“Thionville-Moselle Handball aims for National 1 climb to relaunch its beautiful history”

Finally Philippe Ouchène, the Thionvillois coach, says he is happy to have to play the climb, quits or doubles, on a last match, against the only opponent who, to date, has not given in against the Moselle: “C It’s a final, a real one like in the cup. »

Here is the frame. But if around the table we brought together alongside the Thionvillois manager, Grégory Wagner, the president and the historic Charly Brulé, in charge of training, it is above all to paint at the turn of the season the portrait of a seventy-year-old club. in full revival.

Walk after walk

The National 1, Thionville Moselle Handball will have been a tenant there for a good twenty years, from the end of the 90s to 2009. Then, it will be the descent into hell, the tumble of the floors at great V speed until the pre- national.

But Ouchène, Brulé and others have the religion of the club and a messiah falls from the sky in the person of Grégory Wagner, president of Arcada, a real estate group which becomes the biggest sponsor of the club. Here we go again. Les Bleus et Or join the N3 in 2018 and, in 2022, Thionville-Moselle joins the N2. Today, the door of the N1 can open again and Thionville will find Metz for beautiful derbies. Like yesterday.

The elite has a cost

Obviously the key is money. To approach the sun and touch the elite, the budgets are high. Thus, TMHB ends a season at €350,000 to consider the next one with a forecast of €400,000 to €500,000. “There will be a post to abound, that of transport”, points out Grégory Wagner, “and then, we will have to count two professional contracts, adds Philippe Ouchène, an obligation. »

It will be necessary to further expand the workforce and bring it to 16 elements. “The idea is also to be able to count on a homogeneous group”, notes the experienced Charly Brulé. “Ultimately we are considering the N1 Elite then the Pro-League where the budgets go up to 800,000 and 1 million euros, with the obligation of four pro contracts then professional status”, we hear. The dream has a cost.

Essential training

In the meantime, Thionville is working on training. “We had to face a big generational gap, observes Brulé. We have people and we are even victims of our success, but we need high-level educators. For us, the U13s and U15s embody the future. They are the ones who will fill the tank. But what delights me is that the structure is ready. Previously, it was the athlete who pushed the structure. Today, we are one step ahead. »

The club therefore says it is ready for a return to the future. To go higher. Not wasting time would be a great idea. “Yes, the climb would reward all the work already done,” concludes Philippe Ouchène. As we say trivially: there is more than.