Médias sportifs prahecqois

[Republique Prahecqoise]

The all-in-one centre for news releases regarding Prahecqois sport. Various media outlets shall provide updates on domestic sports in Prahecq at (hopefully) regular intervals, with the updates including season previews, match day reports, transfer news and season reviews.

Football is the most popular sport in Prahecq and as such the majority of news releases will concern the 'beautiful game'. There are 32 professional teams in the country, split into two divisions: Le Championnat and the 2ème Classification which run from August to May with a winter break in the month of January. There are also two cup competitions, the major one being the Coupe Prahecqoise which is a straight knockout competition featuring all 32 professional teams who compete over two-legged ties until only two are remaining. The remaining two play in the final at the national stadium, the Stade de Prahecq in May to decide the overall winner of the Coupe Prahecqoise. The secondary cup competition is the Coupe de Championnat, which is only contested by the sixteen top-flight teams, who play two-legged ties in a straight knockout format until the final where two teams fight it out at the Stade de Prahecq in early March for the first silverware of the season.

Cycling is enormously popular, with the public being fiercely patriotic about the national stage race the Tour de Prahecq and intensely parochial in their support for their local riders who compete to win the maillot jaune for the rider with the lowest cumulative time in the race. To simply compete in the race makes a rider an instant local celebrity in their hometown and leaves their fellow townspeople queuing around the block to buy them a drink when they make a trip home. Other important races include the classics such as l'enfer du nord Rouen-Jonzac: characterised by series of short, sharp hills along a coastal course that brings cross-winds into play, particularly given the scheduling of the race at the end of March when inclement weather can still be an issue. There is also Yvelines-Aubaix, a cobbled classic that finishes in the famous velodrome in Aubaix at the start of April, the pavé is more difficult to ride than normal tarmac or asphalt roads and makes for exciting racing. Classics specialists set up their entire seasons around attempting to be victorious in these races meaning the quality is high and competition fierce.

Other popular sports include rugby union and handball which have competitive league systems of their own. Individual sports such as tennis, golf and alpine/cross-country skiing all also hold events around Prahecq. The Circuit de Tennis Prahecqois holds notable competitions on various surfaces, but it is the red clay courts of Yvelines and Orthez that Prahecqois tennis is renowned for. Golf is widely popular and ran by the Fédération Prahecqoise de Golf, with the Open de Prahecq being held every July at links-style courses around the country, there are also numerous regional tournaments held throughout the season. Skiing is by far the most popular winter sport and the geography of Prahecq means that there are plenty of mountain slopes to compete upon, venues at Champex du Lac and Saint-Maximin in the Haute-Alpes region are the most high profile for alpine skiing; venues at Brioude (Alpes Côtières) and Isturitz (Gurelurra) play host to the biggest cross-country skiing events - there is also an equivalent to cycling's Tour de Prahecq for cross-country skiing, although it is shorter, tending to be around 4-6 stages long and held across two weeks in January.

All, or more likely some, of these sports will be covered by the local, regional and national sports media here with varying levels of detail.

[Republique Prahecqoise]

Prahecqois football - results and individual statistics.

Key.
LC: Le Championnat
CP: Coupe Prahecqoise
CDC: Coupe du Championnat

Trophies Won.

##  Team              LC  CP  CDC  Total
01  Marianne          3   1   1    5
02  Racing Club       2   0   1    3
03  Aubaix            0   1   2    3
04  Espérance         0   1   0    1
==  Oxocelhaya        0   1   0    1
==  Clichy-sous-Bois  0   1   0    1
07  Douanes           0   0   1    1

Individual Statistics.

Reserved for future use.

Historic Results.

22/23 Season:
LC: Marianne
CP: Marianne
CDC: Aubaix

23/24 Season:
LC: Racing Club
CP: Espérance
CDC: Marianne

24/25 Season:
LC: Marianne (2nd title)
CP: Oxocelhaya
CDC: Douanes

25/26 Season:
LC: Marianne (3rd title)
CP: Clichy-sous-Bois
CDC: Racing Club

26/27 Season:
LC: Racing Club (2nd title)
CP: Aubaix
CDC: Aubaix (2nd CDC)

27/28 Season:
LC:
CP:
CDC:

[Republique Prahecqoise]

Reserved for future use.

[Republique Prahecqoise]

22/23 Season Preview - Part 1
Our L'Action preview of the first half of the sixteen teams competing in Le championnat this season..

Full name: Olympique Aubaix
Location: Aubaix, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Stade d'Aubaix (Capacity: 22,000)
Manager: Jean-Joël Granet, 39, preferred formation is 4-4-1-1. He is known to trust youth and is a good man-manager. He is the youngest manager in Le championnat this season.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Founded in the wealthy city of Aubaix in the mountainous Haute-Alpes region in the centre of the country. Aubaix is often seen as the 'gateway' to the high mountains due to its position on the northern shore of Lac Léman. It is regarded as an important financial centre for the country. The club plays in a royal blue and yellow halved home shirt, with royal blue shorts and socks. Their away kit is a white shirt, black shorts and black socks. They share a local derby with Champex du Lac known as the Derby du Lac. The two cities lie at different ends of the lake and are competitors for financial hegemony within the region - this rivalry continues over into sport. Aubaix are financially well-run and will have money available in the transfer market if it is deemed necessary. Aubaix are traditionally a middling club known for developing young players.
Club infrastructure: Aubaix have a modern stadium that boasts great transport links and under soil heating (a necessity during winter in the Haute-Alpes region). It includes state-of-the-art sporting facilities, two hotels, a leisure centre and commercial and business offices within its grounds. Their training facilities are superb, up there with some of the best in the country and ideal to develop young players. They have solid youth recruitment, with a scouting network that successfully covers every region south of Île-de-Prahecq.
Fanbase: They are a one-club city and therefore boast a large fanbase within their city. Their supporters tend to be affluent and middle-class, hooliganism is not a big problem for Aubaix. They do have a small and committed ultras group UBJ-49 that own a sector behind one of the goals at Stade d'Aubaix and do succeed in creating a noisy atmosphere at home and follow their team well away from home.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Granet is a young, inexperienced manager - but he has fostered a really good relationship with some of the young players at the club. Dufort is an incredible prospect and there's already reports linking him with a move to the big club from the capital Racing Club - he'll be important for Aubaix this season. So too, will be Rémi Pierre, the experienced captain of the club - he will have to organise the defence. This team may struggle for goals going forward though and that's definitely an area this team will have to aim to strengthen if they want to advance up the table. They could easily get dragged into a relegation battle this season and time will tell whether Granet has the know-how to manage a team involved at the wrong end of the table. 9th to 12th for Aubaix..”

La Gazette d'Aubaix (local media): “Aubaix just need to be careful that they don't slip up against the teams that aren't as good to put it in simple terms. Dufort is one of the best goalkeepers in the country and he can still develop even more. Géraud Poulin is a solidly developing full back too and he's next to an experienced head at centre back in Rémi Pierre. Stéphane Sauvageot could be a real surprise package, the attacking midfielder is still only 23 and Granet rates him and is giving him game time. They could benefit from not having too many strong clubs in their Coupe Prahecqoise region with the only other Championnat teams being Champex du Lac and Jeanne d'Arc, a cup run could be in the offing..”

Dylan Affré (supporter): “We should finish comfortably mid-table this season. I'm hopeful of that and maybe a cup run. We should have enough to not slip into a relegation battle. I like Granet and he gives young players a chance to play which is good for their development. Jonathan Dufort is particularly promising, he could be a really top class goalkeeper. Defensively we look quite good, it's just at the other end I worry a bit. The gaffer might have to invest in some forwards if we really want to go to the next level..”

Full name: Association athlétique de Champex du Lac
Location: Champex du Lac, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Parc du Lac (Capacity: 40,000)
Manager: Gilles Plessis, 43, plays a 3-4-3 formation utilising wing-backs. He enjoys playing with width and to that end plays two wide attacking midfielders as well. He is known to be an extremely tactical manager and for adeptly developing young players.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Champex du Lac is a generally wealthy city situated on the southern edge of Lac Léman and at the foot of the Haute-Alpes mountains. It is an important cultural and economic centre for Prahecq. Their eponymous team play in purple home shirts with white shorts and purple socks. Their away kit is a black shirt, purple shorts and black and purple hooped socks. Champex du Lac have two local derbies within their region, the Derby du Lac with Aubaix and the Derby du Haute-Alpes with Jeanne d'Arc. The former is based on the rivalry between the two cities that cuts across everything from economics to art. The latter is based on geographic proximity and the fact the two teams essentially represent the two biggest settlements in the Haute-Alpes mountains, with people from Champex du Lac often seeing those from Saint-Maximin as rural country bumpkins and the Maximinois seeing people from Champex as snooty hotshot city-dwellers. They are extremely financially secure and can invest a lot of money in improving their squad if they wish to do so. They have an extremely interconnected relationship with Banc Champex which obviously benefits them economically. They are traditionally a club that is just on the periphery of those dubbed 'big clubs' and are known for having a good youth system.
Club infrastructure: They have a nice, shiny new stadium right next to the lake that has all the modern amenities a stadium could need. It has a tram station dedicated purely to the stadium and plenty of hospitality boxes designed to rake in more cash for the club. The two ends of the stadium have rail-seat sections designed for safe-standing which house the club's two main ultras groups. Their training facility is also modern and has the required under soil heating necessary in the mountains as well as other measures to combat the cold, including three aircraft hanger sized buildings for indoor pitches. Their youth recruitment stretches almost nationwide, although they do struggle to compete with the big clubs in their traditional catchment areas (e.g. Marianne in Nord, Racing Club in Île-de-Prahecq, Douanes in Côte Sud etc). They are known for producing good youth prospects.
Fanbase: Another one-club city and Champex are a proud representative of that city. They draw their support from all social categories, although their fans do tend to be fairly affluent due to the relative affluence of the city when compared to other places in Prahecq. Their support is known to be noisy and they boast two ultras groups, the apolitical Ultras Champex and the smaller, right-wing Garçons du Lac. Both travel well and the latter are known to be violent.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Champex have arguably the best striker in the league in the form of Gigi Vaillancour and his performance will be important in how well the team fares this season. They might not be quite good enough to crash the party of the big clubs this season, but they have some big talents that manager Gilles Plessis will be able to develop, e.g. Kylian Maçon and Marcel David. Progressing in the Coupe Prahecqoise is realistic for them given the relative lack of strength in their regional group, once they're in the Étape de fermeture anything can happen, after all. Give this team time and they could actually challenge for the title, as long as they aren't picked apart for players - they don't need to sell, but players want to play for the likes of Marianne, Racing Club and Douanes. A title challenge shouldn't materialise this season, but they should be good for around 5th, with an outside chance at finishing in the top four..”

La Voix du Lac (local media): “This could really be Champex's season, Vaillancour is possibly the best player in the league, then there's the young legion of Maçon, Gasper, Brodeur and David to back him up. That's not even to mention Hugo Beaudry who will still be a useful weapon despite his advancing age. If they can break into the small oligopoly at the top of the table, they could be difficult to shift given their financial strength and the level of support behind the team, the seeds are there for Champex to become a real big club. The only issue could be Plessis' tactical tinkering with the squad, he has been accused of over-complicating it at times and that is something he will have to learn from because he has all the ingredients here to do something big with this team..”

Jean-Marc Abadie (supporter): “I'm pretty confident with where we're at right now. Gigi [Vaillancour] is incredible and we have some really great youngsters coming through the ranks at the minute and Gilles [Plessis] is one-hundred percent the man to develop them. I kind of half have an expectation of winning something this season, if we don't Vaillancour could be off and I don't really want to see our prospects pinched on top of that - a trophy would ensure we don't suffer from that..”

Full name: Coulommiers sportifs
Location: Coulommiers, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: L'arsenal (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Phil Mossé, 47, prefers the 4-2-3-1 formation. He is a good man-manager and is said to be thrifty in the transfer market.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: A somewhat unfashionable side from the second city in the capital region. Coulommiers traditionally suffers from being in Yvelines' shadow, but people often forget that it is a proud city in its own right and historically was the backbone of the Armée prahecqoise, housing the soldiers and being the location of major munitions factories etc. A major barracks is maintained in the city and there are still plenty of factories in the city, where the blue-collar population ply their trade. The club plays in an all-orange home kit accented with white trim; their away kit is a white shirt, accented with orange trim, black shorts and white socks. The club has no definite rivalries, but games with Yvelines clubs are often prickly. They tend to struggle slightly financially and are traditionally a club that have to stave off relegation from Le championnat but they can occasionally punch above their weight.
Club infrastructure: Their stadium is old and rickety, nearly falling apart, but it does retain a certain charm in that it is an absolute throwback. It is also right in the middle of one of the city's old housing districts, right amongst people's homes and it does feel like there is a real connection between the club and its city and its fans. It is also quite small for a club from a city of Coulommiers' size (c. 1 million). There have been murmurings of a new stadium, but the club don't have the money and you do have to feel that it would be quite sad were they to leave L'arsenal. Their training ground isn't the best either, they're a bit stuck in the past facilities wise. Youth recruitment wise they are fairly strong within their region, but have to compete with all the Yvelines clubs to draw from the talent pool which is obviously a tough challenge.
Fanbase: They draw their support purely from their hometown, but they are at least just about the most popular team within their hometown's populace, their following tends to be dominated by the working class. Racing Club naturally compete for support, as do the other Yvelines' clubs due to their geographic proximity to Coulommiers. The people who do support the team are vociferous in their support for them and follow them home and away. They have a small ultras group in the form of Soldats.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Coulommiers don't actually have an awful team. They have a couple of very useful youngsters in Calixte Morel and Jeannot D'aramitz. Both have the potential to be exceptional players, but they're actually already quite good anyway. Their defence is a bit weak right now, but they will improve, they're all quite young. They have experienced heads in captain Langlois and Desrochers sitting in front of their defence and that protection could go some way to helping the young defenders development. They may have to sell Morel and D'aramitz to make ends meet at the end of this season, so they'll have to hope that their impact is big enough to make it look like Coulommiers are going places in order to replace them. That's for the future though, they have Morel and D'aramitz now and their quality could see them finish around 7th to 10th..”

