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WebGirondins: how can you describe the N2 championship?
Jérôme Bouchacourt (Footamateur.fr): it has been a special championship for 2 years with the reform of the FFF. It went from 4 groups of 16 teams to 3 groups of 16 teams. There are historic clubs, like the Girondins de Bordeaux, AS Cannes, Toulon, clubs with a great past like Créteil, Épinal, and former professional clubs, like Chambly, facing clubs like Saint-Priest, Saumur, Châteaubriant, Aubervilliers which are more modest. Cannes has a budget between €6 and €7 million, Fréjus between €4 and €5 million, Toulon is at least €4 million, not to mention Bordeaux between €7 and €8 million. This contrasts with Saumur and Aubervilliers, whose budgets are around €500,000. It's heterogeneous with clubs where players work, like Châteaubriant, Aubervilliers, Furiani, compared to clubs like Fleury-Mérogis which has more than 20 federal contracts.
And in terms of the game?
It's not the same thing to play Saint-Brieuc, Avranches, or Les Herbiers as Cannes, Fréjus, Istres, Grasse. I discussed it with the N2 coaches. In the Paris region, the teams are very athletic, in the Great West, the teams are very playful. Pierre Aristouy telling me that the championships are completely different depending on the geographical area. The game is different depending on the region.
“The Girondins midfielder is completely unsuitable at this level”
John Williams, the sporting director of Amiens and Bordeaux, developed the Girondins squad, what do you think of this group?
I watch some of their matches. This is a completely unbalanced team. Bordeaux are very strong defensively and have a very good goalkeeper. Andy Carroll and Yanis Merdji are good, but you don't have a midfielder. We can clearly see this in the recruitment priorities of Bruno Irlès which are not heard. I don't know who is recruiting, but I think Williams has a lot to do with it.
The midfielder is completely unsuitable at this level. The big concern that Bruno Irlès pointed out internally is that the recruitment of the Girondins is based on players coming from abroad (Diallo, Mutyaba, Beugré) while there are very good players in N2, even in N3 who knowing these championships, which will be cheaper. Moreover, the payroll of the Girondins is quite high. For example, Diallo comes from the English U23 championship, this has nothing to do with the N2 or National game. You have to be very clear.
“I don’t see Saint-Malo stalling”
Can Bordeaux come back to the level of Saint-Malo? (Eight points separate the two teams, Editor’s note)
Only Saint-Malo has the answer. Collectively, Saint-Malo is stronger. Individually it's worth it if you remove Carroll and Merdji. In addition, Saint-Malo signed Bangoura, a former pro at Brest, from Versailles who is a super player. So an offensive touch is brought to their team. Coach Gwen Corbin is very attached to the team, which is something that Bordeaux lacks. I don't know who can come back to Saint-Malo.
-What makes Bordeaux and Saint-Malo different?
Saint-Malo has set up a machine. It is a club that has played leading roles for 10 years with the exception of two difficult seasons. It’s a club that knows how to do things. He always finishes at the top of the rankings. Saint-Malo has a structure. We see it with their women who moved up to the Second League (D2) this year and who are in the middle of the table. It's a club that works well on all components. In addition, 90% of the club's budget comes from private funds and partners. I don't see them stalling sportingly.
It’s the “crystal ball” moment, where will the Girondins finish?
I think they will finish second, because the gap with Saint-Pryvé (2nd) is not huge. We have to be careful that there are not too many injured. The Girondins' concern is having too limited a squad. In addition, on the lineups, Irlès does not trust the reserve players. I think that a Malick Seck or a Jérémie Grain could contribute (both players played in N2 last season, Editor's note).
Bordeaux recruited two players during this transfer window, what do you think?
Yvan Ikia Dimi has nothing to do at this level in National 2. I know that Omar Daf, the Amiens coach, wanted to keep him. Nobody understood why he arrived in N2 when National 1 clubs were interested. It's very strange. Beugré is the unknown. His profile is very surprising, because it is the same profile as Andy Carroll. Can you play two players over 1.90m together in attack? I'm skeptical, I don't see what this can bring to N2.
N.P
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