At the gates of the Saint-Pons valley, the reflection goes far beyond the season. Three days before the end, Bruno Lacoste’s proteges, who host Beausoleil this Sunday, have more than ever their destiny in their hands to snatch the second ticket to the national games. Behind the race to N3, AS Gémenos questions its model, and that of amateur football.
The observation is clear, nourished by half a century of experience. Faced with this, Christian Agostini, president of ASG, claims a different approach, far from copy-paste. “Today, we can no longer simply do as everyone else does. We must find models that hold,” he insists.
An ambition in control
At Gémenos, the ambition exists, but it is framed. The club refuses to skip steps or align with schemes it does not master. This season, R1 has served as a basis, with a progressive integration of young players.
“We want to have a little more ambition than in the past, but a wise ambition. Today, with the situation in football, we can no longer do anything we want,” continues the man with thirty-five years of presidency.
The first signs are emerging. “I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I see beginnings. It shows that it’s possible.” Behind the speech, Gémenos has already started to act. Several young players first joined the R1 group as substitute players, before entering the rotation and, for some, establishing themselves in the starting eleven.
A model to rethink
Without knowing the outcome of the season, ASG is already thinking about the future. Its president broadens his view to all of amateur football. “The economic network is becoming increasingly fragile. Local authorities are tightening budgets, municipalities are at the limit. We will have to find something else. The interest must come from work, from competence.”
The leader sees it as a fundamental trend. “Regularly, we see projects arrive that were thought up too quickly, which sometimes leave just as quickly, weakening clubs. I don’t believe in promises. I believe in work.”
Drawing on his years at the helm of the club, the leader also takes responsibility for the lessons of the past. “Mistakes can happen. Repeating them is not learning from them. They won’t catch me again.”
For Christian Agostini, reflection goes beyond just the weekend’s results. It questions a model and a certain way of doing things. “Around a table, we always find solutions. But on match day, we are no longer the same. The desire to succeed takes over and everyone thinks differently.”
At Gémenos, the essential is not only measured by the ranking. “If we fail and have to start again at a lower level, it won’t be a problem… It will be a reasonable choice.”