Coulommiers Quotidien (local media): “Mossé has the best squad that Coulommiers have had in years on his hands, if he could keep the base of this side together whilst adding to it using his thriftiness in the transfer market to pick-up some bargains this team could become a contender. The demands of modern football being as they are, though, it's unlikely they'll be able to keep a hold of their better players and that is a sad thing for the club. Qualifying out of their Coupe Prahecqoise region has to be a target this season - there's only Racing Club and arguably Stade Yvelines ahead of them in quality - but it is the strongest region due to the presence of all the clubs from the capital which makes it a difficult ask to get to the Étape de fermeture, supporters will undoubtedly be hopeful and with Calixte Morel in the side in particular, they can rightly be..”

José Flandin (supporter): “Our season rides on whether Morel stays fit, in my mind, he is an outstanding player and probably going to outgrow us this season - but hopefully he will give us some great memories before he does leave. I really believe with him in the team we could do something special this year, whether it be breaking into the top four or a cup run - we'd take either..”

Full name: Club sportif douanier
Location: Vieux-Port, Orthez, Côte Sud
Stadium: Stade Velodrome (Capacity: 67,000)
Manager: Remy Béliveau, 51, utilises a 4-3-3 formation. He is known to be an expert in the development of youth players, helping them reach their full potential and is also a prominent proponent of offensive football.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: The basis of the club's foundation was as the team of the customs and shipping workers of the Port of Orthez with their logo paying homage to one of said workers. They have grown into the biggest club from the multicultural city of Orthez in Le championnat.Their local rivals Olympique Orthez currently compete in La deuxième classification. They are wildly popular in the south of Prahecq, particularly in their native Côte Sud region, but also in Alpes Côtières and Cherolles - they are one of three teams (along with Marianne and Racing Club), that can truly claim to have nationwide support. They have a green home strip, the shirt is accented with yellow, all-green shorts and hooped green and yellow socks. Their away kit consists of a white shirt, accented with green, black shorts and yellow socks. Douanes compete in the Derby du Orthez against Olympique Orthez, but also in La Lutte (which translates as 'the Struggle' in English, which perhaps gives you a sense of the scale of the rivalry), against Racing Club. La Lutte represents the fractious relationship between the historically richer and more industrial north of the country and the poorer, less industrialised south with Orthez being the most important major city in the south. Their financial resources are average, although their large stadium does allow them to just about keep up with the other big clubs. This slight disparity reflects itself in Douanes only being able to make a couple of big transfers every summer compared to Marianne and Racing Club who can more or less make as many as they please. Douanes are known as one of the 'big three' teams in Prahecq along with Marianne and Racing Club - they are regarded as the club of the south and should regularly challenge for Le championnat title.
Club infrastructure: They have the largest club stadium in Prahecq, with only the national stadium being larger, reflecting the passionate nature of Douanes' supporters. It has an ubiquitous design that is instantly recognisable with its steep stands and they recently added a roof to the stadium as well making it slightly more comfortable for the fans there. It is truly a beautiful ground and one of the most important sporting venues in the country. Their training facilities are state of the art as well, befitting a club of Douanes size. Their youth recruitment is nationwide, able to pick up players from as far north as Jonzac, Rouen and Plumelec due to the size of the club. They also have a strong scouting department, able to assess player quality pretty well.
Fanbase: They have a huge fanbase, with supporters based all over Prahecq supporting the team from the south coast and they draw fans from across social classes and ethnic groups. They are a loud bunch as well, both in their support on the tribunes, but also in voicing their opinion on how the club is doing away from the stadium. They aren't the most patient bunch, which can lead to pressure on the manager and the board if the team are not doing that well. That's not even mentioning the way the ultras dress down the players if they have been deemed to have underperformed. The Virage Nord are the biggest ultras group and they are traditionally a left-wing bunch which is hardly surprising given Orthez' status as a city of immigrants with a rich multicultural tradition. They have a big hooligan problem on the south coast and Douanes are often the victim of the biggest crackdowns on hooliganism which perhaps goes some way to explaining the scale of their hooligan issues. Often regarded as one of the most passionate fanbase's in Prahecq.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Douanes have a strong team but they might not quite be on the level of the two more northern big clubs. Yes they're good, but they still have to deal with Marianne and Racing Club being in the same league as them and those two might have a bit too much for the Orthez club. They are a side with absolutely enormous potential, lots of young players who will improve and some that are excellent already with Somer St-Pierre being a particular highlight, his speed and dribbling ability are a wonder to watch and he's especially dangerous given he can play off the wing as well as through the middle. Jérôme Soucy is a very tidy operator in the middle of the park and they have the absolute rock Manu Leroux at the back organising the defence. Béliveau is putting a lot of trust in his young charges, but it may be a little early for them to win the title, 3rd for Douanes..”

Orthez Écho (local media): “I think a lot depends on whether the young players that Béliveau has entrusted with important positions step up to the mark, e.g. Boisvert in between the sticks or 19 year old Denis Laux deputising in defensive midfield. If they do well, then you already know what you're going to get from some of the big names such as Croquetaigne, Boivin, Soucy and St-Pierre, which makes for a very promising combination that could take Douanes all the way to the title. Head-to-head games with their title rivals will be crucial and qualification to the latter stages of both cup competitions is a must as well...”

Enzo Gachet (supporter): “I'm most excited at the prospect of this young midfield coming together: Laux, Lamarre and Soucy promise so much and knowing Béliveau's track record for working with young players, I believe the hype is real. This truly could be our year if we can beat our rivals in direct competition, I hope we don't have any mental fragility because that will be our undoing knowing our support and how they can get on the team's back..”

Full name: Société d'équitation Epinal
Location: Epinal, Cherolles
Stadium: Hippodrome Epinal (Capacity: 12,000)
Manager: Aubin Allaire, 55, plays the old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation. Allaire is a fan of playing his youngsters, entrusting them with responsibility and believing this is the best way to help them improve. He is also an advocate of counter-attacking football, soaking up pressure and then building-up with quick passes forward after winning the ball back.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Epinal were founded originally as a horse riding society, but they quickly moved into other sports when it became apparent that that would increase their membership rapidly. They are now probably best known for their football section, but their heritage is acknowledged openly - including on their logo. They play in a halved white and green-ish home shirt, black shorts and that same green-ish colour for their socks. Their away kit is a royal blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Epinal have a huge local derby with the other big team from their region, Union, in the Derby du Cherolles which is often a fearsome tie. It is worth noting the rural nature of the Cherolles region, as it essentially explains the foundation of the two major Cherolais clubs. The region is basically one huge coastal plain, with some slightly hillier bits at its easternmost extremity near the Alpine regions and bordering Gurelurra in the south-west. These plains are ideal for rearing animals (read: horses) and for farming, which is basically the basis of Epinal and Union - the former being founded as a horse riding society and the latter a sports club for the farmer's union based in Vesoul. Cherolles is renowned for its propensity for producing Grand National winning horses and jockeys and Epinal would claim some part in that. Epinal's financial resources are below average. They are known as a club that regularly struggle against relegation in Le championnat, something their fans are aware of and acknowledge is unlikely to change any time soon.
Club infrastructure: They have a small football stadium that is on the same grounds as the famous racecourse in Epinal, the ground does its job although it is a bit old and weary nowadays. Most investment for facilities in Epinal goes towards the upkeep and development of the racecourse and the football club doesn't receive nearly as much help as it probably needs. Their training facilities are half-decent though, with the club benefiting from shared facilities with the world class Cherolais Jockey Academy in addition to their own indoor facilities. Youth recruitment is an area they could do with improving, half the youngsters in Cherolles are more interested in horses than football and then they aren't really a big enough club to attract players from outside their region.
Fanbase: They have a small but loyal set of fans, as already mentioned, many in their region are drawn to horse racing given the importance both culturally and economically to the region. However, they do have a growing football culture and staying in Le championnat will only further improve that situation. Their ultras group is Warhorses 26 and they suffer from the symptom of not being truly comfortable with their inferiority in terms of size and history in that they are often exceedingly violent and even to normal supporters, breaking an unwritten hooligan rule regarding attacking non-hooligans. They do however create some attractive choreographies in Epinal, in fairness to their ultras.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Epinal know their place. They know that they're going to struggle to stay in this division barring an enormous shock, Aubin Allaire has a horrible job on his hands in trying to keep them in the top division. They have very little quality in this team and even the small amounts of potential ability that they do have isn't going to arrive quickly enough for the team to avoid relegation. The likes of Daniau, Sault and Leandres will all be poached come the end of the season. It's sad because they're a good little club, but they don't have the talent there at the moment. 15th or 16th for Epinal..”

La Campagne (local media): “There is very little to be optimistic about for Epinal. The only hope can be that some of the youngsters step up quickly and perform beyond their current ability levels in order to keep them up. I can't help but thinking that Aubin Allaire is the right manager at the wrong time for the club. They could do with an experienced head who isn't afraid to bring in some experienced players who know how to fight off relegation, the sort of dogfight they will be involved in this season is not exactly the best place to blood youngsters and it could all go horribly wrong..”

Maël Hector (supporter): “I don't think the national media give us enough credit. Being a relatively small club we really do punch above our weight, but the players we have aren't that bad despite being young.
The way I look at it, there's enough other poor teams around us that gives us a chance of staying up. The pig-f**kers from Union, then there's Étoile Rouge, Jeunesse and Maccabi as well, we're in with a shout of staying up if we get some good results against those teams. I just hope we manage to stay up..”

Full name: Espérance rouennais
Location: Quai Aigle, Rouen, Nord-Est
Stadium: Parc D'Espoir (Capacity: 35,000)
Manager: Clément Battier, aged 59, usually sets his teams out in a 4-4-1-1 formation. He is known to be a bit of a wheeler dealer in the transfer market and usually employs long ball build-up play.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: The biggest club from the northern industrial city of Rouen. Historically the north of the country is much richer than the south and that can be seen clearly in Rouen, with industry booming and the huge port there being important in shipping. Rouen's port rivals the biggest southern one at Orthez in size and the club is very proud of its relationship with industry and the port in their home city. Espérance play in a blue home shirt with white trim, white shorts and blue socks. Their away kit is a yellow shirt with black shorts and yellow socks. They compete in the Derby du Rouen against local rivals Clichy-sous-Bois who represent a different part of the city to Espérance in a game that is often billed as the dockers (Rouen) against the factory workers (Clichy-sous-Bois), but this is mainly just media noise as Espérance's popularity transcends professions within the city. There is also the Derby du Nord with Marianne, an inter-regional rivalry between the two biggest northern teams. They are financially well-run, but the city is often regarded as spendthrift and that does carry over to the football club - they're unlikely to make high profile moves in the transfer market. Espérance are known as a middling club that that can occasionally surprise the bigger teams, although their fans are often frustrated by the club selling their best players, seen as a lack of ambition from the club's board.
Club infrastructure: A modern arena right on the docks makes for an intimidating venue for away teams to travel to. The club's board have invested in bringing the club up-to-scratch financially and this often means selling their better players but it's an intelligent strategy as they purchase promising players and turn them for profit. This has led to the club's finances being some of the best in the country and the construction of their new ground and investment in their training facilities and youth recruitment. Their training facilities are being improved, by the end of which they should be among the best in Prahecq. Similarly, Espérance's youth recruitment network is being extended from just the north and north-eastern parts of the country into the midlands meaning their talent pool from which they can draw youth players will be greatly extended.
Fanbase: Their support is generally quite well-off, related to the wealth of Rouen as a city, but they do draw their support from across social classes due to the fact they are the biggest club within Rouen and in Nord-Est. They are also followed by many from Doigt to the south due to the lack of good football clubs from their region. They do have to compete for support with Marianne given their size as a club, but Espérance are popular within their region and do pick up some fans from across the border between the Nord and Nord-Est regions. Espérance's supporters often see the rivalry with Marianne as bigger than the one with Clichy-sous-Bois, a sentiment not shared by Clichy-sous-Bois fans. They have a large right-leaning ultras group Fierté du Nord-Est that is known to have fearsome clashes with Marianne's ultras whenever the two meet, but is not notably violent otherwise.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Battier is being tasked with keeping Espérance comfortably mid-table whilst the club invests money into the infrastructure before attempting to move up the table with this squad and he should have the quality at his disposal to do so. Lamontagne's experience at the back will be crucial in the fortunes of this young team, however, he is ageing and the development of their young players needs to happen quickly because he will not be around forever. For now, they should have enough quality to stay out of the relegation battle, but Marianne and SS Plumelec may prove a stumbling block to any hopes of Coupe Prahecqoise progression. Look for them to finish between 9th and 12th in the league this season..”

Presse Nord-Est (local media): “Espérance's fans will know that this is a season for slow progression, but they will become frustrated if their board continue their policy of selling their best players again next summer as they are unlikely to finish any better off than mid-table if they continue to do so and relegation could become a worry if they fail to replace them. Financial security has been achieved now, so they surely have to begin looking to improve. Champf, Pelissier and Doucet are all decent prospects and they could inspire a cup run this season. Keeping them for the future is the most important task though and it is only with that that the club will be able to move up the table..”

Jacques Bachelot (supporter): “I'm well aware that we probably won't be able to finish any higher than mid-table this season, there are quite a few teams that are simply better than us, but if we could finish in the top half that would be a good achievement. I don't think the board are really helping Battier that much, he is known to be a prolific user of the transfer market and come up with clever deals to improve his teams but he can't do that without the board's help and they're currently not giving him the funds. Yeah, the new stadium is nice and the development of the club's training ground is good too but winning a trophy would be nice..”

