Being able to sign a third success in four Champions League matches on the lawn of Sparta Prague to seize fourth place in the regular season of the queen of competitions, then falling three days later to the red lantern Montpellier, this is the season that Stade Brestois has decided to lead. Despite a significant expansion of its group, the Breton club pays for its crazy European nights. But what could be more normal for a club of this stature which is probably experiencing the best moments in its history?
Chase away ambient pessimism
A few hours before opening the ball of the 12e day against Monaco, runner-up to PSG, at Louis-II, the balance sheet of the Cité du Ponant club, twelfth in the standings, is not brilliant: only one victory in the last four matches in the championship. At a press conference, Éric Roy was naturally questioned about the dynamics of the Ty-Zefs in Ligue 1. “ We still have to adapt to the rhythm and be able to perform on all deadlines. In every match, I make the best possible team to winassured the 57-year-old coach. Regardless of Ligue 1 or the Champions League, I always prioritize the next match. There is an awareness to be had so as not to go through meetings so much. Mentally or physically. » With 15 matches already on the clock (all competitions combined), the Bretons are sticking their tongues out. “Whether we are at the bottom or at the top, there is always an urgency to take points. I am not satisfied with our start to the season,” adds, a bit disillusioned, the man at the head of the Brest team since January 2023.
The speech of the best coach in Ligue 1 for 2023-2024 is almost alarmist. And for good reason, Stade Brestois completely missed out on its matches against Auxerre, Nice or Montpellier, and is only three points behind play-off Saint-Étienne. But today, it remains difficult to consider Stade Brestois as a credible candidate for the descent to Ligue 2. The squad has been significantly strengthened thanks to the winning bets of sports director Grégory Lorenzi – notably Mama Baldé, Abdallah Sima and even Soumaïla Coulibaly -, and even if turnover has its limits, Roy's men have already shown that they are capable of putting their heads back in the right place, particularly during meetings against Saint-Étienne and Reims. It is obvious that the Breton club will not reproduce a season identical to its fabulous 2023-2024 exercise, but no matter, this squad has a good chance of playing (at least) in the Champions League play-offs. For that alone, he can afford a few failures in the championship.
Between daily bread and a three-star restaurant
For a club like Brest, playing every three days is a colossal challenge. In this new world, learning is permanent, but the benefits are juicy: in addition to the 18.62 million euros in participation bonus, SB29, whose annual budget does not exceed the 50 million mark, has already bring in an additional 7 million euros in the coffers with three wins and a draw. A small additional million will be added if the Ty-Zefs finish between 9e et 16e place, which is very likely, that is already 27 million in the pockets.
Beyond these financial aspects, although vital for a club like Stade Brestois whose new stadium will be built around 2027, the happiness brought by the Bretons in the Champions League is contagious. We are talking about an adventure which will mark a generation of supporters forever, while the daily bread of the faithful of Le Blé was the stress of relegation in the final days of Ligue 1. For all these reasons, the people of Brest must savor every second of this fantastic European story and trust Éric Roy and his staff to lead the Brest boat towards more peaceful waters in the months to come.
The very complicated selection return of Mama Baldé