Football: What Servette should ask Santa Claus

If Servette had been better able to hold his place when he took the lead in the Super League, on the evening of his 1-3 victory against Zurich at the Letzigrund on October 27, his supporters would not be cursing an end catastrophic year 2024.

But the garnet club failed to display the ambitions of a potential candidate for the title. Thus he has only managed to celebrate one success since his “false” takeover of power, against three draws and as many defeats. A record unworthy of a pretender.

Rejected to 5th place after being ejected from the podium at the break, the Geneva club is even reduced to looking behind itself rather than projecting towards the summits. Before thinking about the title, he will first have to secure his place in the final round, which is far from being guaranteed – in fact it is not for almost anyone – even though there are still… 45 points to go. take until the end of the third qualifying round, April 21.

Servette's real luck is the incredible density of the championship, where none of the seven leaders who have succeeded one another has established themselves in the long term. With six teams grouped into just four points, this considerably opens up the field of possibilities. You can get to the top just as quickly as you go down.

The question – worth several million francs – which the leaders of Praille will have to answer between – or before – the Christmas turkey and the New Year's fun is apparently simple: does Servette want to play for the title and, in this case – there, to ensure that we really give ourselves the means (which would amount to strengthening a contingent whose limits we have been able to perceive)? Or does he primarily intend to recover his investment while making a substantial capital gain intended to replenish his coffers? It is of course not quite the same thing nor the same strategy but in both cases, the issue remains primarily linked to one man: Derek Kutesa, best triggerman in the championship (11 goals).

If it were to be acted upon during the winter transfer window, the departure of its jewel would seriously bury Servette's chances of getting involved in a title race that is more open than ever. At a time when the Geneva public has been waiting for a champion title for more than a quarter of a century (June 2, 1999 at Pontaise), this would also represent a difficult disavowal for the Praille kop, convinced that it is undoubtedly this time or never.

Twelve months ago, Servette let his striker Chris Bedia slip away, whose transfer to Berlin had earned him some 2 million euros. But we also know what it cost Geneva for a long time in the race for the title before fading in the spring, for lack of having a real scorer and a sufficiently stocked bench.

The subsidiary question lies in the real ambitions of those responsible for the SFC: in the medium term, what do they intend to do with the Football section? In the garnet galaxy, there is also hockey, rugby and soccer girls. That's a lot of different entities to satisfy, perhaps too many, at a time when financial circuits seem tinged with mystery (where does the money go?).

Without prejudging what we might find under the tree at the Geneva stadium, Servette supporters need a strong signal, likely to reassure them. This could take the form of recruitment – finally – living up to popular expectations.

Yes, a transfer window for a future champion, that's exactly what Servette would need from Santa Claus to do something other than daydream. It's up to René Weiler to now put on the right costume before a winter transfer window which, from Lugano (1st) to Young Boys (9th), promises to be decisive in this exciting title race with obstacles.