Full name: Étoile Rouge
Location: Balzac, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Serge Ouvrard (Capacity: 17,000)
Manager: Sacha Marchand, 63, usually sends his teams out in a 3-4-2-1 formation but is known to be tactically flexible. He is a notoriously out-spoken manager, regularly making comments in the media about opposing teams and occasionally his own players. He is also known to be incredibly intense, involved in his job to an extent that could perhaps even be said to be bad for his health.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Founded as a team to represent the Red Quarter of Yvelines, an area renowned for playing host to students, left-wing intellectuals and political thinkers. It's also a historically poor area that relied upon heavy industry for jobs which have since been outsourced in order to increase profitability for the corporations that operated there, leading to widespread unemployment in the area. The football team are on of the few sources of pride for the area. Their home kit is a white shirt with a broad vertical matte green section down both the front and back, with red shorts and white socks with a single matte green hoop near the top. Their away kit is a red shirt, with black shorts and matte green socks. They aren't the richest of clubs, often struggling financially in fact, but they have a way of scraping by. They boast quite a few high profile fans (often well-known actors, comedians and musicians who sympathise with the club's purported political views), who have a habit of bailing the club out when it needs help. Traditionally they are a mid-table side in Le championnat.
Club infrastructure: The club's stadium is named after one of the prominent founders of the Parti Socialiste Serge Ouvrard and it looks like it has never been renovated since its construction around the time of his death. It's a bit decrepit and its running track means that the fans are a long way away from the pitch but it is a well-loved venue all the same. Their training ground is pretty average, meaning player development isn't always the easiest. They do however have a knack for youth recruitment, being able to assess the quality of youngsters very well and their ability to spot potential early means that whilst their catchment area is limited to Île-de-Prahecq, they often do pick up some quality players. Their finances aren't the greatest as aforementioned, but there is occasionally talk of a consortium of high-profile fans coming together to back the club, whether the reports have any truth to them remains to be seen.
Fanbase: They have an above average sized fanbase due to their location within the capital in the densely populated Red Quarter, but also because of the politics related to their name. Étoile Rouge's support is drawn largely from the working classes and students - it is also very multicultural - and all of this is reflected on the terraces. Their biggest ultras group is Ultras Serge Ouvrard, a large left-wing group that are politically active within their community as well as in the stadium. They follow their team around the country, but don't tend to be violent. All games against fellow Yvelines clubs can boil over, both on and off the pitch. As mentioned they do have some celebrity fans, but their fanbase generally isn't well off and can be known to occasionally be quite impatient with managers if results aren't going their way.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “They have quite a few players that are simply below average for this level of football. They will undoubtedly struggle this season, fighting off relegation could be quite tough for the club this season. They do have a couple of decent young players, though, in the form of Percy Gamelin (19) and Armand Viens (23), who will undoubtedly turn into exceptional players in the future. The club could do with them proving their worth quite quickly, however. Good performances from them this season would go some way to alleviating the threat from relegation. Marchand should have enough experience to keep them out of trouble, the level of his attention to things like opponent's tactics and his own team's diets and fitness should ensure their safety. They'll finish just above the relegation zone, around 12th to 14th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “It's difficult to be overly optimistic for Étoile Rouge this season. The Balzac club are probably just about as good as fellow Yvelines clubs Jeunesse and Maccabi, but they're all going to struggle this year. It's going to be a real slog for all three to stay up. Étoile Rouge have to rely on their young players, but this season is just about getting to safety for them really, although it is blatantly obvious improvements will have to be made if they do manage to stay up. Marchand should have enough experience to see his side through..”

Lucas Malet (supporter): “We have Gamelin and Viens and those two should keep us up this year, I'd just be happy to see us get good results against the other Yvelinois teams as long as we consolidate our position in Le championnat this year. Stay up and give Marchand a chance to improve the team and see where we are then..”

Full name: Jeanne d'Arc Saint-Maximin
Location: Saint-Maximin, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Parc Saint-Maximin (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Remi Lozé, a 42 year old, prefers to play with a 4-3-1-2 formation. He is known as a promising young managerial talent that likes to play possession football and is an intelligent tactician.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: The club from the smallest city in Haute-Alpes, Saint-Maximin with its population of around 250,000. Their city is located in the foothills of the high mountains in the region and this is extremely noticeable in the winter months when the weather is cold and it's snowing and this inclement weather is said to give them quite an advantage. The area is quite rural and conservative and often devoutly Catholic, as can be seen with the club's name. Saint-Maximin is an affluent, modern city, home to a hydroelectric dam and a few iron and steel skyscrapers. Their kit at home is all blue, from the shirt to the shorts to the socks and their away kit is a red shirt, black shorts and black socks. They are a rich club, but often fail to attract players to the city because of its location and reputation as a conservative rural enclave, with players generally preferring to go to the more cosmopolitan Champex du Lac down the road - the city whose club whom Jeanne d'Arc compete with the Derby du Haute-Alpes. Traditionally a mid-table team that occasionally push on a bit higher up the table and enjoy a cup run from time-to-time.
Club infrastructure: Their stadium Parc Saint-Maximin is neither particularly modern nor old-fashioned and therefore developing or improving it is not an enormous priority for the club, it serves its purpose well enough at this time. Their training facilities are currently in the process of being improved, with manager Remi Lozé demanding their improvement as part of his joining the club. Their youth recruitment is pretty good, they hold their own within Haute-Alpes, but also do well in Briard and Doigt, ensuring a slightly larger talent pool. They hold an advantage in those regions as not many clubs bother scouting them in-depth, believing them to be too rural and lowly populated to produce many good players (along with the fact they don't have particularly big clubs, meaning playing for Jeanne d'Arc is enticing). Lozé is a manager who likes to use young players believing they're easier to impress tactical ideas upon, so expect them to improve their youth recruitment and scout quality in the future.
Fanbase: They have a small but devoted local fanbase, managing to also attract some support from the nearby Briard and Doigt regions, with many there identifying with Jeanne d'Arc as the club of the rural communities around there. Their fanbase is affluent and tends to be socially conservative, with the Catholic Church still holding strong influence in many of the rural communities in the mountains and countryside. This is in stark contrast to Champex du Lac, which is a multicultural, liberal city and that brings Jeanne d'Arc's fanbase into conflict with them for reasons beyond just their geographic proximity. Jeanne d'Arc have an ultras group Guerriers de la Croix, a fiercely far-right group that often deliberately antagonise ethnic minorities and people of different religious groups when they travel to other cities and they're known to be violent too.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Jeanne d'Arc should finish comfortably mid-table this season, Remi Lozé is a talented young manager and his tactical abilities will get a lot from this young team. That's not even mentioning their major young talents: Panetier at the back, Cinq-Mars in behind the striker and the already very talented Matthieu Goddu up-top. Goddu's goals will be crucial in ensuring they don't slip into a relegation battle, but his presence in the side should at least mean that that doesn't happen. They will compete with Aubaix to qualify out of their Coupe Prahecqoise region in second place and their fans will really be hoping they do, because Goddu's finishing could mean a surprise cup victory if they manage to reach the Étape de fermeture. In Le championnat they will probably drift into mid-table obscurity, somewhere between 9th and 12th..”

La Voix du Lac (local media): “Jeanne d'Arc have the ingredients to become a strong team and potentially a contender in the league if they can keep their best players, young talents and the manager at Parc Saint-Maximin. Goddu could become one of the best strikers in the country, he's already very talented, but perhaps needs to bring other players into the game a bit more. Yvon Cinq-Mars is a huge talent as well. They just need to ensure that this season they don't get dragged into the mire quite by accident, as relegation could prove catastrophic for the club. Murmurings of monetary investment by big local businesses in the future have been heard on the grapevine, but that will not happen if the club drop down to the second tier..”

Philippe Brunel (supporter): “I'm quietly confident this season, we have some excellent players, Goddu being the best of them. We should be aiming for a top-half finish and a cup run in my mind, I just hope that Lozé doesn't over-complicate things tactically because there isn't any need to with some of the quality players we have. Keep things simple and let them do their thing...”

[Republique Prahecqoise]

22/23 Season Preview - Part 2
We finish off the second half of our preview, the second set of eight teams competing in Le championnat this season and we cover some of the real big boys this time around. Remember, if you're enjoying what we do here at L'Action, you can get a subscription that allows you 7 day access to the web version of our print edition for only 11,99 francs per month - an excellent deal even if I do say so myself..

Full name: Société sportive de la jeunesse
Location: Houellebecq, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Kevin Morin (Capacity: 24,000)
Manager: Camille Loupe, is a 46 year old who prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. People know him for his thrifty abilities in the transfer market along with the fact that he regularly trusts youth players to go out and make performances - a good sign at a club called Jeunesse, surely?
Previous season: N/a

Club information: A club from one of the newer districts of the capital, although new in Yvelines still means enriched with centuries of history. Houellebecq is a very multicultural neighbourhood, with people of all races and religions creating a real melting pot atmosphere. Jeunesse are a proud representative of their district, they were originally founded as a sports society for the youth of the area who had nothing to do, but they have grown into a fully fledged sports team that compete at all age groups. They play in teal and grey halved home shirts, with black shorts and teal socks; their away kit is a white shirt, black shorts and white socks. They do not have any explicitly named derby games or rivalries, but all games against other teams from Yvelines are full of passion. Their finances are fairly middling within Le championnat, with plenty of clubs having better resources and a few that are a bit worse. They won't be in many high-profile deals, anyway. Generally they're a mid-table Le championnat team, occasionally struggling against relegation when their current crop of players isn't so good.
Club infrastructure: Their stadium is a nice little ground, the exact right size for their club and the right mix between modern and historic. It was built on the site of their previous stadium, but pretty recently, so they have a perfect best of both worlds situation going on there. They have decent training facilites, but it wouldn't hurt to upgrade them a little bit further. Their youth recruitment is pretty good, as you would expect from a club from the capital - they have the biggest population to dip into and their scouts are actually excellent at identifying potential, as well.
Fanbase: Their fanbase is fairly standard for an Yvelines club, above average sized and passionate. They enjoy seeing young players local to the club getting a chance on the pitch, so they should build an excellent relationship with Camille Loupe and they are known to be pretty patient as well - which is definitely a bonus for the man at the helm. Their fans are drawn from all social classes and as such there is a real range of fans in the ground, with all kinds of people united in support of Jeunesse. They have an apolitical ultras group in the form of Ultras Jean-Loup Roatta, named after an old capo who sadly died from terminal cancer - but who is now remembered forever on the tribunes of the Stade Kevin Morin.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Loupe could do a really good job here at Jeunesse, he has the experience of the likes of Jolicoeur and Ayot to rely upon if things get dicey, but also some great potential coming through the ranks in the form of three local lads: Racicot, Poisson and Bondy. The first of the three is only 18 and is being tipped to be a real star. They do have a few deficiencies in the squad, though, particularly at centre-back and behind the striker. They will be in a relegation fight this season, but Loupe is the exact right manager for this club, provided he can keep them up this year. They should manage it, they're good enough and should finish just above the relegation zone between 12th and 14th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “Jeunesse have to be really careful this season, they're part of a cabal of five or so clubs who are going to fight it out to stay in Le championnat this season and they really need to stay up because if they don't they will lose their better players and they could struggle to come back up again. Racicot looks an excellent talent and it is no surprise whatsoever to see scouts from the likes of Marianne, Champex du Lac and even Aubaix coming to watch him in the Houellebecq district. Jeunesse's games against fellow Yvelinois teams this season could be crucial, Étoile Rouge and Maccabi are going to be down there in the scrap with them and that'll make the games even more passionate which could make them extremely fiery and dangerous for the teams involved..”

Hector Delafosse (supporter): “If we manage to stay up this season the future is particularly bright, if we don't, well, it doesn't really bare thinking about. Getting back into Le championnat is a horrible task given that there's only two promotion spots in a pretty competitive division and we'd lose our better players. I think Loupe is the right man to keep us up and I'm excited to see what the future holds if he does so, we could surprise a few big teams with our youngsters developing and a couple of clever signings..”

Full name: Club sportif maccabi Yvelines
Location: Nemirovsky, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Isac Levitsky Arena (Capacity: 9,000)
Manager: Philibert Gagnon, 50, plays a pretty unusual 5-3-2 formation. He isn't afraid to park-the-bus, being known with Prahecq as a defensive manager who attempts to minimise goals conceded. He utilises counter-attacking football in order to score up the other end.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Maccabi were founded as the Jewish club of Yvelines, hailing from the famous Jewish Quarter of the city where the Jews of the capital grouped together in the past - something that has created a rich history and the area remains a hive of Jewish culture and intelligentsia to this day. They do, of course, employ players of any religion nowadays but they do still bring a lot of Prahecqois Jews through their youth system. They play in a sky blue home shirt, dark blue shorts and sky blue socks; their away kit is a black and white striped shirt, white shorts and sky blue socks. Their finances are rocky to say the least at the minute, with the club struggling from month to month due to some financial mismanagement at the club, they will hope to sort that out as soon as possible. Maccabi are a side who are likely to yo-yo between the two Prahecqois divisions and struggle to do anything more than merely survive in Le championnat.
Club infrastructure: The club's stadium is old and tiny and it really isn't the sort of ground that helps a club grow and develop - and most importantly, move up the table. There was talk of a new ground being built in the neighbouring Proust district within the Jewish Quarter, but this never came about and the club's financial issues have put paid to that idea now. Their training ground is also below-par. Traditionally they are the club who struggle with youth recruitment the most within Yvelines, but as they are currently a division above International, they're doing a little bit better than usual. They do have an advantage in being the Jewish club, certainly, as they corner a section of the talent pool straight away there. Their infrastructure is certainly an area that needs improving on all levels, but that will only come with financial improvement.
Fanbase: Maccabi have one of the smaller fanbases among the Yvelinois clubs, but it is still of average size when considered on a national scale. Their supporters are, perhaps unsurprisingly, traditionally Jewish (or of Jewish heritage, or just simply from the Jewish Quarter of Yvelines), but they do reach out beyond just the religion they were founded to represent. Their supporters tend to be of above average affluence, which is unfortunate given their current financial issues - a takeover would be ideal for the team right now. They do also have a passionate ultras group in Les Indésirables, a group that reserve membership for just those that are Jews, of Jewish heritage or born in the Jewish Quarter - outsiders need not apply! They are known to be violent and right-wing and it'd be a brave man trying to enter their section of the stadium, that's for sure.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Maccabi are going to struggle this season, that's for sure. They don't have the personnel to do anything more than fight against relegation and nobody would be surprised to see them go down, that's definite. Gaston Petrie is a decent player and he's way below his level at the club, but he loves them, he should just about keep them up this year as Epinal and Union aren't as good and don't have a talisman such as he. Expect him to leave at the end of the season, after keeping the club up by their fingernails in 14th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “Maccabi don't have the best team right now and their financial problems are a dark shadow over the team as well. Petrie loves the club and the captain should be a real force in the middle of the park. They do have a few good young players that are being blooded in a relegation scrap due to the club's financial issues and that could really benefit their development, goalkeeper Charbonneau; left-back Fandeau; striker Mailloux; all of them could come along a lot in terms of their ability this season. We haven't even mentioned their manager, either! Gagnon is a horrible manager to play against as he makes absolutely no bones about setting his teams out just to defend and defend and defend and they are often successful because of the negative approach rather than in spite of it..”

