AMTF co-president Bernard Espié hopes to see his team, which receives Montauban this Sunday, maintained in D2F, and talks about preparing for next season.
How do you feel about the approach of this derby which will also be a final for the maintenance in D2F?
It is almost a real accession that we are going to play, it is a new D2 which is being created and which will be part of the new Women’s Professional Football League (LFPF). We will throw all our forces into the battle to succeed in this challenge on Sunday. Knowing that if we did not succeed there would still be a “catch-up session” but which would be even more difficult to understand (in Saint-Etienne). Finally we are preparing as a team that will play a final, the final of our championship.
Next season is getting ready now. How to envisage the continuation when we do not yet know in which division the club will be?
What concerns me is rather the staff. I spoke with everyone and, a priori, they will all be on the starting line except for Hugo Boutin who is leaving the region. I take this opportunity to thank him for all the work he has done this season. For the players, it is Alain (Bénédet) who collects all the applications, carries out the tests and views all that. We have of course started to work, but we work by saying that all of this can be validated when we know definitively whether we are maintaining our position or not. At that time, we will recruit such and such players.
Twelve teams will be relegated. If you stay, will you focus your recruiting efforts on players from these formations?
We focus on all categories. D1 Arkema players are looking to recover playing time, some of D2F will want to bounce back in a maintained club. It is certain that there will be a significant number of players who will seek to remain in this division.
With the creation of the new LFPF, new regulations for clubs playing in D2F will come into force for the 2024/2025 season. For the moment, you are not in the nails. How do you plan to fix it?
It’s a bit uncertain. For next year, we have no obligation. It is clear that we still lack a significant number of private investors to support us in this adventure. If we were to continue, the summer will be devoted to finding the partners we need. Alain will take care of the players, François (Enguilabert, co-president) and I will seriously consider this question of partners.
Albi Marssac wants to consolidate his future
The game of the year. Often hot, the derby against the neighbor Montalbanais is always an appointment in the season for the AMTF. Tomorrow, it will be a bonus final for the maintenance in D2F.
For the past few weeks, the Isatis have been winning a string of victories and remain on a series of four consecutive successes. With 15 goals scored and only 1 conceded in the previous four days, they prepared for this derby with confidence. “The girls want to continue with a fifth victory in order to access the new D2F which will be very tough. The players display an irreproachable state of mind, are on a good dynamic and it shows in training. The group has enormous confidence and we will have to manage to transcribe it on the pitch,” says Alain Bénédet, the AMTF coach.
Ending the season in style
If they win, the Isatis would break away from Grenoble and formalize their place in D2F next season. Grenoble women who will not have an easy task against Yzeure either and who must win the last two games to pass the AMTF. In the event of defeat, the Tarnaises could well go to Saint-Etienne, undisputed leader of the group, to validate their maintenance…
No calculations to do so, this weekend, we will have to end the season in style for the last one at home. In the first leg, the Isatis had performed well but lost 1-0 in Tarn-et-Garonne. There is therefore a revenge to be taken, and for that, the Isatis know what they have to do. “Montauban will not give anyone a gift, we know that, warns the Tarn coach. It’s going to be up to us to put ourselves above this team. We know our percussion strength when we play at home so we will put all the assets on our side on the offensive level. We will try to stay on this dynamic with the same motivation, the same desire to win the matches, ”explains the AMTF coach.
For this key meeting, he will be able to count on all of his workforce except Pauline Mehadji, Maïssane Kenzari and Camille Toumi, all three suspended. He also hopes to be able to count on the support of the Albigensian public.
R.D.
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