"We are building a solid club"

You are coming out of a period of silence. Was this silence due to the disappointment of the relegation or the difficulty to prepare the upcoming season?

"Disappointment is part of the sport, so it had to be digested quickly. But the best way to do it is to get back to work, which we did! We have worked hard to consolidate a competitive group within the constraints of a Pro D2 budget. As there are many specific contractual situations such as departure clauses in the event of a descent into Pro D2, there were many negotiations, and as long as these negotiations had not been successful, it would not have been serious to communicate when nothing was decided. "

So we understand that you are ready to talk to us about next season, but can we look back at last season and have your analysis on the causes of the relegation and the lessons you learn from it?

"First of all, let's try not to have a short memory: when we reached the Top 14 last year, many asked us the question "isn't it too early?". We replied that a place in Top 14 cannot be refused and that we would do the best we could. We hadn't planned to be promoted so fast, but the Top 14 is a real accelerator for our project. The economic reality of French rugby is that today in the Top 14, there are 11 clubs that have the means to have a high wage bill and 3 smaller ones that play their own championship for the maintien and that only the winner of this championship at 3 stays in Top 14. The Pro D2 climbing system implemented last year means that the teams that climb have an additional handicap compared to the team that remained in the Top 14, is that they can only complete their recruitment at the last minute. Just like Perpignan, we lost this 3-teams championship to Agen. We are learning from it, because we have to admit that Agen has been able to seize every opportunity that presented itself, whereas we have certainly played many good games where we lost by a small amount, but without taking anything from an accounting point of view. "

In concrete terms, what lessons did you learn from this?

"That the group needs to have more killer instinct, to score when we have the opportunity, to keep a result... Moreover, after a complicated year in this field in Pro D2, we promised ourselves to improve the melee. It is a satisfaction. We had recruited with this in mind and developed our training systems and methods accordingly. We are applying the same approach to what will have been our weaknesses this season: the attack, which must be less predictable, and our defense in two areas: the defence of carried balloons and the defence against opponents who break through in the center. The targeting of our recruitment and the evolution of working methods in these sectors should provide us with an improvement. "

Does the evolution of the staff that you have announced reflect these lessons learned or has it been undergone?

"We wanted to clarify the leadership of the group, with only one head so that players would clearly know who the boss was. Moreover, today's rugby is global and it is important to avoid compartmentalization with excessive specialization in the staff, and therefore to avoid a forward vs. backward, attack vs. defence,... Stéphane Glas and Sylvain Bégon are part of this global and collaborative approach. In terms of leadership, Stéphane, with his experience as both a player and a coach, and his very inclusive style, is the coach we want to see carry out our project! As Dewald Senekal had this opportunity at the Stade Français, we took the opportunity to bring new blood, new methods and a new style. "

How do you respond to those who are surprised by Stéphane Glas' promotion when the attack, for which he was responsible, was a weak point last season

"That we played last year with our means, and with game systems that matched our abilities, against the defenses of big teams. Moreover, the few times we wanted to be more daring, we were punished by interceptions and counter-attacks that crucified us. Stéphane has demonstrated in Montpellier and Oyonnax that he knows how to set up effective systems adapted to the characteristics of his players. The profile of the players targeted in our recruitment is also intended to offer more game options. "

And what do you say to those who say that Sylvain Bégon's return is a return to the past?

"First of all, we don't deny the past! And we remember all the great work Sylvain did at the club. Then, for a few years now, he has been exposed to the teams of France U20. International rugby U20 is in a way the laboratory of the modern game. So Sylvain brings all his knowledge and his capacity for innovation in the game seems to us to be an excellent thing. "

Let's get to the players. Isn't it discouraging to be looted every year and how can you have ambition in this context?

