Christophe Lopez, U15 women’s coach, takes part in an exclusive interview. What is your football background? I have been playing football since the age of 6, I have been in clubs like ASPPT, Colomiers, Blagnac. I stopped in Seniors at Merville due to my age and personal obligations. I always came back to football because it’s my passion. Today I play as veterans. When and how was the women’s leisure team formed? I just arrived this year. Last year and the year before the group was already formed by François with Erwan, Tristan and Ylan. I stopped coaching in U17 boys. I wanted to have a football experience other than the one I always had with boys. What is your perception of the evolution of this team? There is a very good group, some girls already have a very good level. I hope to pass on all my football experience to them. What is the state of mind of the players? They want to win their matches. The girls are more grumpy than the boys but this bodes well in the sense that in recent years they have started playing football. They win. What is special about coaching women? For me it’s all new. What’s interesting is that I don’t know them, they don’t know me. The work that was done upstream was great. I have a competitive team made up of very good players. We are already at 35 goals in 2 games. In this group we are above but they also know that when there is a shuffle, they will fall against teams that are more difficult to win. What does such an investment get you? This is my 5th year as coach since before I had boys in U13, U14, U15…. I followed them. It’s time to share, I love, it’s pleasure for me. It’s satisfying to see them win. When a goal is scored, I can get a tear in my eye. This is the result of the work carried out during training. A word for your players? You are fighters, don’t give up girls!