Wilhelm Guilbert (supporter): “I'm looking forward to this season, we have a real siege mentality in the Jewish Quarter and it will come out if we get dragged into the battle at the bottom of the table -
especially with Gagnon at the helm! The press think we don't like having him managing us, but it's actually great, fuck what they think of us, nobody likes us, we play shit football and quite frankly it's beautiful! We're staying up this season..”

Full name: Club de sport marianne de Jonzac
Location: Jonzac, Nord
Stadium: Stade Marianne (Capacity: 60,000)
Manager: Abel D'Aboville, 58, likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. He's getting on a bit in age now, but he's as sharp as ever, his intensity levels have never and probably will never drop. His teams are known for relentless offensive football.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Marianne are one of the historic big clubs of Prahecq, they have a truly nationwide fanbase and are a team that should regularly challenge for Le championnat titles. They're from Jonzac, a proud industrial and multicultural city, that is arguably where modern Socialisme prahecqois was born. They have built-up a fierce sense of pride and an 'us versus them' attitude, particularly directed at Yvelines, showing that they can do it too in Jonzac. Marianne is a national symbol of La République Prahecqoise, the embodiment of liberty and reason and the club from Jonzac have chosen her to embody them as well. They play in the colours of the flag of Prahecq: their shirt is the blue, trimmed with red and white, the shorts are white and the socks are blue; their away kit is all white. Marianne compete in two huge games in particular, the Derby du Nord against Espérance - a fierce battle between the two big northern city's main teams (indeed, Marianne are the only team from the whole of their region, showing the sheer size of the club). That is often an intense encounter but it shrinks in comparison to the biggest game in Prahecqois club football: Le Classique, versus Racing Club. It's the game between the two single biggest teams in the country and they are essentially polar opposites. Marianne are seen as the club of the people, traditionally left-wing and from a hard-working northern city. Racing Club are the club of the establishment in Yvelines, traditionally representing the middle and upper classes. It's an enormous game and it leads to a real pressure-cooker atmosphere when the two teams meet. Marianne are a financially strong club due to their size, fanbase, sponsorship agreements and large stadium. They will almost always be challenging for Le championnat title and they're one of the three biggest clubs in Prahecq.
Club infrastructure: Their infrastructure is fantastic, an excellent stadium in the form of the 60,000 Stade Marianne and it wouldn't be surprising if they expanded it soon as they would definitely fill it straight away. Their training ground is top of the range and is the perfect place to bring through youngsters and improve the older heads as well. They really try and make a link between the youth squads and the first team at Marianne and that can be seen at their training ground, where photos of legends adorn the walls and 7 year olds and the first team squad train within metres of one another. Their youth recruitment is nationwide and they have some of the best scouts in the country at their disposal, ensuring the players they get on board are of the highest standards.
Fanbase: They have a nationwide fanbase and their popularity generally transcends social classes and levels of affluence. However, they are traditionally seen as the club of the people and this is a fact their fans play on and never fail to mention. They are also a hugely left-wing club, with the roots of socialism running deep within their city and region and the football team definitely do not escape that. That is a something they're hugely proud of, though. They have a few ultras groups, all being on the left of the political scale, a few having violent tendencies as well. The biggest is Brigade Bleue, they are proponents of Socialisme prahecqois and are known to be violent. There's also Tribune du Sud, a Marxist group, who are not as violent and Jungle Boys 67, who are left-wing liberals that aren't afraid of a scrap. Their fanbase is known to be one of the most passionate in the country.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Marianne have to be considered favourites for the title this season. They have very few weak points in their squad and some excellent players for competing in Le championnat. Germain Hétu and Serge Bolduc are probably two of the best three players in Prahecq and they will be combining in Marianne's attacking third to absolutely terrorise defences this season. Romain Ménard is also an impressive winger who should cause full backs a lot of problems and their supporting cast is full of good players as well. D'Aboville just needs to ensure that his charges keep their focus and the title should be theirs, although Racing Club and Douanes should at least challenge them all the way this season. L'Action believe that Marianne should just about have too much, however, Champions..”

Le Journal (local media): “We could discuss how good Marianne's team is until we're blue in the face, to be quite honest with you. Their team is just clearly that good, they're all at a good age, not too many youth prospects at an especially young age - most of their younger heads do at least have some experience - with some exceptional players in the most important positions on the field. Everybody is going on about young Aubaix goalkeeper Jonathan Dufort, but people should check out the young man between the sticks at Marianne: Huon Lavallée. He's slightly older than his Aubaix counterpart at 24, but he's a great player and has already done the majority of his development. Marianne should have no problems winning the title this year..”

Sacha Caillat (supporter): “I can't see beyond my team this year, sure, I may be biased, but this team is exceptional by Le championnat standards. Even Racing Club are a bit behind at the minute, we don't really have any position that looks weak and I know Racing Club have a couple of areas they would likely wish to improve. I'd be hugely disappointed if we don't manage to win the title, D'Aboville would have a fair bit to answer for if he didn't manage that as the bare minimum requirement this season..”

Full name: Club de sport Oxocelhaya (Prahecqois French)/Kirol Kluba Otsozelaiako (Basque)
Location: Oxocelhaya, Gurelurra
Stadium: San Ignazio Loiolakoa (Capacity: 50,000)
Manager: Anko Azcarraga, 54 years of age, prefers to send his teams out in a 4-3-3 formation. As demonstrated with the formation, Azcarraga is an extremely offensive-minded coach, he's also known for being able to really develop young players and help them reach their potential.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Oxocelhaya represent the region of Gurelurra, hailing from its largest city. Gurelurra has its own special identity, speaking an entirely different language to the rest of the country, the Basque language. The region is also vastly different culturally to the rest of the country and as such there is a nationalist-separatist movement within the region, although it does tend to lean left on economic issues. The club use the Basque language in all club communications and their initials are on the badge in Basque rather than Prahecqois. The club play in an all-red home kit and their away kit is a green and white striped shirt, white shorts and white socks. They compete in their local derby the Euskal Derbia against Isturitz, a fellow Euskal team. That game will not take place this season, however, due to Isturitz' presence in La deuxième classification and the club have no other derby games or rivalries, although many around Prahecq do not like Gurelurra due to the separatist movement there. The club are financially below-par, often struggling with the management of the business side of the club. They have managed to construct a modern new stadium, though, which should benefit the club no end. They may need to sell a few of their better players in the coming few seasons to just get over the hill, but there is a light on the other side of the financial issues for the club. The club employ a cantera policy, whereby they can only play players who have been born in or 'had their football education in' Gurelurra. This does mean they have a limited pool of players to choose from, but it's a policy they're enormously proud of and stick to no matter what. It does mean they often rely on their youth system and don't make too many transfers and avoid spending money that way. Oxocelhaya are a team who will consistently challenge the big three clubs, particularly in cup competitions but also in Le championnat from time-to-time.
Club infrastructure: Their stadium is newly built, but it was especially designed to ensure that the atmosphere from their old ground carried over to the new one, with their vociferous fans that could be a given anyway. It has all the modern amenities you'd expect from a newly built ground and their club shop and museum near the stadium is magnificent to have a look around. Their training ground is of average quality, their youth recruitment is exceptional in Gurelurra, with the club needing it to be due to their cantera policy. It is also good in the south of Prahecq generally, as the club look to poach players at a young age to ensure they do get their 'football education' in Gurelurra and are therefore eligible to play for the club. The scouts they employ are all of a high quality.
Fanbase: They have a large, passionate fanbase that follow their club around the country. Many say that for people from the city, attending the football at the weekend is on a par with attending Church (with Gurelurra being highly religious, this demonstrates the importance of the sport in the city), and they often compare the stadium, the San Ignazio Loiolakoa, to a cathedral. Their fanbase is obviously somewhat limited to the region they hail from, but they do also draw fans from the Euskal diaspora around the country. Their main ultras group is called Haserrea and they're a left-wing Euskal nationalist group, although they do have fan friendships with other left-wing ultras groups round Prahecq. They're known to have fiercely violent clashes with most of the right-wing groups around the country when they meet on match days.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Oxocelhaya do have some good players this season and Azcarraga is well known to be a smart operator on the touchline. Ybarra up-top will need to score regularly and Garrastazu will have to organise the defence well, that may be the weak spot of the team. They'll be for some starlets to come through the youth teams in the coming seasons as there aren't really too many Euskal defenders knocking about that they could sign. With a bit of luck they could actually break into the top four this season, but it's probably more realistic to suggest that they'll finish somewhere between 6th and 8th and perhaps have a decent run in one of the cups..”

Otsozelaiako Telegrafoa (local media): “Our team could really do something this year, dare we even suggest they have an outside shot at the title? It would be unexpected for those outside the region, definitely, but why shouldn't we dream? We have some talent in our squad such as Ybarra, Beñat and Sixte Delacroix, if they perform up to standards then they could spring a major shock. The Coupe Prahecqoise could suit us this year as we should get into the knockout rounds with a bit of ease..”

Esparatz Zubizarreta (supporter): “I'm really excited for the next few years, our youth academy is one of the best in the country and if we can recruit well and improve our few weak spots then we could challenge the established big clubs. There's no reason why we can't be one, as well, our fanbase is enormous within Gurelurra and there's lots of Euskal around the country too..”

Full name: Racing Club
Location: Hugo, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Colisée de Yvelines (Capacity: 53,000)
Manager: Jasmin Calvet, aged 65, prefers to send his teams out in the 4-3-3 formation. He isn't afraid to spend money to improve his teams, known as a bit of a chequebook manager and he's also very out-spoken in the media, letting everybody know just what he thinks. He's also the oldest manager in Le championnat this season.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Racing Club are the last of the three real big clubs in Le championnat that we have yet to preview ahead of this season. Racing Club are often seen as the club of the establishment of the capital city, Yvelines. They historically represented the middle and upper classes of their city, being a club that required a membership fee when they were first founded. They play in a matte black home strip with blue trim and their away kit being the reverse. The club's mythology is that they are the heir to the famous Roman chariot racers who competed at the Circus Maximus and that is ostensibly the reasoning behind their badge as well. They have a few big games that they compete in, the biggest of which is undoubtedly Le Classique against Marianne. The battle between the two biggest clubs of Prahecq and one that is based on more than just the size of the clubs, with it being Yvelines vs. the nation; the establishment vs. the people etc. Racing Club also contest La Lutte against Douanes, a game which is often seen as a battle between the richer and more industrialised north and the poorer, more agricultural, rural south (not entirely true given Douanes are from an important port city, but the romanticism adds to the occasion). Finally there is the big local derby for Racing Club against Stade Yvelines in the Derby de Capitaux, this is a game that did simply come about by virtue of the two teams being the biggest from the capital city. Games against other Yvelinois clubs are always fiery too. Racing Club are financially incredibly strong, being able to purchase nearly any Prahecqois player they want, with the only stumbling block being the player's desire - because they can always afford the player. Racing Club will always compete for titles and will spend money to make sure they are competitive, too.
Club infrastructure: The club's stadium isn't particularly modern, but it is an exceptional venue and it has a lot of history to it as well. They won't ever replace it, but renovations may well occur in the future. As you would expect from one of the biggest clubs in the country, their training facilities are exceptional. Their youth recruitment is naturally nationwide, too, they can recruit players from absolutely anywhere and the quality of their scouting network is arguably the best in the country. They employ a lot of scouts and the large majority of them are excellent in spotting ability. There has even been talks of opening Racing Club football schools around the country in an extra effort to get a step ahead on their rivals in the scouting and recruitment of potential stars for the future. But, if they can't bring them through the youth system, they could always just buy someone in - and they're never scared to do so.
Fanbase: Their fanbase is truly nationwide, similar to Douanes and Marianne in that sense. Again, it does transend social classes and levels of affluence, but it is traditionally the club of the middle and upper classes and indeed the establishment and this perception has stuck with the club - with it often being a point of derision for rival clubs. Racing Club fans often put it down to jealousy, given their exceptional financial situation and position as one of the biggest clubs in the country. They're known as a team of a centre-right political persuasion due to their links with the establishment. Their best known ultras group Tempête de la Capitale, are known to be right-wing, often displaying fascist symbols in their flags and tifos - something the commercial side of the club attempt to dissociate themsleves with. They are also violent and clashes with Douanes and Marianne are the stuff of legend. There are other groups of course, including the apolitical CCD'A and the obviously left-leaning Racing Club Left Side, but they aren't as big as Tempête de la Capitale and often struggle for space on the terraces against them.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Racing Club are undoubtedly a huge team, but I can't see them getting the better of Marianne this season. Fabrice Echeverri is an excellent striker, the Euskal forward should provide them with plenty of goals this season. Full back Guédry is captaining the side aged just 26, he's a top talent too. It's their young midfield that worries me, whilst obviously talented they just don't have the experience I feel that Marianne have in bucket loads and it's that that makes the real big difference between the two sides for me. They'll come good in time, but it's not this season for me. 2nd for Racing Club this year, they'll be back though, and they'll almost definitely be there or thereabout in the cup competitions..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “It's going to be a really exciting season this year, the big three all look really strong and the battle between the three should be impressive. It'll be interesting to see who can roll with the punches the best and take the title. For me, it has to be Racing Club (although that may be bias from a Yvelinois journalist), whilst some see the lack of experience in the midfield as a problem, I see the opposite -
these kids will play with absolutely no fear and that's an enormous advantage. Leverett Guernon is going to be an exceptional player, 18 and starting for one of the biggest clubs in the country. Sidney Allai is not much older at 21 and he's playing alongside him. As long as they can set chances up for Echeverri, Clavet and Bussière, this team will almost walk through the league..”

Gustav Jacquemoud (supporter): “All this talk of Douanes and Marianne is doing my head in, if I'm in quite honest with you. They are clearly not on our level this season. D'Arcy Clavet is probably one of the most underrated and exciting players in the league, I'm expecting a big year from him. That midfield is going to be electric and there's no need to even comment on Echeverri, his finishing is excellent, even if he is a dirty Euskal..”

