the essential
Rodez AF will soon begin its sixth year in L2 on the momentum of a championship which has just seen it finish fourth and beaten in the play-off final by Saint-Étienne 2-0, Friday May 24, at Geoffroy-Guichard .
“It’s a fabulous season that we’ve had,” explains Ruthenian President Pierre-Olivier Murat. The elimination in the play-off final in Saint-Étienne cannot spoil the general feeling that we loved this Aveyron team throughout a Ligue 2 season leading it to fourth place with a record of 60 points. Today, subscriptions for the next championship are operating at maximum.
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In Aveyron, and even beyond, the RAF has earned a reputation as a vibrant team “which gives pleasure when you come to see it”.
End of work at Paul-Lignon
The rehabilitation work on the Paul-Lignon stadium is nearing completion to bring the Rouergate arena to 6,500 seats next January. Before that, the delivery of the grandstand will have taken place in July 2024 with the changing rooms in the basement and new social spaces on the upper floors. A turning point in the life of the club since, during its first 5 seasons in Ligue 2, the RAF never had an operational stadium at its disposal. “Our lever of action to be more efficient economically involves the use of a modern stadium which will provide us with new resources”, has always underlined Pierre-Olivier Murat.
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The upcoming season will give him this tool. However, with its budget close to €9M, Rodez AF is, like all professional clubs, dependent on TV rights. There, it’s a complete blur. “We don’t know how to establish a budget since we lack the figure for TV rights on which we rely…”
Keep the same style of play
It should be remembered that the coach, Didier Santini, will renew his offensive transition game system next year. This is the basis for recruitment which will take place in the coming weeks. There, the recruitment unit is on deck all year round to unearth nuggets like Haag, Taïbi or the loans from Sylla, Hountondji and Arconte.
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Didier Santini’s playing philosophy is the assurance of seeing an attractive way of playing again next year. Regarding departures, returns to their original clubs are recorded for Hountondji (Caen), Arconte (Brest), Sylla (Lorient), Jaouen (Reims). The defender, Raux-Yao, signed for Rapid Vienna. Players under contract can then leave, “for whom we cannot refuse the offer”.
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We think of the striker Corredor, the subject of several requests as well as the midfielders Haag and Taïbi… Also at the end of their contract are the Depres, Danger, Younoussa, Rajot, Park. And as Pierre-Olivier Murat analyzed recently “there will be departures. To keep everyone, we would have had to access Ligue 1”.
