President of EFC Beaucairois, Johnny Ecker flourishes in the amateur world.
How do you cope with the current situation?
Very bad. Whether you are a player, an educator or a president, you do not live well being stopped in this way. Not being able to make our kids progress, not seeing them anymore, it’s terribly frustrating. Many parents and educators call me to find out when we can resume, I sometimes have the impression of being the President of the Republic (laughs). We try to communicate quite often, and we wait. We had a first issue on Monday, with the municipality of Beaucaire, which received the prefectural order authorizing the opening of the sports complex. We will be able to find the grounds today, it is a huge relief. It’s the only thing that matters to me today.
As a former professional, are you happy in the amateur world?
Completely, I find myself there completely. After having started in small clubs, I was professional for fourteen years, without worrying about the amateur world. After my career, I found this environment again, through my friend Youssef Bouzar. I started to pass my diplomas and I got caught up in the game. I am passionate, transmitting what I love is something exceptional. And then, seeing all the money brewed in football while amateur clubs are struggling made me want to invest in it. A lot of people don’t know what running an amateur club is all about, all the constraints we face. But I have a golden team, which is fully committed to my side. I am very happy to be where I am.
Should professional football support the amateur world more?
Totally. It’s funny that we’re talking about this, because this morning I saw an article on PSG which was going to help clubs in the Paris region. I don’t know how high and under what conditions, but I find it great. Maybe I’m saying bullshit (sic), but if you take 1% of professional salaries, to donate them to amateur clubs, believe me that would make endowments.
Why did you embark on this adventure?
If we created the EFCB, with Laurent Quinto, it is out of pure passion. We have no financial interest in doing this, I even made quite a few enemies. We are just passionate people. Five years later, I didn’t think we could have accomplished all of this, that it was possible to have almost all of our teams at the highest regional level. It’s the greatest reward, I’m very proud of it.
Is the partnership between EFCB and OM a chance for you?
Obviously. When a club like OM calls us and offers us to work with us, we can only be proud. It is the reward for the work of all educators. Afterwards, at the EFCB, we have no exclusivity, I will never prohibit a boy from going to Nice or Saint-Etienne because we are in partnership with another club. And to answer those who wonder why Ecker prefers to go to Montpellier rather than Nîmes, while it is my club of heart, it is simply because Nîmes does not want to work with Ecker and is not interested to its players, and when it does, goes directly through the parents. I tried to interact with them, but I did not go further. We cannot compete with a professional club.
Nîmes and Marseille will face each other on Friday evening.
It will be a very important game for both teams, even if the objectives are different. The two clubs have two identities that are quite similar in their mentality, with knowledgeable and difficult audiences. When I talk about it, I still get chills. You have to give your maximum for these two clubs, for these supporters. On the other hand, don’t ask me to make a prediction, may the best win (laughs).
“To be there today is a source of pride”
At 32, Aurélien Berthomieu has just achieved the rank of international assistant referee. The native of Béziers will find himself on the European and international scene in 2021.
How do you live your progress?
That’s wonderful. I can’t say I had to dream of it when I was younger. When I started at 16, I saw officiating more as a passion. But over the years, we get caught up in the game and we tell ourselves that we can go higher. Things were done gradually, with a lot of work. We must never forget that it is a passion activity. To be there today is a source of pride, but not only for me. I am thinking of all those who trained me, the colleagues with whom I refereed, all those I was able to meet in Occitanie. If I had to give advice to a young referee, it would be to live his passion serenely and to work. If he succeeds, so much the better, and if not, that’s okay. You must not let go and believe in your lucky star.
How do you approach this new stage?
I have already had the chance to referee a League Cup final and a Europa League match. In the same way that we project ourselves by watching Ligue 1 matches when we are young, we say to ourselves “why not me” when we see European matches. We will move slowly, gradually, probably attacking with youth competitions. This will allow you to see the level, to gain experience, to observe the different types of arbitration. Having new designations in the Europa League would already be something great. Afterwards, if I have the opportunity, one day, to enter a field with the music of the Champions League, that would be wonderful.
Like what the players may feel?
I think (laughs). I’ve talked to colleagues about it, it’s a moment to savor. A bit like a first match in Ligue 2, then in Ligue 1. All the firsts are special, so in the Champions League…
Throughout the past week, the leaders of amateur clubs have gone through all the emotions. The joy, first of all, following the announcements of the return of the young dismissed. “The phone only rang to tell me that we were back to playing football. But I took a step back after this announcement, we asked for a little patience”, explains Benjamin Caruso, sports manager in Frontignan (Hérault), whose hopes were quickly showered by a back-pedaling of the executive. “We were totally devastated, we didn’t know what to do or what to say.” And for good reason, it was only a few days later that the return of the young people was finally formalized by the government and the authorities. “It was a sigh of relief, even if we impatiently awaited the decrees and the conformation of our municipality, which I would like to thank moreover”, continues the manager of the Ventres Bleus, impatient to find his young players. “We can’t wait to see the kids, to get the machine going again.” An expectation shared by all football players in Occitania
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