Full name: Société sportive de Plumelec
Location: Plumelec, Breizh
Stadium: Breizh Park (Capacity: 30,000)
Manager: Arzhael Miossec, 41, is a promising young manager who usually utilises a simple 4-4-2 formation. He is already building a burgeoning reputation for being something of a youth expert, trusting his young charges and developing their ability at the same time.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: They're the biggest club from the north-western region of Breizh. Breizh is an odd region in that it speaks a different language to the rest of the country in the form of Breton (similarly to Gurelurra and its Basque language), however, it does not want to proactively separate from the rest of Prahecq. They just want a bit more autonomy within the current system, most of the time. It has a different heritage to the rest of Prahecq, with distinctly Celtic influences. SS Plumelec play in a brick red and black hooped home shirt, black socks and hooped socks with the same colours. Their away kit is a yellow shirt with white trim, black shorts and yellow socks. They have a local derby within their region in the feisty Derby du Breizh in which they compete against Perros-Guirec. Sadly their local rivals are currently languishing down in La deuxième classification, but they are one of the favourites to gain promotion this season so hopefully that encounter will be renewed as soon as possible. Finally, SS Plumelec run their finances impeccably, they never have an issue and they are planning some major improvements to their facilities and potentially their squad dependent on this season's results.
Club infrastructure: Their stadium is a historic one, being nearly one hundred years old, the club have made sure it has been kept up to scratch, though. They've improved it to a good level, it's full seater with the exception of a safe standing section for their ultras behind one goal and has generally good amenities. Their training facilities are above average as well. They're pretty good in the youth recruitment department as well, being able to pick players up from across the north of the country and being particularly successful in their home region, Ariege, Nord and even in Cherolles. Their scouts are generally quite good as well. They're expecting to improve their ground ahead of next season, with new hospitality boxes and a state-of-the-art media suite, in addition to an expansion of somewhere between 5,000-7,500 seats. Next on their list after that is the training ground.
Fanbase: Their fans are loyal and loud, they draw a strong fanbase from their home region and are popular in neighbouring Ariege also due to the relative lack of strength of the clubs from there. Their fans are known as some of the best at travelling in Prahecq and they're generally well-behaved and unaggressive as well, which is a bonus for the police that welcome them to their towns when SS Plumelec are in town. Their largest ultras group is Plumelec Celtic Kop, they're a noisy bunch and well known for making some of the best choreographies, too. They're left-leaning economically, often bringing attention to political issues in the stands. Their fans are generally quite affluent, but their support does cut across social classes within the region due to their nature as a representative of Breizh.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “SS Plumelec have a strong team and if they quietly go about their business they are odds-on for that final top four space this season. Valéry Martel, their 24 year old captain is an exciting player in the middle of the park. Their brace of young forwards, Geroux and Faure should have no problem putting the ball in the back of the net with the amount of chances this midfield will create. They will be tough to beat at home, when their fans make an excellent atmosphere. Looking beyond them for that final top four spot would be foolhardy and we aren't going to do so here at L'Action, 4th for SS Plumelec, yet another team who may benefit from a cup run, too..”

Télégraphe de Breizh (local media): “The Pride of Breizh, SS Plumelec. They shouldn't have too many issues in finishing in the top four with the team they have here. Miossec is a talented young manager who can grow with this team and as they don't need to sell their better players to financially survive, things could get interesting. As for this season, it is important they succeed, as, if nothing else, it means players want to stay! A successful side is a happy side and happy sides tend to stay together longer, which is naturally important in the making of a successful team..”

Joavan Pichon (supporter): “It'd be nice to see us actually break into that top three and cause a surprise for one of the big clubs, but I'm not going to be overly ambitious, that'd be a real tough ask. We're here for the long haul at SS Plumelec and we can wait for success, with this young side, it's definitely going to come in the end and we just have to be patient. Keeping Arzhael Miossec long-term has to be one of our most important jobs..”

Full name: Stade Yvelines
Location: Camus, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Yvelines (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Auguste Marchal, 45, usually sets his team out in a 4-4-2 formation. He has gained a reputation for playing counter-attacking football and trusting young players with responsibility.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Stade Yvelines are a medium-sized club from the capital city of Prahecq. They play at their eponymous stadium in red and white striped home shirts, white shorts and red socks. Their away kit is a black shirt accented with red, black shorts and black socks. Whilst all games between Yvelinois clubs are fiercely competitive and often have a tendency to boil over, causing referees to dish out cards like there's no tomorrow, Stade Yvelines have one particular rivalry with a fellow Yvelinois club and that is with Racing Club. This is because the two clubs are historically the two biggest from the city, usually being the ones who are most successful (although Stade have historically been in Racing Club's shadow - along with all the other Yvelinois teams). The Derby de Capitaux is usually a pretty good game, along with the passion and atmosphere that comes with a local derby. Their finances are usually pretty good, but they often have to sell their best players to make that the case. They are known as a fairly mid-table side that produce some good young players - if they could keep hold of them they may be able to become a bit more than just a mid-table side, though.
Club infrastructure: They have a neat little stadium, even if it is getting a bit old now. It's multi-purpose, though, which is necessary given Stade Yvelines compete in a few different sports. They would like to have a bigger ground, though, in an attempt to at least get a little closer to the level of Racing Club. Their training ground is decent enough and their youth recruitment and scouting is impressive, their producing good players at the club becomes understandable when you see the quality of those things.
Fanbase: Stade Yvelines are often seen as the second club of Yvelines, but it's difficult to pit them against their rivals Racing Club in the same way you can pit Marianne against Racing Club, i.e. two clubs that are diametrically opposed to one another, polar opposites, the complete antithesis of each other. Stade Yvelines draw their fans from all social classes, all races, religions, cultures etc. Their fanbase is just smaller than Racing Club's. Having said that, it is still one of the larger ones in the country and arguably the second biggest fanbase from Yvelines. They do have an ultras group - Pyro 13, but they're apolitical and don't tend to be that violent.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Stade Yvelines may be quietly hopeful of an outside shot at the top four this season, but we can't see occurring. The likes of SS Plumelec, Champex du Lac and Oxocelhaya should just be a little bit too good for the Yvelinois team. Having said that, they should have a decent enough season and they will hope to qualify out of their Coupe Prahecqoise region or have a Coupe du Championnat run, a trophy would do the team good. It'll be interesting to see how Auguste Marchal does with the team, he's thrown a few young heads in straight away: Artois in goal, Beaudoin at left-back. They'll look to leadership from the likes of Renaud this season. They should just about be the best of the rest, this season, 7th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “It's just so difficult to call football, Stade Yvelines pretty much look like they may be playing for nothing more than mid-table obscurity this season, but then they could go on a run and challenge for a top four spot or it could go the complete opposite way altogether. It's a funny old game. They should finish in the top half, at the very least. Where? Well, who knows, Marchal looks like he could play the part as manager - but does he have the players right now to spring a real shock, such as winning a trophy? We'll have to see..”

Florent Tomas (supporter): “I've put my 10 franc bet on us to win a trophy this season, got odds of 20/1 as well, thought that was pretty good. I'd be ecstatic if we did, obviously and we do have a team that could be capable of doing it. The Coupe du Championnat is only eight games. It's definitely doable. I'd like us to do it in the Coupe Prahecqoise though, that'd be really nice as that's a tough competition to win given its format..”

Full name: Club sportif de l'union des travailleurs agricoles
Location: Vesoul, Cherolles
Stadium: Stade Union (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Étienne Loup is the 45 year old manager of Union. He usually plays in a 4-4-2 formation and is known to use long-ball build-up player. He is also known as a wheeler dealer in the transfer market.
Previous season: N/a

Club information: Union were founded as the club that represented the agricultural union of the town of Vesoul. They are obviously beyond that now, but it makes for a nice story and it certainly makes sense when you consider the rural nature of the region they are from. Cherolles is expanses of countryside with only two cities, Vesoul and Epinal. Epinal is the place from which Union's biggest local rivals come from and the two clubs compete in the Derby du Cherolles, which is often a bad-tempered clash. Union usually play in their home kit, a white shirt accented with gold, gold shorts and black socks. Their away kit is red and blue stripes, blue shorts and socks. They often struggle financially, similarly to their local rivals Epinal. This season the two will be fighting against relegation against each other as well as against a few other teams that perhaps don't quite cut the mustard within Le championnat. That will certainly make for an interesting narrative. Historically, Union have been considered to be a mid-table Championnat side, but it is widely perceived that they have fallen on hard times and that they should come again and return to a middle of the table position within the top division.
Club infrastructure: Their home ground is a tight, intimidating affair. The stands are close to the pitch and that must make for a scary atmosphere for opposition players to compete in. It is quite an old ground, but the fans love it and it really is a doubt whether they would ever actually want to leave. Renovation of what they have may well be the best option for Union. Their training ground is slightly below average in quality and that does make it difficult for their players to improve. Youth recruitment wise, they do okay within Cherolles and even parts of Ariege to the north, but they really will have to widen their catchment area if they want to improve their squad regularly. Their scouting quality is average. Another side that could do with general improvements in their infrastructure.
Fanbase: They have a decently sized fanbase, which is why it is quite sad to see them scrapping it out at the bottom of the division. Their fans are often seen as stupid oafs from the countryside, but that doesn't last long when they quickly turn over anybody near them. With that being said, their hooligan problem is one of the worst in Prahecq. Their fans are notorious for violence, so much so that their ultras group are known as Les Fossoyeurs which translates in English as 'The Gravediggers', perhaps demonstrating just how brutal they are. Union's fans tend to be fairly poor, but they are known to be loyal.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “I can't see anything other than the two Cherolais clubs getting relegated and that does mean that it will be a sad day for Union, they just don't have enough in their squad to keep them up. That is despite some of the prospects they have, young Julien Poulin is only 18 and already starting for Union and the experience he gains will be invaluable. Particularly if they can keep hold of the young players they're blooding right now for a tilt at getting back in Le championnat and then for their first season back as well, the amount of football they would have played by then would be ideal for keeping them in the division. This time around, I can't see beyond them for the drop, 15th or 1th..”

La Campagne (local media): “It is going to be a sad season for the two clubs representing Cherolles in Le championnat this season, but it's a tough lesson in what happens with a lack of investment in the playing staff. You can't help but feel that relegation will hurt Union slightly harder too, whilst neither team has abundant resources it is Union that are struggling a bit more at the minute and relegation could be tough to come back. Fingers crossed they can surprise everybody and somehow stay up..”

Jean-Guy Choquet (supporter): “I have no idea why Étienne Loup has been put in the job here, sure a manager who can make clever transfers and play long ball football can sometimes keep teams up, but he's not done anything. He'd actually have to make those clever signings for that plan to have any effect. The youngsters we have are promising, but they ain't gonna keep us up quite sadly. I think we're going to have to chalk this defeat down early and start planning for trying to get back into Le championnat as soon as possible..”

[Republique Prahecqoise]

MARIANNE MAGIC - THE JONZAC SIDE TAKE AN EARLY LEAD IN THE TITLE RACE

..................3 - 5.....................
Soucy 15’, Lanteigne 20’, St-Pierre 65’ -- Hétu 8’ 43’, Bolduc 80’, Ménard 88’ 90+3’

by Pierre Boudon

Whew. What an opening day of the season? Everybody knew before the season starting that when the fixture generator threw up Douanes vs. Marianne at the opening day of the season that things would get off to an exciting start and that is exactly what the pair of title rivals served up at the Stade Velodrome earlier today. A 5-3 thriller that twisted this way and that and was never truly decided until deep into injury time. Marianne struck a huge early blow to their title rivals on a day where no less than 6 out of the 8 games finished in draws and, perhaps most importantly, Racing Club also contrived to drop points at home to fellow Île-de-Prahecq club Coulommiers. A double victory for Marianne with both of their major title rivals losing.

The game started at an electrifying speed, both teams throwing caution to the wind and attacking relentlessly, putting both defences under serious pressure. It was only a matter of time before one capitulated when Serge Bolduc played a delicious through ball between two defenders to find Germain Hétu – who coolly slotted the ball home to put the away side 1-0 up.

Douanes weren’t to be cowed, though, with a raucous home crowd getting right behind their team. Indeed, they were back in the game on the stroke of the quarter of an hour mark. Somer St-Pierre ghosted out-wide and received the ball at his feet before going on a lightning quick slalom through the Marianne defence, only to be brought down by the lazy stuck-out leg of Paul Mailhot. Jérôme Soucy instantly grabbed the ball, wanting to take on the responsibility of the free kick and he was calmness personified as he curled it up and down and into the back of the net to equalise 1-1.

Douanes were 2-1 up five minutes later as that man St-Pierre once again caused no end of problems to the Marianne back line with his pace. His constant drifting out to Mailhot’s side of the defence was proving fruitful and it was on that he got the ball again, taking the hapless defender on again, getting to the by-line and sending a terrific low cross into the corridor of uncertainty where Thomas Lanteigne slid the ball home. The home side were ahead and their crowd were whipped into a frenzy, the noise inside the ground was deafening.

They were going to be silenced just before half-time, when an excellent Marianne move that involved every single one of their players resulted in the fourth goal of the game. Hétu finished the move off again after a bit of luck, almost miss controlling the ball after it was fired into his feet at speed by Alexis Ruel, but it turned into a delightful touch as it completely wrong-footed Manu Leroux (who had already been heading the way almost everyone thought Hétu was going to control it), and that left the forward to poke it beyond Boisvert in the Douanes goal.

2-2 going into half-time, where both managers would surely give their players a talking to regarding their defending, many at the Stade Velodrome were describing the atmosphere at frenetic. Suggesting that the size of the occasion was making many of the players anxious, making them play in a way they otherwise may not have. It was certainly a little calmer for the first twenty minutes of the second half, but then an excellent pass from Soucy in between the Marianne left-back and centre-half sent Gabriel Huot-Bonnet haring forward and the winger got onto the ball, leaving Adrien David for dust. Huot-Bonnet sent in an evil cross, Marianne goalkeeper Lavallée simply could not come for it and St-Pierre turned from provider to goal scorer to put his side back ahead.

