On Friday, December 20, the Espaly-Saint-Marcel Football club in Haute-Loire challenges Dijon in the 32nd final of the French Football Cup. The club is only in its second season in N3 and it is one of the little thumbs in the competition.
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What if the beautiful story began like that of the greatest: and one and two and three zeros. It is this score which allowed the players of FC Espaly, in Haute-Loire, to access the limelight for the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France. Friday December 20, you will have to push harder than you do on paper. Dijon, in Nationale 1, is a club which has already reached the highest level in its history. Under the eye of coach Lionel Vaillant who took over the team last season when it rose to Nationale 3, the club wants to create the feat, strong in its family spirit and pushed by 400 licensees and around a hundred volunteers. Auguste Jouve, known as Gustou, volunteer leader, says: “The Coupe de France gives you chills. It’s a special competition. Dijon is a National team but they are professionals. They are stronger on paper. You have to go 200% to make the colors of FC Espaly shine. We hope to win and we will have the thrills after the match”.
The staff motivates its troops four times a week in training. The young players will pursue several objectives simultaneously to advance and grow. Lionel Vaillant, coach of the FC Espaly senior boys team, explains: “It’s good to have reached this far in the Coupe de France and to continue the journey. The more competitive matches we play, the more quickly we manage to grow, in the demands and rigor of the competition. Even if it is beautiful, the Coupe de France remains something ephemeral. This can stop at any time, while the championship lasts until the end of June. This is where we must be rigorous, to obtain points quickly enough.”.
Rigor is the watchword of the team’s executives. They are a little afraid of the distraction that this Coupe de France represents, even if this spotlight is welcome for the small club. Christian Perbet, president of FC Espaly, underlines: “There is pressure on the number of tickets each player wants for their loved ones. There is pressure from volunteers who want to meet the specifications of the French Football Federation, which are draconian in terms of security. We’re going to get there. It’s only happiness because if we lose, it’s normal, but since we don’t want to lose, it will be an achievement”.
The stands will be packed and the club’s little family will be behind its players. Mathis Mezaber, left back at FC Espaly, says: “We’re all a bunch of friends. Everyone likes each other and we spend a lot of time together. This is our strength.” Kevis Gjeci, attacking midfielder at FC Espaly, adds: “It’s the club of my heart. I grew up here. This is the first time I have seen the club reach this level. It would almost make me cry because it’s a source of pride. I want us to go as far as possible”.
The French Cup match was almost relocated to Dijon for security reasons, but developments around the stadium will ultimately allow us to experience the club’s little history in the great history of football up close.
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