Before the derby against Brest, Frédéric Antonetti regrets that Stade Rennes is considered as equal to Lille, Lyon, Marseille and Paris. He explains that the difference in terms of financial power and the work accomplished by the club’s academy should be acknowledged more clearly.
Fifth in Ligue 1, Stade Rennes is up there with the big guns. As it did for most of last season. “We have a very good squad, young, with a strong understanding; it’s up to us to get in their way. As we showed in Marseille or in Lyon, they haven’t got anything we don’t have”, Yann M’Vila affirmed before the game at home against Stade Brestois.
Despite this, the Rouge et Noir lost against OGC Nice, a team struggling in the relegation zone, last Saturday. “What happened in Nice can happen because our team is lacking experience and sometimes consistency”, Frédéric Antonetti analyses. A direct consequence to the chance given to young players. “Two thirds of the players in the squad had never played in the first division before I arrived”, the manager reminds
During his press conference, Frédéric Antonetti spent much time going on about this assessment. He reckons his club is hindered by observers: “Sometimes, I get very annoyed when we are compared to clubs like Paris, Marseille, Lyon or Lille. […] We are a true Academy-based club, and people expect the same things from us than they expect from those who spend millions of Euros”, he regrets. “I can’t explain this difference of treatment, this is something that disturbs me deeply in the way people look at the Stade Rennais.”
Rennes launches the career of numerous youngsters, as Tongo Doumbia or Chris Mavinga recently, but he thinks the club isn’t receiving enough recognition for this work. “Our sportive policy is very clear, perfectly visible… and this is never mentioned.”
The reaction of the Rennes manager is based on his belief on the potential of his squad. “If you told me I could keep the same team for three or four years, I could tell you there would be a lot of titles.” There is only obstacle to this hypothetical future, in his eyes: The “Bosman Rule”, an European regulation which opened, in December 1995, the borders of Europe for professionals and allowed the free circulation of European players, the best of them signing for the richest clubs. “Europe is a catastrophe for anyone trying to achieve a long-term project in sports.” An example: “Do you believe Yann M’Vila will stay much longer? If we could have kept him at the club until he is 24-25, we would have given ourselves much more chances to win titles, believe me!”
Could such words not be seen as excuses? “These are not excuses, this is the reality”, the manager loses his temper. “We are ambitious, we have never hidden the fact that we want to rival the bigger clubs, but this isn’t easy every day.”
Nicolas Auffray - Le Mensuel de Rennes
- Photo : www.rennes.lemensuel.com
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