Stade Brestois travels to La Roche-sur-Yon (N2) this Saturday in the 32nd round of the Coupe de France. For Eric Roy, even if Brest plays the Champions League, it is out of the question to balance this competition.
The exceptional year 2024 at Stade Brestois is about to end. But before taking a breather with the winter break
the Finistère club will enter a new competition. This Saturday (3:30 p.m.), Eric Roy's gang travels to La Roche-sur-Yon (N2) in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France. Or the 22nd official match of the season, already. Will Brest play this competition to the fullest? A victory this weekend would add a round of 16 on Wednesday 15 in an already stifling month of January (four league matches, two Champions League matches).
But the idea of scrapping the oldest competition to lighten a busy schedule was never considered by Eric Roy and his staff. “The first idea is to qualify,” says the Brest coach. I'm not making any predictions about the future. I find that an adventure in the Coupe de France is extraordinary.”
“The best possible eleven”
The Finistère coach wants to line up this Saturday “the best possible eleven to qualify. So, we are not going to reward a boy because he is nice in training.” This week, during the tactical setup, Roy worked with an experienced line-up. “I want my players to be cannibals, to want to win and play everything that comes their way,” he continues.
And then a Coupe de France match gives all the players objectives, opportunities to show themselves more. Afterwards, it is obvious that we also want to rest some of them.” But by force of circumstances, with seven elements unavailable (Bizot, Le Cardinal, Coulibaly, Locko, Lees-Melou, Martin and Camblan), certain executives should start. And continue, again, in a marathon that never ends. The likely team:
Coudert – Zogbé, Chardonnet (cap.), Ndiaye, Amavi – Magnetti, Camara, Faivre – Pereira Lage, Ajorque, Salah. Substitutes: Jauny, Haïdara, Lala, Doumbia, Fernandes, Géraux, Baldé, Del Castillo, Sima.
The players will be on vacation on Sunday and will return to training on Monday December 30. They will play on Sunday January 5 in L1.Photo credit: Photo Vincent Le Guern
