“The scenario was perfect! »

President and coach of Stade Briochin (N2), Guillaume Allanou looks back on the feat achieved in the Coupe de France against Le Havre AC (L1).

Before playing this thirty-second final, Guillaume Allanou wondered a little about the new calendar for the Coupe de France with a match at the end of December. “It was a first experience with this match placed just before the holidaysadmits the president-coach of Stade Briochin. The first thought was that it would be better to play Ligue 1 clubs at the beginning of January, after returning from vacation. But ultimately this new formula is not bad (smile). »

He cannot say the opposite since his club eliminated Le Havre AC after a successful match. “We did exactly what we wanted to dohe rejoices. We all did the job, whether it was the staff or the players. For a coach, when everything translates in this way on the pitch it is very satisfying. » Because Stade Briochin really had the perfect match. To a point that Didier Digard, the Le Havre coach, said “I don’t know if it’s shameful or logical in relation to performance” from Ouest-France.

Guillaume Allanou: “The conditions were really met! »

Guillaume Allanou was even surprised by his opponent's wait-and-see attitude. “I expected a rebellion after their defeat in Strasbourg (0-3)he assures. But we increased the intensity by hindering them on their way out of the ball. They couldn't find solutions. I wanted to be pricked to make them doubt. And that’s what we managed to do. In addition, we got real possession sessions. The scenario was perfect! »

With just over 4,000 spectators and a brand new grandstand inaugurated for the occasion, the joy was at its height on the Saint-Brieuc side. “Everyone got in tune to make it a great partyunderlines Guillaume Allanou. The club of course but also the communities and the Prefecture. Because the stand should only have opened in January. The conditions were really met! »

What does the president-coach now want for the round of 16? “A match during the week is always complicated to managehe says. We experienced it against Lens in 2018. So I hope we can play at home because I don't want to cross France to play on a Wednesday evening. Then, we will have to manage the group well because we will play seven matches in a month. » Stade Briochin will indeed resume competition on January 4 with a late match against Bourges. A hell of a program to come!