Antonetti’s many frustrations, as Ligue 1 prepares to restart

That’s it. The time is no longer to banter at the Stade Rennais. Two days from the opening game against Lille, Frédéric Antonetti has forgotten about smiles. The Corsican is usually at ease in his meetings with the press, not on this Thursday. The manager is nervous, awkwardly trying to hide it, so he tries to get away with some conventional formulas: “I expect the squad to show real determination”, “Lille will be a tough opposition”…

Antonetti dreads the “hot topics”, he knows himself to well. When questioned on sensitive topics, he has a habit of displaying the harsh truth. So he uses “doublespeak” and admits it clearly. Questioned again and again, he admits Rennes would have needed “another fifteen days to be ready”. Fifteen days to solve all injury problems in the squad, but also to close the never ending “summer transfer dramas”.

« Fed up » with the transfer market closing on August 31st

The Gyan case is seriously annoying the manager. Targeted by Fenerbahçe, the Ghanaian could still leave Rennes for Istanbul. Of course, the transfer could bring up to 18 million euros to the club, but the coach sees it with a different eye, as he “doesn’t have a full squad to start the season. Asa is perturbed by the situation”. Rod Fanni, and even Ismaël Bangoura also remain uncertain about their future.

“When the League starts, there should be no more transfers in one way or the other. When you start a season with a team, you should finish it with the same shirt!” “We are managed by people who changed the rules to accommodate the English. Their club start the domestic league later. So to let them come and make their shopping, transfer windows have been extended to August 31st. For another month, there will be no certitude..”

« Bored » with the inconsistent calendars

The manager also enrages against «the board directors, who make rules they don’t understand”. Besides the transfer window, the coach also attacks the playing calendar. Last season, Frédéric Antonetti had already launched several attacks against the number of games played in winter. Rennes had carried on playing game after game, whereas temperatures were at their lowest. Dangerous according to him, for the players, the pitches, and even the entertainment value…

Today, the coach is also annoyed at the international calendar. Next week, Antonetti will have to do without twelve of his players to prepare the Ligue 1 second game week. Some will even have to go and play (“on the moon”. The Corsican flares up “Gyan came back only ten days ago. And he already has to leave for several days to go and play a friendly in South Africa”. No doubt about it, Frédéric Antonetti has already prepared the ground, in case the “Rouge et Noir” were on for a chaotic beginning of the season.

Benjamin Keltz - Le Mensuel de Rennes

Photo : www.rennes.lemensuel.com