Every week, Goal! will give the floor to a Girondin to talk about this season in the hell of National 2. For this first, we called on the experienced Cédric Yambéré (34 years old), who returned this summer to help the club from his hometown, whose he has always been a supporter.
His return to the Girondins
“John Williams (FCGB sporting director) contacted me and asked me if I was interested in returning to the Girondins. It was quite quick on my side, the response was positive straight away. Afterwards, we had to find an agreement with my club (KI Klaksvik, in the Faroe Islands) to release me. The managers knew that they were going to return to National 2, they wanted me to bring my experience, my quality to the field. For me, it was obvious. Bordeaux is the city where I was born, the Girondins are the club that I supported when I was younger, where I started… I said straight away that I was keen to come back. It didn't bother me to leave professional Football because the Girondins remain the Girondins. I was keen to give my last years to this club, to help it regain the place it deserves. »
A club that has changed a lot since his departure in 2017
“The infrastructure is still there, it is good. We are an N2 club but we have professional infrastructures. We have good tools. But it’s true that it’s surprising to see the state of the club, what it has become. We have a mission, that’s what we focus on. There are difficult moments, like the departure of employees, especially since I knew some of them. But we will fight for them, so that their sacrifice was not in vain. »
A group that grows every day
“At the sporting level, things were done rather well. During the first day against Poitiers, there was a draw (1-1). Then, there was a wave of arrivals, which made it more complicated against Dinan (1-2). But since then, things have been falling into place. We are undefeated. We capitalize on that. The coach and staff are doing a good job. The surrounding team also does good things, which makes our lives easier. We work well physically and tactically and we improve week after week. We are taken a little more seriously in the championship. We have to continue like this, it's a marathon and the climb will be played out until the end. »
His role as big brother
“On the pitch, we talk to each other a lot. Each player knows why he is there, why he signed for the Girondins de Bordeaux. It's important to remember this every day when you walk through the door of the training center. Being local, if I can help off the field, I don't hesitate. If my teammates need anything, I'm there for them. But the young people know the history of the club, there is no problem. Afterwards, there are little tips, like the swimsuits that we can wear or not (laughs)… But yes, I am present. »
Quality young people
“Young people are respectful, hardworking and talented. There are twenty of us in the group. If there's something wrong, we'll tell each other, whether it's an elder like me or the younger ones. The important thing is to say things to yourself and move forward. So far, there have been no generational problems. And it's important because if there is this respect between us, there is respect for the institution. And that's the main thing because it's the club above all. »
Andy Carroll's place in the locker room
“He’s not withdrawn at all, even if he doesn’t speak French very well. He is part of the active life of the group. Some players speak English, others Franglais (laughs)… Everyone manages to make themselves understood. Andy brings a lot of experience. When he speaks, everyone listens. It's very positive. »
The National 2, another world
“I knew there was a good level because I followed clubs and friends who play in National 2. My opinion may be biased because our team was formed late and we faced opponents who were already ready and well prepared . Obviously, that distorts the opinion we have of the teams. But now that we're at the point, we realize that it's quite physical. There are also technical players in all teams. It comes down to defensive strength and offensive accuracy. We have the best defense in the championship and we are improving in attack, we are going in the right direction…
Arbitration? (Laughs) It's the eternal debate, whether in Ligue 1, Ligue 2 or at our level. It can be complicated but most of the time, we come across good referees who are in the dialogue. And that's the most important thing. It helps to explain, to calm the mind. But there is always something to complain about (laughs).
I don't feel any shock when we play away because, last season, I was in the Faroe Islands and it was the same spirit. There is this smell of amateur football which means that we all find ourselves glued to each other in the locker room (laughs)… When we want to do our prep, we have to ask the other if he has finished… It’s is quite funny, good atmosphere and I think that's important too. Because in Bordeaux, we have tools from the professional world. Being in locker rooms like that puts our feet back on the ground. We say to ourselves “Guys, we are very far from the objective we want to achieve”. »
The objective of the season
“We have two matches, against Stade Briochin and La Roche VF (FCGB is currently 4th, eight points behind the leader, Saint-Malo, with one more match to play). At the truce, we will be able to take stock. If we're close enough, we can talk about going back up. The coach said that it could be a goal without being one, given where we are starting from, but as far as I am concerned, I would like to go back this year. Today, it's difficult to plan ahead. What we've done is already pretty good. It could have been better but it's not bad. Afterwards, we are the Girondins de Bordeaux, we must play the climb. »
The 32e Coupe de France final against Rennes
“We don’t talk about it. The players are aware of where we are. We are focusing on the two championship matches. Afterwards, we will be able to plan the party at home with our audience. We talked about Rennes just after the draw but we immediately said that we first had to win the matches that were coming up. »
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