The goal seemingly set the game back alight, Marianne were whipped out of their momentary slumber and began attacking with some ferocity. However, it would not be until the 80th minute that they would get back on terms. Serge Bolduc, so good with his feet, received the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box and quickly left the two Douanes centre-halves for dead with one touch to the left and one to the right before smashing the ball into the bottom corner. Boisvert had no chance of getting down to the shot, it was an excellent finish. 3-3 going into the final ten minutes of the game.

The pressure for both of these clubs to do well is enormous and neither team wanted to lose this game coming into it. Both sets of fans expect their respective teams to win the title and the weight of that expectation seemed to weigh on both sets of players as they attacked with reckless abandon, both teams trying to win the game instead of settling for a draw and in the end it was Douanes who came off worst.

Douanes had the ball high up the field, trying to find a way through the Marianne defence to find a winner. Huot-Bonnet had looked tired for about ten minutes and probably should have been substituted off earlier, he gave the ball away with a very tired looking pass. Alas, Remy Béliveau had used all his substitutions and it was going to prove to be his side’s undoing here. Romain Ménard received the ball after a long, hopeful punt up-field and he found himself facing only two Douanes defenders – their offensive nature had left them short at the back. Ménard is very quick and he utilised his speed to full effect here, playing a bit of kick-and-chase with the ball, beating the couple of defenders left at the back for pace and then going around the on-rushing Boisvert and calmly passing the ball into the goal. 4-3 and Marianne in the lead, Ménard ran over to the corner where his fans were and was mobbed as some of the supporters spilled over the security and advertising hoardings and onto the playing field.

After that mob was broken up and escorted back off the pitch, there was still a couple of minutes plus injury time to play out and Douanes went hell-for-leather to try and find an equaliser. The goal that killed the game off was almost a mirror image of Ménard’s first.

He received the ball on the counter-attack after Douanes putting the Marianne defence under pressure, again only having two defenders to beat. This time they put up a bit more of a defence, instead of just succumbing to the winger’s pace. He still managed to dribble past one and then nut-meg the other, leaving him on his backside, this time slipping the ball into the far corner past Boisvert – who didn’t have a particularly bad game, but was given no chance by his defenders or Marianne’s finishing – to make the game 5-3 and finally put the game beyond the reach of the team from the south coast.

Ménard again ran over to the travelling fans in the corner of the Velodrome as they set off flares and punched the sky in celebration, some of them scaling the fences at the sides of their section, others falling over the security at the front of the section as a result of over-exuberant celebration. They didn’t mind though, it really was an enormous result, especially so early in the season. The team from Jonzac would be coming off the best and the side from the south coast would be wondering exactly how they didn’t at least get a point from the game.

Marianne’s trip home would be relatively easy, their manager would be pleased despite the three goals conceded and when news of Racing Club’s failure to win trickled through to them it would be even more warmly received knowing that they had done their job. The Jonzac club have dealt an early blow to both of their major title rivals and shown everybody that they will never lie down and settle for a draw – even away from home in a huge game. An absolutely massive result.

Man of the Match: Serge Bolduc – he created one and assisted another and whilst Hétu and Ménard both scored two apiece, it was the attacking midfielder who really ran the show and affected the game. Bolduc made the game go at his pace and his passing and coolness on the ball were really something to be admired in such a highly-charged atmosphere. Honourable mentions have to go to Hétu and Ménard for their goal scoring exploits, but also Somer St-Pierre – the Douanes forward terrorised the Marianne defence at times, scoring one and assisting another and even winning the free kick that led to their other goal.

The View from the Sideline.
Remy Béliveau, Douanes: “That was a really frustrating result for us. Soucy and St-Pierre had outstanding games and on any other day we would have got at least the draw there and probably the three points, but listen, our defence simply was not good enough. We made far too many simple mistakes that let some very good forwards shoot and that is suicidal at this level of the game. The two goals they scored right at the end were ridiculous and we’ll definitely be looking at them in training this week. It’s a bad result, but it’s the first game of the season and we have a long way to go so we’ll just have to come again and try to turn things round, but it definitely isn’t the best way to start the season..”

Abel D'Aboville, Marianne: “We really showed our character today and I can’t be more pleased with the players for not just lying down when we went 2-1 and then 3-2 down, especially when playing in such a hectic game in the Stade Velodrome. Many wouldn’t have it within themselves to keep going when faced with the fans here – so that’s a massive plus for us. It’s just the first game of the season so we can’t take this game as anything more than just the first game, Douanes will challenge us all the way and they managed to put three past us today and I’m not pleased with that so we clearly have a lot to work on..”

Around the League.
• Champex du Lac got the only other victory of the day as they beat Maccabi by the odd goal at home, Gigi Vaillancour nodding home for them to put them into 2nd place on the first day of the season.

• Jeunesse and Espérance played out a 0-0 draw in Yvelines, definitely one to forget for the two sets of supporters there.

• Aubaix and Jeanne d’Arc shared the points in an all Haute-Alpes clash. The game was marked by Jonathan Dufort’s excellent goalkeeping, more than anything else. He gained his side a point here with a string of fine saves. The away side will really be wondering how they didn’t come away with more than just a point.

• Racing Club went 2-0 down in this game and had to claw their way back to just get a point, Calixte Morel was excellent scoring two for the away side and nearly adding a late third that would have proved to be the winner. As it turns out goals from Allai and Echeverri saved manager Jasmin Calvet’s blushes in a game they really should have been winning. The result for Marianne away to Douanes makes this a doubly bad result as they couldn’t keep pace with Marianne, nor make an early move ahead of Douanes – still a long way to go, however.

• SS Plumelec and Stade Yvelines cancelled each other out with a 2-2 draw in Breizh. All the action was in the first half, with the two sides seemingly blowing themselves out with four goals in the first half an hour.

• A remarkable comeback for Oxocelhaya as they came back from three goals down away to Union to salvage a point in a thrilling 3-3 at Stade Union. Young Julien Poulin put in a stellar performance for the home side scoring two and assisting a third as they raced into a three goal lead before half-time, but Ekaitz Ybarra grabbed a second half hat-trick to get his side a point. The pick of the goals was Ybarra’s stunning header from nearly ten yards out after Beñat’s wonderful ball in.

• Finally, Epinal and Étoile Rouge played out an absolute snore fest at the Hippodrome, both sides could have done with winning against a potential relegation rival, but neither could break the other down and both teams will be disappointed to come away with just a point.

The league table after the first round of games...

## Le championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Marianne                1    1   0   0     5    3   +2     3
02 Champex du Lac          1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
03 Oxocelhaya              1    0   1   0     3    3    0     1
04 Union                   1    0   1   0     3    3    0     1
05 Coulommiers             1    0   1   0     2    2    0     1
06 Racing Club             1    0   1   0     2    2    0     1
07 SS Plumelec             1    0   1   0     2    2    0     1
08 Stade Yvelines          1    0   1   0     2    2    0     1
09 Aubaix                  1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
10 Jeanne d'Arc            1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
11 Epinal                  1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
12 Espérance               1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
13 Étoile Rouge            1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
14 Jeunesse                1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
15 Maccabi                 1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
16 Douanes                 1    0   0   1     3    5   −2     0

[Republique Prahecqoise]

CHAMPEX CELEBRATE - VAILLANCOUR ROBS AUBAIX LATE ON IN DERBY DU LAC

..................0 - 1.....................
.......N/a -- Vaillancour 86’

by Loïc Bardin

There was an extremely intense atmosphere pre-game in Aubaix. They hadn’t had the best of starts in the league season, relying on Dufort to keep them on-par with Jeanne d’Arc on the opening day of the season in a 1-1 draw. Their second game was even worse, going down 4-2 away in Rouen against Espérance. Their third game would be one of the biggest games of their season, their huge Haute-Alpes derby game against Champex du Lac. The fans at the Stade d’Aubaix were understandably nervous and there was almost the slightest taste of anxiety on the air.

On the contrary, Champex du Lac had enjoyed an excellent start to the season, Gigi Vaillancour’s goal gaining them the points on the opening day against Maccabi and then a crushing performance in their second fixture with a 5-0 win over Jeunesse. The away side simply had not turned up in that game. This time around the team wearing purple would be on the road, to face their greatest rivals.

They were certainly given a ‘welcome’ – if it can be called that – by the Aubaix ultras UBJ-49, who lined the streets the away team coach would drive down to get to the ground and hurled bottles and other missiles at it as it made its way into the stadium. Hooliganism isn’t usually a problem for Aubaix given the affluent, middle-class nature of their fans – even their ultras are generally non-violent – but special treatment is evidently given to Champex.

Jean-Joël Granet hadn’t had the easiest of starts as Aubaix manager and he made a couple of changes in his side before the game here. He changed formation, going to a 4-1-4-1 from the usual 4-4-1-1 and he dropped Stéphane Sauvageot to the bench – allowing defensive midfielder Évrard Plessis to come into the side and give them a little bit more protection in front of the back four. This was a move to try and combat Champex du Lac’s wide attacking midfielders who do have a tendency to shift inside, allowing their wing-backs to get down the sides and add width.

Champex du Lac named an unchanged side, with Gilles Plessis obviously pleased with his team’s start to the season, taking a maximum possible six points from their two games.

In truth, the game wasn’t really set alight until late in the second half. The best chances of the first 45 minutes fell to Aubaix and Armand Bler must be kicking himself. He had two absolutely gilt-edged chances and he wasted them both. Aubaix’s profligacy in front of goal would later come back to bite them.

The first opportunity was courtesy of some well-worked play down the left-hand side by Clair Sergeant and his full back Géraud Poulin. Sergeant played a nice ball to Poulin who was on the overlap and the full back played a great ball in to Bler, about eight yards out from goal, but the forward could only succeed in heading the ball about five yards over the bar. Courtemanche in the Champex goal breathed a sigh of relief until ten minutes later.

Bler’s miss this time was arguably even worse. Champex’s 23 year old Marcel David is a promising young midfielder, but this time he overplayed the situation, trying to writhe this way and that to find a way out about fifteen yards in front of his eighteen yard area. Eventually, Aubin Sauvageot (yes, Stéphane’s elder brother) managed to pinch the ball from the midfielder and he played a good chipped ball over the Champex back line who were caught watching as Bler scampered through.

It was a good opportunity, albeit with the ball bouncing to complicate the situation. Bler only managed to swing his right boot at the ball as it bounced up and he made the worst connection he possibly could have made, the ball barely touching his foot and trickling into Courtemanche’s grateful embrace. The entire stadium groaned in unison at what was a poor effort. Courtemanche must have thought this was his lucky day.

Half-time came and went and Gilles Plessis clearly had told them to come out a bit faster, but more or less continue what they had been doing, largely frustrating the home side and limiting them to little more than Bler’s couple of missed opportunities in front of goal.

Champex had a couple of opportunities of their own early in the second half, Kylian Maçon headed over from Beaudry’s corner and David had a shot from around twenty-five yards out that whistled over the crossbar. They were no more than half-chances though and both sides’ defensive qualities were really shown in this game. In total, Aubaix only had three shots, with only one being on target (that being Bler’s poor effort in the first half); Champex du Lac were not much better, only managing four in total, three of them on target.

Crucially, the fourth of Champex’s shots actually went in the back of the net. Gigi Vaillancour was heralded as one of the top three players in Le championnat this season and he showed his quality late on in this game – just as it looked like it was going to peter out into a draw. Both fans would probably just about have been okay with a draw in the Derby du Lac pre-game, neither side taking the bragging rights. But it was going to get a whole lot sweeter for the away team.
Beaudry received the ball with his back to the Aubaix goal about thirty yards out and he quickly turned, taking the ball past Évrard Plessis – the very man who had been tasked with attempting to stop Champex’s two wide men from cutting inside just as he was doing – then looked up to the left side where Thibaut Gasper, the Champex left wing-back, was breaking his neck to get into the box.

Beaudry played a tidy lofted through-ball over the Aubaix defenders, Gasper had beaten the offside trap expertly and now controlled the ball, taking it down to the by-line. Here, he hooked the ball back across towards the penalty spot and Gigi Vaillancour only needed one touch to put the ball beyond Jonathan Dufort and in the back of the net. The young Aubaix goalkeeper sadly had no chance of keeping the ball out this time. 1-0 Champex in the 86th minute with barely anytime for Aubaix to equalise.

In the end, they wouldn’t do so and Évrard Plessis’ single error all game would turn out to be his sides’ undoing. Sad for the young defensive midfielder, but that does show the level of the game he is finding himself at.

With the win, Champex du Lac’s fans celebrated wildly in the Stade d’Aubaix and long into the night around Haute-Alpes and they carried on their great start to the season: maximum points, scoring seven goals and conceding none and sitting at the very top of the table. An excellent start, although it may be too early to start hyping them up to break the traditional big three’s party.

For Aubaix, the defeat means they’ve only picked up a solitary point so far this season. They may be a bit worried about getting drawn into a relegation scrap. Their reliance on Jonathan Dufort in net is all well and good, but when their defending allows simple chances like Vaillancour’s today it is very difficult for the young goalkeeper to make saves.

Man of the Match: Hugo Beaudry – in a game where no player particularly shone and everyone was scared of losing the ball and making a mistake, Beaudry was the man who made a difference by taking a chance and trying to create something with the ball at his feet. It was his run and pass that created the opportunity for Gasper to tee up Vaillancour for the only goal in today’s game and it was that kind of creativity that was necessary to break the cagey deadlock in such a big local derby game.

The View from the Sideline.
Jean-Joël Granet, Aubaix: “It’s obviously extremely disappointing for me to lose my first derby game managing the club. The players are distraught in there to not at least come away with a point from the game and we really thought that if we could restrict their opportunities we could come away with a win from the game. We did that, but our finishing was quite poor and that let us down today. Our performances haven’t been bad this season, I’m confident we’ll start getting points on the board soon enough..”

Gilles Plessis, Champex du Lac: “I guess it’s a tale of two halves for us today, our first half performance wasn’t the best but Aubaix weren’t getting too many clear cut chances so that was a good thing. Second half we really improved and I was almost screaming at the lads to just pull the trigger with a bit more conviction, eventually Gigi did what he does best and just put the ball in the net so that was good. It was really good play from Hugo [Beaudry] and Thibaut [Gasper] to create the goal as well. Maximum points so far, excellent from us..”

