“I knew exactly what to expect.”

A year and a half after his departure from the VAFC, Nicolas Rabuel returned to the sidelines by taking control of Epinal, resident of National 2. And during an interview given to the media 13heuresfoot.frthe 46-year-old technician looked back on his experience in Valencia.

Valenciennes, long-term learning

After his career as a right back where he played between the CFA and Ligue 1, Nicolas Rabuel settled down at VAFC in 2015. There, he discovered the position of assistant. A position that he will occupy until 2022 before taking the reins of the first team in Ligue 2. A first experience in the professional environment which makes sense: “I had prepared for it by having coached the young people in Boulogne, the U19s and the reserves in Valenciennes and by having carried out some temporary work. I knew exactly what I should expect.” At the end of the 2021-2022 season, he obtained his Professional Football Coaching Certificate (BEPF).

2022-23, as a coach, he will quickly propose different methods, try to bring his touch. During the first part of the season, the Valenciennes are ranked fifth in the general classification. Unfortunately, the tide will turn later. The young coach will be asked to leave following a series of eight games without a win. Despite this, he has positive memories of this first experience: “It’s a season that has been very rich in learning.”

During this 2022-2023 season, he learned different concepts about: “the way to build a squad and be able to perform but also on the management of players, staff and management”.

A rational coach on the functioning of the club

During his time as assistant, the former Valenciennes coach allowed a number of young people who came through the training center to progress to the first team. He gets immense satisfaction from it, “a pride”. However, knowing the financial difficulties of the club and its operation, he knew that most of the young people would no longer be at the club:

“In Valenciennes, we were forced each season to have to sell our best young people to balance the budget and we rarely had the opportunity to have sufficient nest egg to say that by selling our players we were improving the daily life of the club”. To this, the former Boulogne-Sur-Mer full-back adds: “I’m talking more about improving the infrastructure of the training center, being able to develop the staff of educators. To have good young people, you also need good supervision.”

Having left through the back door after a record of 9 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats, Nicolas Rabuel will try to bring his expertise in the professional world and his footballing vision to Epinal. Currently 9th in Group C in National 2, the club has in mind a return to National.

Nicolas CASTEL-MARECHAL

Photo credits: Alex Martin/FEP/Icon Sport