Etoile Carouge which burns the politeness of the well-off and other powerful figures of the championship, this is the beautiful story of this first third of the season in the Challenge League. No one expected the newly promoted Genevan to be installed in the leader’s chair after 13 days. However, this is the case when the Stelle club goes to challenge FC Thun on Saturday (6 p.m.) for a most unexpected shock at the top.
For Olivier Doglia (44), its president and former player, it is important to savor the present moment: “Being able to play a match at the top after 14 days, that pleases me. It’s always nicer to see your club at the top of the rankings rather than at the bottom…”
At La Fontenette, the promotion has not changed anything in the playing principles, which are as generous as ever. Under the expert hand of Adrian Ursea, Carouge continues to distill his beautiful music and impose his instantly recognizable style whenever he can. However, winning by style, often by seducing people, is by no means a matter of chance. “The goal was not to betray our DNA. The pleasure of the game is an important concept. The group lives very well together, the guys are happy when they arrive on the field,” rejoices the leader, aware that the euphoria will perhaps not last forever. “Everything can go very quickly, in one direction or the other,” recalls our interlocutor.
Beyond the purely sporting aspect, there is the environment of a club which continues its development without financial madness, with its own means (Editor’s note: the first team’s budget has been doubled to 2 million francs this season). “The objective is to establish the club permanently in the Challenge League,” continues its president. We have no debts or delays in paying salaries.” Stability, cohesion and reinforced cantonal identity, these define the progress of the ambitious project. “We continue to grow, we are well on our roadmap.”
And what would happen if Carouge, like SLO, defying all predictions to celebrate two successive climbs in 2023, went after its dream, beating all the favorites in the process to sign a second promotion in a row at the next spring? “When you are first, you have to think about all the scenarios…” Acquired fact: Olivier Doglia does not intend to restrict his players in any way. “For them, it’s full throttle!” he exclaims. They need to keep having fun. They are the ones who make the name of Carouge shine in Switzerland, far from Geneva.”
If the word promotion is not taboo, it does not (yet?) monopolize the managers of Fontenette. “We don’t get fired up. The real questions will arise at Christmas if we are still on the podium.” Carouge has not played in the elite since the 1997-1998 season when he only made a quick return trip. “If sporting things go up, there is always a way to find arrangements.”
One of the obstacles to promotion concerns infrastructure. Property of the city, the stadium on the banks of the Arve, whose capacity does not exceed 3,800 seats, is not approved for the Super League. Work is certainly already planned for next summer concerning lighting but more work is needed to obtain, if necessary, an exemption. The option of moving (finding refuge at the Geneva stadium for example) seems very unrealistic.
All this still seems very far away for a team firmly anchored in the present. “We want to continue on our merry way,” concludes Olivier Doglia. As it stands, it’s a nice path that can lead far.
Adrian Ursea: “We are first but we can’t be bothered”
Adrian Ursea, what does it feel like to find yourself in the shoes of a leader, as a coach?
It’s certainly enjoyable, even if it’s episodic. The work weeks go better, especially at this time of the season. Everything is lighter, with more energy. We must take advantage of this to continue to progress. But we don’t take ourselves for what we are not.
How to approach this summit match against Thun?
Like any other match, without changing anything. It’s motivating to play against the No. 1 candidate going up. We have to stick to what we know how to do. As far as I know, there are only three points at stake, right? At the end of the match, either we will have learned in the event of defeat, or we will have won. In both cases, we will have grown thanks to FC Thun.
Um, between you, promotion… is it a taboo word?
At all! But why would we talk about it now? Already last year, in the Promotion League, we weren’t talking about it at this time, it came much later, well after Christmas. There, we are first but we are not worried about it. The only real objective that matters is to be better, to reconnect with this tradition of the Carougeoise game.
