The decision had been made for a while. I had no trouble announcing it because it is a thoughtful choice, that I had anticipated. I did not know too much when to announce it, it was mainly my problem. It does not necessarily change something but it is true that to have announced it, to have received some messages, I realized that it materializes, that the end approach. But it is an assumed decision.
You have done things big through a video alongside Laurent Marti and Fabien Garthié…
I went to see Laurent to let him know what I wanted to do, something that looked like me a little, that we could laugh and take out a nice little announcement, as we always did with him during my career. It was to punctuate this red thread. He accepted. And to push hilarity, I also wanted to announce my international retirement. I called Fabien last week. To my surprise, it was very excited. He had a big week but he got out of time on Saturday morning. We all granted our violins and we all found ourselves at Ceva Campus for a little time out of time, quite lunar. But it was done very naturally. Thank you for playing the game.
You will experience your first tenure with the UBB since March 31, 2024, against Lyon precisely. What inspires you?
We loop the loop. It's a nice little wink. It was very long following this injury contracted at the quadriceps there. I am very happy to replay, to find the atmosphere of Chaban. I know that I don't have a long career ahead of me, the matches are counted now. So I want to crunch everything that arises, to enjoy at all times. I'm still a player, so count on me to try to bring as much as possible to the team. It's been a while since I was seen, I'm hungry for play. I hope it will result in the field.
How did you go through this long tunnel mentally?
It is never easy. Unfortunately, I was a little used to it throughout my career. It's part of the job, you have to know how to face it, always hang on so as not to sink. It is difficult when you are the victim of relapses. Knowing that I saw my last season, I wanted to come back to live as many matches and sensations as possible. It is clear that it was missed on the first part of the season. I doubted. But I was very well surrounded, whether by my family or at the club. The first game at the Stade Français was a real oxygen puff. I sold 2024 which was not a great year. 2025 begins under better auspices. I hope the season will end up.
-“Finish on a title, I dream of it. I would be very happy, I could leave with a beautiful banana ”
Is the duplicate period a good opportunity to show up?
Of course. It is on these periods that I have been expected. Last year, we still had a lot of sin. We have learned lessons from the past. We are keen to do the job, to hold the hut. We have a group and players who are largely capable of it. The game project is clearly assimilated, we have a solid base. It's up to us to rely on it to continue the dynamics (9 row wins).
When you go back on these ten seasons spent at the UBB, what do you say?
We are not yet in the nostalgic period. But since 2015, the club has obviously grown up: be it infrastructure, staff, players, training conditions … Everything has evolved, everything has become more demanding. The club was well structured to reach this high level. We played the soft belly and we just talked about qualification at the time. Today, I do not think too much to be mistaken, being humble, saying that we are still in the right wagon of the top of the table. That's good, you have to perpetuate it. This club and its supporters deserve to get a title to really validate this progression.
Knowing that you live your last season, has the title still become a little more an obsession?
