Players will indeed have built most of their success on this pitch, with 30 points out of 36 possible. The few slip-ups at home came from two local matches in Anglet (against Poitiers at the beginning of the season) and at Jean Dauger (for the clash against Girondins de Bordeaux), where five points out of six slipped away.
Saumur obligated to win
On the other side, the urgency will be total. The visitors from Saumur arrive with a single obligation: to win in order to hope to save their skin in N2. Even a victory may not be enough since their survival will also depend on the results of their direct competitors. Needless to say, intensity should be present from the start.
Even without major accounting pressure, the staff is preparing seriously. For the preservation of civility at home but also to erase the cruel scenario experienced last Saturday in Châteaubriant (1-2). Defeated in the final moments after dominating the match for a long time, Manu Bafcop’s players let points slip through their fingers. “It’s frustrating because the match was largely under control, with big chances not converted. On the goal, we were not aggressive enough on the ball carrier, we were not well aligned afterwards, and we did not handle the depth well,” regrets the technician.
Manu Bafcop’s final match
This last home match will also have a special flavor for Manu Bafcop. Recently informed by his leaders, the coach learned that he will not be extended next season, despite the results achieved. “I am naturally disappointed because we have done good work in the past two years, with the promotion from N3 to N2 and then a podium this season. After Alain Pochat’s departure in March, the staff put in place to finish the season did what was necessary to keep the club at the top of the standings,” he recalls.
In this context, the stakes will also be mental. Captain Laprevotte, suspended, will miss this final appointment. And the coach knows that his group is navigating between the end of a cycle and uncertainties about the future. Some players have been approached elsewhere. Others still do not know what the next season will hold. “It is now necessary to avoid any demobilization to offer a successful last evening to the supporters,” he says.
A final victory at home would allow all these chapters to be closed in the best way, head held high. “The whole group, staff and players, deserve to end on a positive note,” concludes the coach.
