Coupe de France: in Saint-Brieuc, 27 nationalities represented at AS Ginglin-Cesson, “a good example of diversity”

Coupe de France (8th round). AS Ginglin-Cesson (R1) – FC Rouen (Nat.), Saturday (6:30 p.m.) in Guingamp

Do you claim to be a neighborhood club?

My answer is “yes but”. Yes, because the club's DNA is to welcome people from the neighborhood. No, because we do not limit our scope of action and attractiveness to the Cesson district. The strength of the club is also to be a training club. AS Ginglin has always produced quality young people, like Ahmad Allée who we will find with Rouen, and his brother, Zana (who left to play in Duhok, his birthplace, in Iraqi Kurdistan ).

It's very rare, but it has happened. This also creates difficulties. We are told: “You must welcome everyone!” “. But we suffer from a lack of land. There is ours, the synthetic one at the Stade de l'Europe, the one at Chaptal, and the lawn at Ville-Bernard when it doesn't rain too much. It's not easy to accommodate absolutely everyone, regardless of the kid's level. In any case, we refuse elitism while trying to have youth teams at a good level. The U18s, this year, are playing in Regional 1. They are the ones who will soon replace the thirty-year-olds who are playing in the first team.

At the start of your presidency, you experienced the move from the Mazier Campus to the Stade de l'Europe. At that time, was there a fear of losing this attachment to the Cesson district?

To be frank, the former president (Gérard Allouis) was afraid, it was heartbreaking for him to leave his “Little Furiani de Mazier” as he called it. This stadium (in the middle of the Saint-Brieuc faculty) had a long history. Personally, I considered it a blessing to have this new synthetic and a wonderful fireplace. The biggest difficulty that I perceived from the start and which is still true, is the absence of a second field on site, the absence also of a warm-up area and the fact that the spectators do not cannot go around the field (a fence borders an entire length). This is what leads us today to relocate to Guingamp. Despite everything, we remained in the heart of the neighborhood and, today, this move is a thing of the past.

We have 27! This concretely reflects the words which appear on the club's pennant and which will be on the scarves that we will sell on Saturday: education, tolerance, respect. For us, this multicultural side must enrich each other through contact with others. We have no problem with intolerance in our teams. Afterwards, we may have some educational concerns. Recently, some kids stole bags from the locker room of the club next door. But we have an ethics commission which meets to explain to children and their parents what is done and what is not done. In these cases, we give the kids another chance.

Were you forced, despite everything, to make exclusions?

When there was no other solution, yes, we had to do it.

The club is known for regularly welcoming unaccompanied minors. How many has he received already?

When I worked at the departmental council (as service manager), I handled hundreds of files. Since I have been president of AS Ginglin, depending on the year, we have had between 10 and 25. We maintain a close relationship with the departments of the departmental council, whether administrative staff or social workers. I also rely on Pierrick Le Noane, a former school director very involved in cultural and social actions. We form a pair. He himself will spend his Monday afternoons with so-called unaccompanied minors. Some people don't play Football. It's half a day of discussions. Various activities are offered to them.

Is this work complicated?

Overall, things are going well. These are kids who are a little lost and need guidance. We don't have any problems with them. We even defended the cause of some in the prefecture, young people who – also understandably – were subject to OQTF, Obligations to leave French territory. The problem is that to have a residence permit, you need a job, and to have a job, you need a residence permit. It's the snake that bites its own tail. However, we have some who work well at school, who are perfectly integrated into our home, educated, polite, accepted by others. Their chance is to find a job as an apprentice. We helped many. On the ground, we are the ones who know whether a young person will integrate or not.

Among recent examples, there is that of Prince Camara, then passed by Dol-Samson, the Stade Briochin and currently the GSI Pontivy…

Yes, he is one of them. He was in the locker room with us again the other day. He will come back to play with us, he is a member of the family. I also think of Mamourou (Sinaba) who today works in a butcher's shop in Plérin.

What other actions are you taking?

We provide homework help on Friday and Saturday mornings. We inform them about “eating well”, the environment… We also carry out actions towards women. There are around forty of our 430 licensees. There are fairly targeted actions in the fight against delinquency (alcohol, drugs, etc.). Of course, also, on the fight against racism and secularism.

Is religion a taboo subject at the club?

No, far from it, but it's a complicated subject. For the moment, we only want to apply the principles of the French Football Federation which, for example, prohibits the wearing of the veil on the field. Young girls tried, we explained to them that certain referees could refuse to allow them to play and that this would penalize the whole team. Some refused, the others accepted. But we continue to advocate secularism by refusing ostentatious signs of belonging to a religion. On the other hand, as soon as the Muslim players asked us to have something other than ham during snacks, we obviously served them chicken. We respect each other's customs.

Yes, especially since the first team is a good example of diversity. We have some little guys from home (Jean-Marie Taillard, Mickaël Le Berre, Dorian Haguet, Mathieu Ménard) and players of African origin who are completely integrated into the club. Those from the neighborhood who have been there for a long time (Pindi Soba, Natha Marie-Rose) and others who came from outside, the Samba Diarra, Bakari Coulibaly or Sylvio Bertelli. Without forgetting Azdine Richard who returned to the club with Yacine Larbi. They also correspond well to the Ginglinais spirit.

Why had the club never reached the 8th round of the Coupe de France until then?

Above all, I will tell you why we are there this year. Today, when you are a strictly amateur club, you are stuck at R2 or at the bottom of the R1 table. For several years, I have accepted the principle of match bonuses as well as mileage expenses. Whatever values ​​our players hold, many clubs tried to attract them. This is how we were able to bring in Azdine Richard or Aurélien Joulain, they are both good guys and good players. This is why we are in the 8th round of the Coupe de France. We built a quality team of friends. We also owe it to a competent sports director, Jérôme David, and to the coaches who have succeeded one another: Thierry Ogier, Thierry Bernard and currently Steven Papin and his father, Patrick, who form a nice pair.

Do you see clubs as atypical as yours in Brittany?

I know that TA Rennes does a good job. Afterwards, don't make me say that Ginglin is unique and will teach others lessons, that's not the point at all. Many clubs, even if only in Saint-Brieuc, work for their neighborhood: Saint-Brieuc FO, Croix-Lambert, CO Briochin. Humility and modesty are also part of our values. We will perhaps take 5-0 against Rouen, we were beaten on Sunday by Plouvorn in the championship (0-2). But all the more reason, precisely, to take advantage of it when such a match arrives.

Practical. The match takes place at the Roudourou stadium in Guingamp this Saturday (6:30 p.m.). Entrance: €5, free for under-16s (club members or not). The 400 VIP seats at €20 have already been sold. Scarves: €10.