Sébastien Salles-Lamonge had been lost sight of him. Promised a bright future as he grew up in the cocoon of the Rennes training center after taking his first steps in Séméac and then Tarbes, the attacking midfielder bit the ball to the fullest.
After a few caps in the France U18 team then 20, and a first start in Ligue 1 (Rennes-Angers, 2016) at just 19 years old, the Tarbais then got bogged down (Le Havre, La Coruna) without succeeding in s’ impose in spite of a work and a seriousness of all the moments. Qualities recognized in the community which fortunately allowed him to bounce back in Bastia; the current Corsican club 2nd in the championship, with which Sébastien Salles-Lamonge is now aiming for a rise in Ligue 2.
The Bigourdan returns with great realism on his sporting career, his life course.
Sébastien Salles-Lamonge, you are coming back during the holidays in the Hautes-Pyrénées. To recharge your batteries with your family?
Yes, for me it is important especially since it has been a year since I returned home because of the confinement in March. I stayed in Corsica during this complicated period. Suddenly, it feels a lot of good to find your parents, your friends even if you can not see everyone. I don’t want to take any risk either because, to be able to return to Corsica, you have to present a negative test.
You mentioned your friends, but what memories do you keep of your first clubs in Séméac and Tarbes?
It was a lot of camaraderie. We had done a lot of tournaments together and we were having a good laugh. I regret having lost certain contacts because I did not keep a lot of links with those with whom I was in the club.
Maybe, too, because you left quite quickly at the Rennes training center. What look do you take 9 years later?
At 15 it was a whole new life for me and a lot of things came into play. I was very happy and had great years there, with a good education. I am proud to have been trained in Rennes and I have very good memories of it. I really enjoyed myself having had the chance to sign an additional pro contract. The absolute dream.
What memories do you keep of your first match in Ligue 1, in 2016, against Angers?
It was a great moment for me. I was very excited and at the same time I had enormous apprehension because until then, I had been playing with the reserve in CFA2, that is to say several levels below. That’s why, tasting a match in Ligue 1 was crazy; especially since in the team, there were very good players (Editor’s note: Sébastien Salles-Lamonge is replaced at half-time by Yoann Gourcuff).
Afterwards, it got complicated. How did that happen ?
The beginnings are going well with Rolland Courbis, but he is sacked and replaced by Christian Gourcuff who arrives with other ideas and another plan for the team and I was not part of it. Suddenly I was asked to look elsewhere and Le Havre was forcing myself to be loaned. But it was the opportunity to train in Ligue 2 (2016-2017) and it was very good. On the way back, things are going well again with Mr Gourcuff and when he begins to take me in the group, he too is dismissed. Afterwards, with a new coach (Sabri Lamouchi) and a new president (Olivier Létang), I was put aside and like many players, I had to find another way out.
These moments must be difficult to manage for a young player?
Especially when you feel like you’re working hard and doing your best. But I have no resentment because a competitive group was in place and at the end of the season he finished 5th by catching the Europa League. We can’t say anything. Then the club made me understand that it was no longer counting on me and tried to find me loans. But, I wanted to try the adventure in Spain and it went badly with three changes of coaches in the same season.
We can see that it can go quickly in either direction.
This is the lot of all top athletes. There are opportunities that sometimes smile on you and other times they don’t. But at the moment, we don’t know if we made a good or bad choice.
Now Bastia. Why ?
In fact, it was the club’s assistant, Frédéric Née (former professional player for SC Bastia) who contacted me because he had fond memories of me when he was assistant in Rennes. He saw that I was struggling a little and contacted me very early on when I was in Spain. The challenge with Bastia interested me and even to start from lower, I didn’t care. When it’s Sporting, you can’t refuse.
Now, what happiness in a historic club?
Yes, it works pretty well. We went into confinement, after a good season and today, we are second in National and we want to put the club where it should be. Especially since on the matches before the camera, the enthusiasm is enormous. This is completely crazy. Even in Nationale 2, last year, we played in front of 6 to 7,000 people. It’s magnificent and it makes us want to find the professional world as quickly as possible.
For you, the future will be in Corsica?
I really signed up for this project; that of returning to professional football with this club which deserves it and which, like me, has broken its face a bit. But with Bastia, we go back together. This is also why I appreciate maybe ten times more when it works than if I had not gone through difficult times.
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