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serge.velain
Published on
Nov 15 2024 at 2:06 p.m
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This Saturday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m., FC Serquigny-Nassandres (FCSN) “will receive” (the match is at the Bielman stadium in Lisieux) l'En Avant Guingamp (EAG), under the 7e tower of the French Cupthis magical event for which 7,298 clubs registered this year. Five divisions separate the EAG, resident of Ligue 2, and the FCSN, which plays in Regional 2. For the FCSN – the amateur club made it known on its social networks – it is “the match of a lifetime” .
What about EAG professionals? Well, for them too, this match is important. It must be said that the club is very attached to this Coupe de France.
Guingamp has won this Coupe de France twice…
En Avant Guingamp (EAG) and the Coupe de France are a long historywith its share of suspense, successes and failures.
Among the successes are theThe two victories acquired in 2009 and 2014. Both times against the same opponent… neighbor and rival Stade Rennais, which EAG beat 2-1 in 2009 and 2-0 in 2014. The two clubs faced each other again in 2024 but this time, it It was Stade Rennes who beat EAG, at the Roudourou stadium, 2-0.
By winning the trophy twice, the EAG is part ofa restricted circle : since the creation of the event in 1917, only seven teams have had two victories, thirteen others having won the cup more than twice.
… but was also eliminated by amateurs
But rather than brandishing the cup, the EAG sometimes drank the chalice to the dregsand this very early in the competition. This was the case recently (in 2022-2023) against Herbiers (National 2), which at 8e round of the competition eliminated the EAG (2-2, 4-3 on the tabs).
And last year En Avant came close to stumbling on the 7the round. Sylvain Ripoll's players won on penalties (2-2, 4-2 on the tabs) against a National 2 club, US Saint-Malo. Then they painfully beat AG Caen, 1-0, in the next round, before being eliminated by Rennes. This can give hope to the Serquigny-Nassandres players.
In the championship, the good and the less good
What about in the championship?
The EAG has been evolving since 2019-2020 in Ligue 2after knowing four seasons in Ligue 1the highest French level. Since last August, the EAG has alternated between the good and the less good. Beat 3-1 at Lorient this Saturday November 9, 2024, En avant is currently 7e with 19 points, 6 victories, a draw and 6 defeats.
His attack, with his 21 goals and 13 appearancesoften makes the powder speak; It is the 4e best attack in Ligue 2with those of Metz and Annecy.
His defense, often remodeled due to injuries, is on the other hand fragile; she has conceded 19 goals in the league, only Rodez, Red Star and Martigues have done worse. The excellent goalkeeper Enzo Basilio, however, does everything he can to keep his clean sheet and displays excellent statistics in this regard: Basilio, who played with the EAG for his 150e match on November 2 against Grenoble, celebrated his 50the “clean sheet” (meeting without conceding a goal).
In the championship, the EAG's start-of-season objective – at least play in the play-offs for accession to Ligue 1 at the end of the season – is still relevant today.
The cut is something else
What about the French Cup? The EAG makes no pretensions but will not neglect this competition, which the club takes very seriously.
In this regard, as is customary in the championship, EAG coach Sylvain Ripoll does not answer questions from journalists, except those asked the day before the match at a press conference. We were therefore not able to question him. But a man within the club, who knows its history and workings perfectly, is able to say more. This man is Christophe Gautier, communications directorreached by telephone.
First of all, the latter gave us “a little scoop”. Is the rumor that the EAG had sent an emissary to supervise the Serquigny-Nassandres match against Mesnil-Esnard on November 2 founded? we asked him. Well yes…
We sent someone to supervise Serquigny-Nassandres when this team played away to Mesnil-Esnard. He told us his feeling, namely: FC Serquigny-Nassandres is a good team.
The communications director will not say more to journalists, the EAG supervisor reserving a full return to the staff of the Breton club.
For the EAG, it all started with the Coupe de France
For Christophe Gautier, 59, a former amateur player, the EAG attaches all the more importance to the Coupe de France as it is almost “here it all began”says the football enthusiast.
Remember, in 1972-1973, Guingamp played in DSR, the equivalent of Regional 2 today, and had beaten the professionals from Laval, Brest, Le Mans then Lorient in the Coupe de France. It is to date the most beautiful story of a Tom Thumb in section.
The formidable epic will end in the round of 16 against Rouenthen resident of D2 (today Ligue 2). “A defeat but what does it matter, this team has already made history and laid the foundations of the future great Guingamp,” wrote Laurent Le Fur, journalist at L’Écho de l’Armor et de l’ArgoatNovember 22, 2022.
In this article, our colleague recalled that in 1974, En Avant moved up to the Honorary Division; then in D3 in 1976 and in D2 in 1977.
Serquigny will play against his big brother
“The history of Guingamp can be that of Serquigny in the years to come,” affirms Christophe Gautier without arguing because according to him, “everything is possible in football”.
“Serquigny is going to play against his big brother,” said the communications director. But even between “brothers” and even more so when we are competitors, we prefer the roles of heroes to those of victims, and that is why Guingamp is preparing the meeting on November 16 at the Bielman stadium in Lisieux – shot of dispatch at 6:30 p.m. – seriously and with the greatest respect for the adversary.
What will be the team composition to face Serquigny-Nassandres?
We're not going to lie to each other, we're not going to leave any suspense… Which team will coach Sylvain Ripoll field to face Serquigny-Nassandres this Saturday, November 16 in Lisieux, as we write this article, we don't know anything about it! And we must not count on the coach's entourage – who perhaps himself “knows nothing” – to announce anything. This is probably not very important because given the difference in level between the two teams – as a reminder, Guingamp plays in Ligue 2, FC Serquigny-Nassandres in regional 2, five divisions below – it doesn't matter who will play, the favorite will not change sides.
“I can still tell you one thing, Kalidou Sidibé will not play, because he will be suspended,” confides Christophe Gautier, communications director of the EAG. One less thorn in the foot(s) of the Serquignacais, as the impact of the solid midfielder (2.02 m, 90 kg) is significant. Perhaps the coach will also rest certain players. We saw central defender Pierre Lemonnier come out holding his thigh during the match last Saturday against Lorient…
In defense in particular, the EAG has not been spared since the resumption of the championship by injuries, for example those of Donatien Gomis and Idriss Planeix, kept off the field for a while. “But there are very good young people at the club who play in the reserves but can also play in the first team,” underlines Christophe Gautier. The reserve, which plays in Nationale 3, is currently leader of its group, in which FC Flers plays, which FC Serquigny-Nassandres eliminated in the cup in the previous round.
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