Around the League.
• Jeunesse scored their first goal of the season in an important 1-0 win over Maccabi. Young Thomas Bondy smashed the ball into the top corner. Despite only scoring a single goal they’re on 4 points and sit 9th, not the worst start for Camille Loupe’s team. Maccabi, on the other hand, sit rock bottom and have not got a point on the board as of yet. They’ve lost all three games 1-0 so far, so their defence isn’t awful (it shouldn’t be, knowing Philibert Gagnon’s penchant for being tight at the back), but they really need to start finding goals from somewhere if they’re going to stay up.

• Racing Club won a hard-earned three points at the Colisée de Yvelines against a dogged Espérance side. The away team held them for most of the game, keeping them from getting too many shot on their goal – but they simply could not hold them off for the full ninety minutes. Sidney Allai got the winner around the hour mark, a vitally important win for Racing Club, dropping points at this early stage isn’t a thing they can do when Marianne look so good this season.

• SS Plumelec beat Jeanne d’Arc by the odd goal at Breizh Park. Jeanne d’Arc will be disappointed with their results this season, they arguably should have beat Aubaix on the opening day and they will feel hard done by with a loss here. Erwann-Gaétan Géroux’s counter-attacking goal made sure they wouldn’t come away with even point in Breizh. SS Plumelec move up to 11th with the win, above Jeanne d’Arc.

• Union got a very positive result with a 2-0 win over Coulommiers. The Cherolles’ team have now won one and drawn one out of three and they sit 6th in the table. They’re doing everything they can to avoid relegation and that start is certainly promising. Coulommiers occupy the space one below them in 7th. Calixte Morel didn’t play, he’d picked up a knock in training and his absence was obvious as Coulommiers had very little invention going forward.

• Stade Yvelines are enjoying a strong start to the season, they won away to Epinal. Epinal are looking a bit ropey if truth be told and they will be hoping they can start to turn things around soon or relegation may be a near certainty. Stade Yvelines will be getting altitude sickness, they’re up in 3rd after three games. Auguste Marchal will be reminding his players that it is only early days and that they have to keep it up if they want to stay there for the rest of the season.

• Douanes have had a slightly miserable start to the season, losing to Marianne on the opening day and now being held at home by the lively Oxocelhaya. The Euskal team have a really ‘never-say-die’ attitude about them, coming back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to earn a 2-2 draw. St-Pierre’s brace was cancelled out by a goal each for Oxocelhaya’s two teenage forwards Zabala and Caouette. As a title contender, Douanes will be disappointed with sitting down in 10th, but they will know that there is a long way to go and that they will likely turn it round. Still, they are already 5 points behind Marianne who will be a major title rival. Oxocelhaya are slowly becoming known as the most exciting team in Le championnat, their games have involved 16 goals already this season and they are really good going forward, they occupy 5th for now.

• Marianne did what they do best and completely outclassed Étoile Rouge at home. A strong 3-1 win with goals from Hétu, Bolduc and Rousseau. Étoile Rouge got a late consolation from Armand Viens but it would prove inconsequential in the context of the game. Marianne sit on 9 points from a possible 9 and look very, very strong indeed. The question has to be will they be bothered about Champex du Lac at this early stage of the season?

Let’s have a look at the league table after three rounds of fixtures…

## Le championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Champex du Lac          3    3   0   0     7    0   +7     9
02 Marianne                3    3   0   0     9    4   +5     9
03 Stade Yvelines          3    2   1   0     5    2   +3     7
04 Racing Club             3    2   1   0     6    4   +2     7
05 Oxocelhaya              3    1   2   0     9    7   +2     5
06 Union                   3    1   1   1     5    5    0     4
07 Coulommiers             3    1   1   1     3    4   −1     4
08 Espérance               3    1   1   1     4    3   +1     4
09 Jeunesse                3    1   1   1     1    5   −4     4
10 Douanes                 3    1   1   1     7    7    0     4
11 SS Plumelec             3    1   1   1     3    3    0     4
12 Jeanne d'Arc            3    0   1   2     3    5   −2     1
13 Aubaix                  3    0   1   2     3    6   −3     1
14 Epinal                  3    0   1   2     2    5   −3     1
15 Étoile Rouge            3    0   1   2     1    5   −4     1
16 Maccabi                 3    0   0   3     0    3   −3     0

[Republique Prahecqoise]

MOREL MASTERCLASS - COULOMMIERS SHOCK MARIANNE IN NINE-GOAL THRILLER

..................5-4.....................
.......................Morel 9’ 56’ 79’ -- Hétu 33’, Ruel 41’, Dubé 62’, Bolduc 74’

D’Aramitz 17’, Cousteau 28’ --....................................

by Mathieu Frère

Football can really throw up surprises sometimes and this really was one of them. Coulommiers, usually a lower mid-table club from Île-de-Prahecq, putting one over one of the biggest teams in the country: the famous Marianne.

Going into the game, nobody could have seen the outcome, but sport has that lovely knack of throwing up a shock from time-to-time and this was one of them. Pre-game, Marianne were top of the table, having accumulated 13 points after a run of 4 wins and 1 draw where the only team who had managed to hold them to a point were Oxocelhaya – one of the most electrifying offensive sides in Le championnat. They had managed to get themselves into a position two points clear of the chasing clubs Racing Club and Champex du Lac. They were sitting pretty and expecting to continue their run with a solid away win at Coulommiers. This was a game that Marianne were expecting to win.

For Coulommiers, this was a free hit, essentially. Losing to Marianne is never something to be ashamed of unless you’re involved in a rivalry with them, they are one of the three biggest teams in the country after all (and arguably even the biggest). Coulommiers had had some mixed form coming into the game, beating Epinal 1-0 and then losing to Douanes 2-1 in the previous two weeks, sitting 8th in the league table. Calixte Morel had picked up a knock earlier in the season and had looked slightly tentative at times in the games after that, but Coulommiers manager Phil Mossé was confident his man would impact this game: “Calixte [Morel] is a big game player. Impacting these games is his bread and butter. He’s made noises about wanting to emulate the likes of Serge Bolduc on the field and what better way to do so in a game playing against him? I don’t think he’ll let the knock affect his game here, not that he has been doing anyway, in my mind..”

L’arsenal was the location of the game and a sunny day welcomed the players in Coulommiers. Marianne making the trip down to the capital region. The home side were resplendent in their orange home kits, with Marianne wearing their classic blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks. Nobody was quite expecting the game that the two teams had in store for them. The Marianne fans were making plenty of noise as they always do and the two teams kicked off.

Coulommiers’ fast start was going to take Marianne by surprise. They came out extremely quickly, using Morel’s ability on the ball in the middle to exploit the wings – the Marianne players were almost attracted to Morel like moths to a lightbulb, attempting to hustle and harry him, but he was unfazed, using the ball intelligently. D’Aramitz and Bonheur were finding space and Morel was finding them with his passes, perhaps most importantly. It wasn’t this that the first goal came from, but it was a sign of his impact early on in the game. It was definitely a sign of what was to come.

Calixte Morel would open the scoring nine minutes into the contest, a fine strike from the edge of the box curling into the right-hand side off the Marianne goal and beating Huon Lavallée easily. The goalkeeper couldn’t do much about the goal, with Morel doing what is quickly becoming the usual by his standards and he couldn’t keep the beaming smile off his face as he celebrated with his team mates in the sunshine. 1-0 to Coulommiers.

It was 2-0 less than ten minutes later, Morel again was the catalyst. He found the ball in a bit of space in front of the Marianne box, Rousseau and Dubé were once again quickly on the scene attempting to push the lithe attacking midfielder off the ball. Morel was just too good for them, shifting his weight and sliding the ball away from them before playing a beautifully weighted outside of the boot pass through to D’Aramitz who slid the ball into the far corner across the goal. The winger still had a lot to do even after Morel’s pass, but his finish was excellent. Marianne just were not looking like themselves and you could already hear pundits and commentators wondering about their resilience around Prahecq.

Those musings would become even louder when Coulommiers’ experienced centre forward Talon Cousteau added a third. D’Aramitz played an excellent cross in, which Cousteau almost managed to bundle the ball into the net from. Lavallée could only parry the first attempt back to the big forward’s feet and the second chance was all he needed, turning the ball home. 3-0 in less than half an hour and Marianne were reeling, their forward players hadn’t even been given a chance to get into the game at this point and were looking around almost wondering what the plucky Coulommiers side had eaten for breakfast to cause such an incredible start. Somebody needed to take control for the away side to calm them down.

That man would be, perhaps inevitably, the clinical forward Germain Hétu. He got Marianne’s first of the game a mere five minutes after Coulommiers’ third. It was a goal that slightly came from nowhere, a long, hopeful punt from Marianne centre-half Lanoie was allowed to drop to the striker – a massive defensive mistake in itself – Hétu controlled it perfectly, bringing it under control, then he was allowed to turn, an even more fatal mistake. Within a split-second, Hétu had lashed a shot into the back of the Coulommiers’ goal and Marianne were into the game. 3-1, but there was a sign of life in the side from Jonzac.

That sign of life was a racing heartbeat just before the intermission, Marianne winger Alexis Ruel had the ball out on the right-wing and he cut inside, beating young Coulommiers left-back Côme Boucher before launching a hopeful shot towards the home side’s goal. The ball bounced evilly in front of the goalkeeper Porcher and he hadn’t read the flight of the ball properly as it bounced under him. A huge mistake, the bounce was tough to deal with in fairness, but still a mistake and it brought Marianne right back into the game just before half-time. Any critics of the Jonzac team were being answered, they had resilience in abundance, fighting their way back into the game – even if Coulommiers’ errors were perhaps benefitting them more than they should have.

Half-time came and went and when the game came back it was just as lively as before. Both teams had shots on goal and both goalkeepers would have gained some confidence from the fact they had managed to save them, rather than concede anymore and further damage their already well and truly ruined clean sheets.

It was not to be forever, though and Huon Lavallée would be picking the ball out of his net again ten minutes into the second period. Calixte Morel was going to do the damage again, this time from a wonderful free kick. D’Aramitz won it, with a darting run, cutting inside and driving towards the Marianne goal. Javier Rousseau had a choice between stopping the young winger in his tracks and giving away a good position for a free kick or allowing him to continue his run on towards the Marianne goal and the anchorman chose the former option, perhaps mistakenly in retrospect. Morel’s free kick was a wonderful effort and he’s garnering a bit of a reputation for himself as a dead ball specialist along with his numerous other qualities. 4-2 to Coulommiers.

Coulommiers would have been extremely frustrated with the goals they were conceding and the third Marianne goal wasn’t really any different to the preceding ones in that regard. I’m sure Phil Mossé will still be wondering why Vivien Olivier didn’t try to close Romain Ménard down, but he didn’t and allowed him to get a cross in. In the area, Gilles Dubé was pelting towards the ball and Desrochers hadn’t looked over his shoulder so was completely unaware of the Marianne player’s run. Dubé met the cross with a powerful header, the ball arrowed into the bottom corner leaving poor Porcher stood still, the header was unstoppable and Marianne were back in the game again at 4-3.

Marianne would remarkably be level with fifteen minutes to go, completing the comeback and looking the team more likely to go on and win the game as the goal looked to have knocked the stuffing out of Coulommiers. Which wasn’t entirely surprising given the efforts they had gone to in order to get ahead, especially given the manner of the goals they had conceded. It would be Serge Bolduc who would get the equaliser and it was his 3rd goal of the season, it was actually a tap-in after some good work by Romain Ménard again down the wing and a low ball across left Bolduc with little to do other than put it in the net and he duly obliged. 4-4 and plenty of time to get a winner, what Marianne didn’t bank on was that winner coming for the home team. There was to be another twist in the story yet.

Calixte Morel would be at the start, the middle and the end of it as well and it is fair to say that he was at the heart of everything Coulommiers did well in this game. He started the move, winning the ball on the halfway line and then turning towards the Marianne goal and driving forwards, taking the ball forward and trying to create something. He fired a pass into Talon Cousteau, probably more in hope than in the expectation the big man would do something remarkable with it, but it actually turned into an excellent decision as Cousteau managed to flick the ball sideways, right into the path of Morel who had continued his run and the momentum he carried with him took the ball right between the Marianne centre-back and left-back. Morel had penetrated the Marianne back-line without really even intending to, but he didn’t make a mistake when the chance presented itself. Huon Lavallée tried to close the angles down by rushing out, but Morel calmly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the Marianne goal. 5-4.

The last ten minutes would be nothing more than relentless Marianne pressure and dogged Coulommiers defending but Calixte Morel even sat back with his side putting a shift in even after all the excellent work he had put in going forwards. Phil Mossé’s decision to substitute him in injury time was probably motivated more by the prospect of wasting a few pressure seconds more than allowing him a standing ovation, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the manager did it with that in the back of his mind as well. A hat-trick for the 23-year old and the Coulommiers’ faithful sang his name as he trudged off the field, taking as long as he could on the way. Young Etxauz Agorria (a Coulommiers born centre-half with parents from Gurelurra, explaining the blatantly Euskal name), got only a couple of minutes on the field but his header away from goal from a Bolduc cross was an excellent defensive contribution and Coulommiers held on for a famous win in an absolutely thrilling game.

People will be talking about this game for a long time, nine goals and a huge upset. Calixte Morel’s performance was worth the entrance fee alone, the match ball was probably less than he deserved. Coulommiers moved up to 5th in the table with the victory on 10 points and that start is exactly what they needed. They’re pretty much resigned to losing their talisman at the end of this season, perhaps even to Marianne (although the presence of Serge Bolduc would perhaps make one of the other big sides a more likely destination), he does have ambitions after all and football is a career – but his service to the club this season so far has been sterling and nobody could begrudge him a step-up if he keeps this standard of performance up and leads Coulommiers to a good league position.

For Marianne, this will definitely be a disappointment. It’s the sort of game teams need to win if they want to become champions, difficult away games when you aren’t playing at your best. They drop down to 2nd in the table behind Champex du Lac who have been excellent so far this season and it may actually be the time where everybody has to start considering them as a potential outside chance at the title. They surely won’t carry this form on, but we’ve been saying that for the first six weeks and they’re top of the table.