"This speech about looting is a caricature. We had fewer starts than most of the clubs that are in the Top 14, including Oyonnax and Brive last year. Certainly the departure of some young people trained at the club such as Killian Geraci, Ali Oz or Gervais Cordin pains us because our project is really based on training. But that would be forgetting that others, such as Etienne Fourcade, Mikael Capelli, Dylan Jacquot or Bastien Guillemin are with us and constitute a great framework for the future. We had a lot of players who had a start clause in case of a downhill in Pro D2. To be honest it was desirable for some to exercise it to ease the club's finances, but not too much so as not to weaken the group. And frankly, we are satisfied with the limited number of departures. I'm going to sound provocative, but we consider that we have a more competitive group than last year. Indeed, at the back lines, the players who have had the most starts have all remained and we have made 2 great recruitments at the hinge with Eric Escande and Enzo Selponi. At the forwards level, Loic Godener's departure is compensated by the arrival of Deon Fourie, and the starts in the second and first rows are compensated by the arrival of Top 14 players such as Andrei Ostrikov, William Demotte, and Michaël Simutoga among others. And young players trained at the club such as Thibaut Martel, Eli Eglaine, Romain Fusier, Corentin Glénat, Nathanaël Hulleu, Mathis Sarragallet and others, will show their face. "

You often say that the club's project is a long-term one, beyond short-term sporting risks. What do you mean by that?

"Our goal is to eventually establish the club in the elite of French rugby. Given the economic reality of rugby that we mentioned earlier, this requires our ability to rely even more on effective training, effective recruitment and the ability to generate additional revenue. All this requires investment and patience, and above all to stay the course! "

In concrete terms, what are your current projects?

"For the short term, we are preparing for next season but also for the next one. We are of course finalizing the staff and our staff, but at the same time we are on the budget for the next season, our shareholders, the renewal campaign of our partners, the launch of subscriptions, and some other hot topics. And of course we continue to work with Franck Corrihons and his team on rugby training and innovation with an ambitious project, carried out with the Association. This project, called DAIFI, aims to give us a new start in the field of training. We are also working on the construction of a modern training and performance centre in Lesdiguieres that will also serve as a friendly place for our supporters and partners. "

You talk a lot about finances. Tell us about the budget.

"Concerning our player payroll, it was €6.5M in the Top 14 and will be around €4.6M in Pro D2. In fact, I want to restore some truths about these figures. The clubs talk about gross payrolls, reported by the DNACG. They do not include expenses, benefits in kind, or the costs of sports or medical staff. To give you an idea of the 18 million budget that we had this year in the Top 14, the overall cost of the athlete is around 13 million euros. If some players already have a Top 14 salary and a Pro D2 salary in their contract, you understand that to go from €6.5M to €4.6M, you had to accept a few departures. Our overall budget will be about 13 million. "

With this budget, to be clear, you want to go straight up?

"I know this question well and I must admit that it makes me smile. Everyone around us is pushing us to say "We want to go straight up! "but what's the point of saying it? Do you think we lack ambition if we don't have this objective? Our project is to keep the club in the Top 14, we'll have to go back to a point in time for that! But you think the players and staff need such pressure like "We're champions or it's a failure", do you think it will make them play better? You think our subscribers will re-subscribe if we just say, "We want to go straight up? ». It's just communication. All the teams will come to the Stade des Alpes without pressure and will want to take Grenoble down at home. We know exactly what we're getting into. We go up when we win more games than others, we win games when we play better, and we play better when we train better and are ready to die for our teammate. Let's start at the beginning, the rest is just a consequence. "

The subscription campaign has just started, can you tell us a few words about it?

"Yes, it attacked on June 11 on the Internet and in parallel our sales representatives are meeting all our partners. Of course I know that people are disappointed. Some people have legitimate questions about their involvement with the club. But you should know that the hallmark of the FCG has always been to treat all its customers with the greatest professionalism and attention possible. That will not change. Our services will remain qualitative and we are probably the club or one of the clubs, which offers the lowest prices of Pro D2 for our subscribers for a seat in the stands. 110€ for a former subscriber on endgame while Perpignan has kept its Top 14 prices at 250 € for the same type of tickets and even a promoted as Valence Romans has first prices at 150 €.... It is a huge effort that we are making to ensure that we can all live a great season together. It is important to say it and to be aware of it: we have the most beautiful stage of ProD2 with the most affordable prices. The FCG is the Club of all Grenoble residents, that will not change! "

So you are confident and serene?

"Confident for the future because the club is an institution and we are building a solid club. Confident in the short term because I believe in this group and this staff. And eager for the season to begin and to regain the adrenaline of the competition! "