sports director is pleased. “The staff did not express any desire to leave either. Clearly, they wanted to stay.”adds President Jean-Michel Roussier. Moreover, several extensions of the members who compose it, in the pipeline for several months, are about to be activated.
A technical staff that nevertheless records a departure. For personal reasons, Jean-Michel Lesage, in charge in particular of specific sessions for attackers, “expressed the wish to take a step back”. However, the former emblematic player of the “Ciel et Marine” could be granted other prerogatives within the oldest club. “which require less on-site presence”specifies Jean-Michel Roussier. In the opposite direction, Marcel Kalonji, responsible for the national U17s for two years, is integrated as third assistant (Thomas Ehrhard is the second). “Marcel is coming up to make the connection with the young people. We have quite a few who are present for the restart (Guy-Noël Zohoury, Noam Obogou Jacquet, Ben Mamadou Bamba and Daren Mosengo who has just signed a first three-year “pro” contract). We are going to put in place a little more individual development”explains Mathieu Bodmer.
“Marcel (Kalonji) comes up to make the link with the youngsters. We have quite a few who are present for the restart“
Mathieu Bodmer
As a consequence, among other things, of this internal promotion, the training center’s organization chart will be shaken up. Coming from Nancy, Cédric Lecluse replaces him at the head of the U17s. While Jaïr Karam returns to the reserve team (which could be drafted into N3 given the financial difficulties of many “stables” at the federal level), a second educator with a trainer’s diploma will be hired to take care of the U19s. In charge of this category during the previous season, François Rodrigues will not manage a team this season, concentrating on his activities as director of the training center; a Cavée Verte in full restructuring with major work that began in recent weeks.
