The history of the National Volleyball League (LNV) is not a long, quiet river. With, traditionally, two visions which oppose each other and which, for several years, have collided. With, on one side, volleyball for all and, on the other, more elite volleyball. During the election for the presidency of the LNV – which was held on Thursday September 26 – it was the first, played by Jean Azéma, who won, facing the second, led by Tourangeau Yves Bouget.
François Bruneau, the president of Tours Volley-Ball, has had a little over a year since taking office to understand these key points. With this in mind, he decided to join the steering committee. If most of the MSL heavyweights were not elected – notably Bruno Soirfeck, the president of Chaumont, but also that of Tourcoing – he was.
“An association is a business”
And he intends to defend a balanced vision between these two poles. “Jean Azéma is tolerant, with the idea of giving everyone a chance, he is for an expanded League B, for a geographical network of clubs. He ultimately has an associative vision when Yves Bouget had an entrepreneurial vision”summarizes François Bruneau. All in a spirit of balance which does not prevent a real conviction in the approach of the president of the TVB, well convinced moreover that“an association is a business”.
“I wanted the club to be represented on the steering committee. It turns out that today, it is rather small clubs which have been elected and that Tours is one of the few big ones, with for example Levallois in the Women’s League. The idea is to continue to grow French volleyball and for TVB to grow too. »
Yves Bouget “has a very good track record”
In this, François Bruneau in no way rejects the results of the Bouget mandate. “He has a very good record, notably increasing the budget from 500,000 to two million euros, with in particular the two namings men’s and women’s A League. Now, when we have money, it is also to provide services. It’s been a year and a half, for example, that I’ve been talking to Yves Bouget about a prize money, at least for the teams that make the play-offs, with a larger sum for the finalist and the champion. »
And this is where François Bruneau intends to work on the steering committee, well aware that the most powerful clubs fear the return of“a fair organization when we should have a level of organization like in Italy” but conversely, Jean Azéma and his team “recognize the work done in terms of excellence”.
“An LNV that supports us, that helps us structure ourselves”
“My goal is to speak out for League A clubs and to lift French volleyball to the top. Basically, I am part of Yves Bouget’s vision of seeking excellence so that French volleyball exists particularly in Europe, and this requires an LNV which supports us, which helps us to structure ourselves. »
A sticking point between certain clubs and the former team, the former criticizing the latter for the lack of run-off.
The next few months will tell if François Bruneau will have achieved his goals, for volleyball and TVB. First meeting, Tuesday October 8, with the distribution of roles, between the election of the office and the composition of the commissions.
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