Soccer. AG Caen prepares for the resumption of the Coupe de France: “the timing is disturbing”, judge Léo Hamel

By Aline Chatel
Published on 21 Jan 21 at 13:00

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Leo Hamel and the players ofAG Caen (N3) are preparing as best they can to resume competition. Faced with three months of stoppage and the inability to train beyond 6:00 p.m., curfew requires, they tackle without benchmarks the few days that separate them from the resumption. Sunday January 31, 2021, theAvant Garde will face Val-de-Reuil (R2) as part of the sixth round of the French Cup.

Sport in Caen: Leo, how did you receive the announcement of the French Football Federation to resume the Coupe de France so quickly?

Leo Hamel: In a mixed way. We are very happy that the competition is resuming, because football is part of our daily life. It is the timing which is rather disturbing and which causes concern for some coaches and presidents, which I can understand. What is surprising is that between the beginning of January and mid-January, the health situation did not improve. I do not understand why the decision is taken at this time and not at the beginning of January. We are given ten days to prepare ourselves when we could have perhaps had a month. We don’t forget that there is a health crisis and that all the guys have to be careful.

How to be ready in such a short time?

In any case, it takes at least three weeks to a month to do a consistent physical preparation. Since November, we have managed to keep a pace that has allowed us not to do anything in terms of weight, for example. But it is obvious that this does not allow us to be physically ready to compete in a competition. We start from zero. In ten days, it is impossible to make a coherent and adapted physical preparation. It will of course be necessary to increase the rhythms without doing anything, because we already know that it will be difficult for everyone to last 90 minutes. I am completely in the unknown, much like everyone else.

“It’s very special”

The preparation for this sixth round will be unlike any other!

It’s very special. We’re getting ready for just one match. If we qualify, we are not even sure that the next round will take place. And as soon as we are eliminated, we will find the everyday. In addition, we will have to train without waiving the curfew, it will be complicated. Most of the players are working. We are going to train this weekend and maybe at noon or in the morning… We will do our best to be competitive but the big question is the state in which we will arrive.

How did you train personally?

We train with the Avant Garde whenever we can. Personally, I did not stop. I have never run so much in my life! The more it goes, the more I take pleasure in challenging myself. This is the competition that drives us, but we no longer have it with football. We are looking for it elsewhere.

“I have very little hope that the championship will resume”

You got off to a great start to National 3’s season so you could aim for the climb. What is your state of mind considering the very long suspension from the championship?

I think everyone feels the same frustration, regardless of the ranking. We also have this little trick of having started the season well, which left us imagining an interesting second part of the season. But to say that the Covid cost us a climb is far too early. For all clubs, it is frustration that dominates today.

Is there still hope to take over the championship?

It seems very complicated to me. From my small position, I have the impression that the period is not the best from a health point of view. I have little hope that the championship can resume.

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