While Laurent Peyrelade officiated in the middle of the field for the final pre-match session yesterday morning at the same time as the press conference, it was general manager Grégory Ursule who appeared in front of the microphones. Asked about the athlete, he the former Ajaccian player; but also on the crisis situation, health and especially TV rights.
“Obviously, the club is impacted by the drop in TV rights. For L2, it’s 40% loss, he said. But the president (Pierre-Olivier Murat) had the wisdom not to budget for the TV rights that were announced to us. Its wise management is therefore rewarded. Without that, we would have lost 40%, there we are between 25 and 30%.“Suddenly, the Raf and its estimated budget of 7.2M €”get through the storm a little more comfortably than some“, even if this discount”some projects in the pipeline: land, reflection on the training center … “This relative good health has also led the leaders not to ask, until then, of lower wages from their players. This has been done in other clubs. However, Pierre Bardy and the others could also to pay part of the broken pieces. “ We must meet them, at their request, this Wednesday, reveals Gregory Ursule. Because they wonder. We will discuss it with them, but it is not our bias (to lower wages). There are other levers on which we can play. ” That is to say ? “We have goals and therefore rewards when they are achieved (for players). These may need to be reviewed. “Exit the potential maintenance bonus then?
“All of their colleagues have been called upon, with us, this is not the case. We thought the period was not ideal. There, there will be a small time-out of 10 days, so we will discuss it freely, explains the former midfielder and emblematic captain of the blood and gold team. There is no panic for us on this point. But, of course, everyone has to make an effort. “And to add again:” We have very good relations with our players, and as it comes from them, we are more comfortable. I hope it will be ok. Afterwards, we are not the kind of club to put people in front of a fait accompli, we have to discuss it. “
A starting point. Undoubtedly. When talking about Ajaccio – Rodez which is looming tonight in Corsica, we can not forget the purge seen between the two teams, on a November night in the first leg, ended with a 1-0 success of the Corsicans, snatched at 10 to 11. “Nothing had happened. Neither Ajaccio nor Rodez had held the rank of an L2 team, recalls Raf general manager Gregory Ursule. We had hit rock bottom in terms of intensity, cohesion, what we wanted to do in the game.“Four months later, the situation is completely reversed. From 18th and barrage in great danger and entangled in a series which will stretch to 14 matches without winning, the blood and gold team has just beaten two top names 1-0 of L2 (Toulouse and Auxerre this Saturday), lives a crazy dynamic and comes to the François-Coty stadium in a very good 13th place, one point ahead of the men of Pantaloni.
The disastrous defeat against the Corsicans playing a primordial role in this revival, this very awakening. “It was revealing and made it possible to say to the group: “If you don’t want to function as we are used to, we are going straight into the wall”, corroborates the former Ajaccian player. Everyone questioned themselves, we were the first, and it was beneficial.“
The mayonnaise thus took a long time to set. The Ajaccian whip finally making her rise. “ It’s been a long time, comments Ursule. Because we do not go from sick to fit like that. But today, we find freshness, unity and it shows on the ground. Even if the results are not always favorable, there is cohesion and consistency, and that is important. “
Ursule: “The group has acquired living together”
Allowing the band to Pierre Bardy (possibly spared this evening), to point to the second tied place of the classification of the only return phase! “The group has acquired the coexistence and suddenly it is felt on the ground, explains the leader. It took time for everyone to adapt to Laurent’s requirements (Peyrelade, the trainer).“In the meantime, the 3-4-3 also lived (“he is not dead, but we were not mature enough and the dynamics of the results did not allow us to experience him“, for Ursule) and the tenure of Lionel Mpasi in the goal, like rookies Florian David and Julien Célestine, cemented the team, in the game as in the spirit.
Tonight, it is in addition a full Raf, recording the return of suspension of Rémy Boissier, who appears before an ACA who has had a hard time lately (read elsewhere), despite great content, with undeniable quality of play. Scorer last season against Rodez, Qazim Laci is absent from the ace player, injured during the defeat in Troyes (1-0) on Saturday. Riad Nouri (thigh) and Florian Chabrolle (foot) also. The Raf, whose face should change a lot compared to Saturday, will he take the opportunity to continue his dream winter?
Back to the future
Fallers of the cadors Toulouse and Auxerre, the Ruthenians go to Ajaccio this evening pumped up. An opponent who had, paradoxically, been the trigger for the net awakening in the fall.
The current series is encouraging for the Aveyronnais. And the stats surrounding it are (this time) the happiness of the Rouergats and their followers. Thus, the Raf in just two months and 10 Ligue 2 matches in 2021 has already won more (five matches) than its predecessor in 2020. Indeed, last year, for 26 matches played, only 4 successes were achieved. you (including 2 during the 17 games of the current season).
“Go! Go! Go !” To be heard in an empty stadium, under an autumn cold, even freezing winter, and with the typical accent of his native Georgia. Amiran Sanaia, who should start tonight on the left side of the three blood and gold defense, gives as much of his body as his voice on match night. It is also a little for that that he returned in the odor of sanctity, playing a capital role in the Ruthenian awakening, after the rout of the first leg (read elsewhere). He was thus promoted to captain of the team at the next meeting in Valenciennes (1-1), which showed a clear change in general behavior. Since then, he has made himself a place of choice in the hierarchy of defenders. Participating in 12 matches (plus three benches) out of 17 possible. His grinta, his collective spirit, his fight being praised by his coach. Even if it means losing, sometimes a little serenely. Life, dynamism. This is what Laurent Peyrelade asked his family. In this, the 31-year-old defender can only fill it. To the point of having tenured a few times the former Luzenac in the axis of the hinge. On the bench last Saturday (for the benefit of Joris Chougrani) during a new feat against AJ Auxerre 1-0, Amiran Sanaia will be fresh tonight to, once again, give everything for the team … and maybe be even more!
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