Man of the Match: Calixte Morel – is it even necessary to clarify this point? He was excellent all game. Three goals and an assist (such a beautiful assist, too, a perfectly weight outside-of-the-foot pass), demonstrating just exactly how he was on a plane above most other players on the field today. Well deserving of the man-of-the-match award. He can do it all, his first goal was a demonstrating of his sharpshooting, with a great shot from range. His second, the free kick, his dead ball ability. The third, that knack of being in the right place at the right time, excellent anticipation as he gambled on an opportunity coming his way and it eventually did. He carried his run on and Cousteau managed to get it to him, the delightful chipped finish was truly brilliant, too.

The View from the Sideline.
Phil Mossé, Coulommiers: “I couldn’t have asked for more from the lads today. We left everything out on the field and I’m so proud of my players for the way they played, games against teams like Marianne are always difficult and although they kept coming back we were never disheartened by that. The last ten minutes or so were actually the bit that gave me the most joy because we were really penned in and it was a difficult period of the game but the defending and the way the lads put themselves on the line for each other was great. Every player who played today was great, Calixte [Morel] obviously, but even young Etxauz [Agorria] late on. Everybody contributed. Obviously we have things to work on, some of the goals we conceded were a bit soft, but we’re going to enjoy this result for the next few days. After all, it is days like these that fans remember for a long, long time..”

Abel D'Aboville, Marianne: “We were beaten by the better team today, if I’m honest with you. That’s not a thing I like to say often, but our defending was poor, we didn’t create all that much for ourselves really and I’m sure Phil [Mossé] will be disappointed with at least two of the goals his side conceded, but probably all of them to an extent. I feel sorry for Huon [Lavallée], our defenders need to apologise to him today and I apologise to the fans who made the trip down, it just wasn’t good enough. Thankfully it’s early on in the season, but it’s disappointing, with the size of this club we need to be winning and when we don’t it’s naturally a disappointment..”

Around the League.
• Maccabi got their first point of the season in a 1-1 home draw against Oxocelhaya. Oxocelhaya may well have been exciting this season but they’ve only won one game, drawn five at this point. They sit 7th, but it should probably be a bit higher, Maccabi’s Saber Mailloux scored late on to gain his team a point. Alarm bells do have to be ringing for Gagnon’s side, they’ve only managed a point and are currently four points off the teams closest to them.

• Stade Yvelines and Étoile Rouge played out a 0-0 draw in the capital. Stade Yvelines have quietly been going about their business, they’re 4th in the table and they’ve had a great start really. They’re only three points off top spot and whilst they may not stay there for the entire season, they could be in the race for the top four at the very least. Étoile Rouge are 12th.

• Jeanne d’Arc got a 1-0 win over Douanes. Matthieu Goddu unleashed a bit of a thunderbolt to split the sides. His team sit in 14th, so that win was much needed to say the least. They’ve had a bit of a poor start. Goddu hasn’t been firing completely and Yvon Cinq-Mars has been in and out of the side with slight knocks. Douanes haven’t been much better, they’re meant to be going for the title but they’re languishing in 9th, Remy Béliveau is under pressure at the minute, that is for sure.

• Epinal got a crucial win on the road at Espérance, Bastien Sault’s goal the difference between the two teams.

• Champex du Lac continued their march forwards with a 4-0 win over Union. Champex are doing excellently this season, they’re top of the table now and who would bet against them in current form? Gigi Vaillancour’s brace was added to by a great goal from Marcel David and Amaury Brodeur’s late strike. They’ve only conceded two goals all season as well, they do look like a great outfit. The system seems to be working for Gilles Plessis in the Haute-Alpes.

• SS Plumelec travelled to the capital to face Jeunesse and they would take all three points back to Breizh with consummate ease. Goals from Géroux, Sauvageau and captain Valéry Martel sent them on their way, they’re up to 6th in the table. Jeunesse are struggling for goals and have only gained two all season, their goal difference is the worst in the league too at -11, but they still lie in 11th.

• Aubaix and Racing Club met in the Haute-Alpes and the away side were seemingly intimidated by the atmosphere, not always something that is linked with Aubaix given the affluence and middle-class nature of their fans. Jonathan Dufort’s performance was also something to write home about, his side went 1-0 down to an Echeverri header, but the young goalkeeper kept his side in the game with remarkable saves from all sorts of shots and eventually his performance was rewarded when his team went up the other end and scored a goal of their own to equalise. Stéphane Sauvageot’s goal made the score 1-1 and that was how it finished, but Racing Club’s composure in front of goal surely has to improve in future. Aubaix needed the point but they lie down in 15th following the game, they do need to turn things around there. For Racing Club it will be a case of dropped points, but luckily for them Marianne lost, they’re a point behind their biggest rivals and only two off top, so it could have been a lot worse.

Le championnat table after six rounds of fixtures...

## Le championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Champex du Lac          6    4   2   0    13    2  +11    14
02 Marianne                6    4   1   1    16   10   +6    13
03 Racing Club             6    3   3   0    13    6   +7    12
04 Stade Yvelines          6    3   2   1     6    4   +2    11
05 Coulommiers             6    3   1   2    10   10    0    10
06 SS Plumelec             6    2   3   1     7    4   +3     9
07 Oxocelhaya              6    1   5   0    11    9   +2     8
08 Union                   6    2   2   2     8   10   −2     8
09 Douanes                 6    2   1   3     9   10   −1     7
10 Epinal                  6    2   1   3     5    7   −2     7
11 Jeunesse                6    2   1   3     2   13  −11     7
12 Étoile Rouge            6    1   3   2     4    7   −3     6
13 Espérance               6    1   2   3     5    7   −2     5
14 Jeanne d'Arc            6    1   2   3     5    7   −2     5
15 Aubaix                  6    1   2   3     5    8   −3     5
16 Maccabi                 6    0   1   5     3    8   −5     1

[Republique Prahecqoise]

ONLINE: FOOTBALL - LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY DOUANES VS. RACING CLUB

Antoine Gérin, our Racing Club correspondent, is down in Orthez and will be providing live text commentary on one of the biggest games of the season for the capital’s biggest club.

14:15 – 45 minutes until kick-off here at the Stade Velodrome for the two sides. This really is a beautiful stadium, they’ve done some excellent work in modernising it in recent years and Racing Club may well take a leaf out of Douanes’ book on this one, bringing a historic ground right into the present day. Colisée de Yvelines could do with a face-lift.

14:18 – as everybody knows, this is a huge game for both of these teams. It means a lot for both sets of fans and for football in Prahecq generally. Racing Club are the big club from the capital, historically seen as an establishment team. Douanes are the team of southern Prahecq, which is generally poorer than the rest of the nation.

14:19 – this game is known as La Lutte (‘the struggle’ en Anglais), which perhaps shows the scale of the clash. It is often even bigger due to the two teams often being the ones vying for success, with the pair making up two of the traditional ‘big three’ along with Marianne. Their respective fanbase’s expect them to win trophies every season.

14:24 – coming into the game, Racing Club sit 2nd in the table on 19 points. They’re a point behind Marianne who are top. They’ve had mixed form in their last three league games, they beat Epinal comfortably in their last outing. Before that, they had drawn away to Union and lost at home to SS Plumelec. Inconsistency an issue for Jasmin Calvet’s team.

14:26 – Douanes have had a poor start to the season. They’re 9th in the table, way below where they’re expected to be. They’re only five points behind Racing Club though and six off top so they aren’t too far behind. They’ve gone unbeaten in their last three, with a win in their last game away to Aubaix.

14:33 – useful stat for you all here, Racing Club actually have the joint-best goal difference out of all Le championnat teams so far this season. It’s currently +10, they’ve got the second best attack with 20 goals and the joint-fourth best defence, only conceding 10 goals through 10 games.

14:34 – which, come to think of it, is actually way better than Marianne who have conceded 18 goals so far. Some defensive worries for the Jonzac club, perhaps? They’re in action at home to Aubaix today.

14:39 – Racing Club will be pleased that Fabrice Echeverri is back in the side today, the big forward has been out for a few weeks. He’s only managed 2 goals this season, but he is a good striker and it’s surely only a matter of time before he starts firing on all cylinders properly.

14:43 – Douanes will be hoping Somer St-Pierre can add to his 3 goals so far this season, he’s been ever-present for Douanes and he’s a really exciting player. They’ll be hoping he can add a few more to his total in this game.

14:45 – the atmosphere is already electric, the Douanes ultras Virage Nord are making a racket in their section away to my left. There’s a handful of Racing Club fans in their section, but the ultras groups haven’t arrived yet. They’re getting a police escort to the ground as the authorities try to ensure the clashes between the sets of fans that usually occur don’t this time around.

14:50 – Ah, here we go. Tempête de la Capitale have arrived, they’re making a thunderous entrance. The Douanes support have upped their levels as well in response which is no surprise. I can also see CCD’A and Left Side banners present so it’s a full complement of Racing Club ultras groups here today.

14:51 – I had heard mumblings of further issues between Tempête de la Capitale and Left Side. The two disagree on politics but they’re united in their support for Racing Club so perhaps no surprise to see them both present here for one of their biggest games of the season.

14:55 – only five minutes until kick-off here now. Let us know what you’re predicting today, you can contact me at @AGLYSport with your thoughts on today’s game.

14:57 – Maxime Larousse, who seems to be a Racing Club fan from his avatar, reckons his side will run out easy winners, he’s predicting 2-0. I’m not as sure we’ll find it that easy today, Maxime.

14:58 – the two sides are on their way out here, led by Paul Boivin and Antoine Guédry respectively. The air is almost crackling with the noise here. Douanes have an excellent choreo going on, huge yellow and green flags flying down in their end with a whole host of smokebombs being set off as well.

14:59 – the Racing Club support seem to have been policed well today, no sign of any pyrotechnics or fireworks as of yet. Hopefully there’s no use of them as weapons later on in the game, no need to mar such a big occasion.

15:01 – the game kicks off here, Gaétan Bessette is our referee today and he has things underway.

15:04 – Nathan Beaumanoir has contacted me to say that the use of pyro as a weapon against Douanes is okay because as he eloquently puts it ‘they’re southern tramps’. Stay classy Nathan.

15:08 – there hasn’t been any chances so far in this game. It’s mostly been a battle of the two midfields with neither side able to get beyond the other’s midfielders, the passing quality has not been all that great.

15:12 – the first half-chance there. Jérôme Soucy skimming a low shot across the Stade Velodrome turf and forcing a save out of Gill Lamarre in the Racing Club goal. The Racing Club goalkeeper tipped the ball around the post, meaning a corner kick for Douanes, but the set-piece came to nothing for the home side.

15:17 – Racing Club on the attack here and have Douanes penned in ever so slightly, but the home team’s defence is holding up strong so far. There’s been a few shots but they’ve been blocked well, so it’s been relatively comfortable for Douanes. The away side have had more possession in the first 15 minutes though.

15:20 – GOAL, Douanes 1-0 Racing Club (Somer St-Pierre, 19’).

15:21 – Somer St-Pierre has scored the opening goal for the home side. Racing Club have had more possession but they haven’t had any clear-cut shots on goal so far. That’s the issue for them. It was from a blocked shot that this counter-attack came about, Bernard Bussière’s effort was closed down and blocked well by Hugo Croquetaigne. The ball bounced to Christian Lamarre and the Douanes midfielder played a beautiful ball long over-the-top of the Racing Club defence who were playing a very high line. Thomas Lanteigne ran on to the pass and played an early ball across and Somer St-Pierre slid in to meet the cross and turn it into the net. 1-0.

15:26 – the response by the Racing Club players has been pretty good, their heads haven’t dropped and they’re passing the ball about nicely here. It’s just that final bit of creativity to really break Douanes down that they’re lacking at the minute.

15:30 – nearly half an hour into the game and it’s still 1-0 to Douanes. Racing Club are comfortable though, whenever the home side do get the ball they cannot seem to string two passes together and give it straight back to Racing who have had the lion’s share of the possession.

15:35 – Oh! That’s an excellent chance that has gone begging for Racing Club there. Echeverri has headed wide after receiving a cross at the near post from a corner and it really was easier to flick the ball on there than attempt it himself, Jasmin Calvet is going ballistic on the sideline and everyone in the ground is wondering why the centre forward has attempted the header himself there.

15:42 – a bit of a lull in proceedings here, this game is very cagey really. Racing seem to be afraid of attempting anything more than just passing the ball side-to-side, they’re wary of being countered in the manner they were of the first goal. Douanes seem happy to soak up the pressure here though.

15:45 – the fourth official has the board up here and there’s going to be one minute of added time for the two teams to contest.

15:47 – Gaétan Bessette has blown for half-time here. 1-0 Douanes and they will probably be happier with that. They’ve had less possession but it’s as if they’re playing to a game-plan at times.

15:49 – Racing will be frustrated, that’s for sure, they just can’t break the home side down. Their best chance was Echeverri’s header and everyone is wondering why he didn’t just flick the ball on there, but even that was a half-chance.

15:55 – A quick update on the scores from around the league at half-time. Maccabi are 1-0 up away to Union and they could be on their way to their first win of the season there. Epinal are a goal up at home to SS Plumelec, Bastien Sault’s low drive separates the teams. Aubaix lead 1-0 away to Marianne, could a shock be on the cards there?

15:56 – Oxocelhaya and Champex du Lac are currently at 0-0 going into half-time, that’s been cagey. It’s one of the most exciting attacks against the best defence and 6th vs. 4th going into today. Espérance have come out of the blocks quickly in the capital against Stade Yvelines, 3-0 there, Champf, Doucet and Paimbouef with the goals.

15:57 – of course, Étoile Rouge and Jeunesse played in the early kick-off, a 4-3 thriller in Yvelines there the Red Quarter side coming off the best. Armand Viens late brace turned the game on its head to get them the three points. Coulommiers and Jeanne d’Arc play tomorrow.

16:00 – if you have any thoughts for the second half, do let us know at all the usual places.

16:02 – the sides are out here for the second-half and the game is underway!

16:07 – GOAL, Douanes 2-0 Racing Club (Somer St-Pierre, 50’).

16:08 – Racing Club will be kicking themselves here. The second goal was similar to the first and they just haven’t learned from their errors. Playing a high defensive line against St-Pierre is suicide as he has the pace and intelligence to break the offside trap. Soucy played a beautiful ball along the ground to split the defence and St-Pierre’s diagonal run behind them was perfect as he ran through on goal and slid the ball under the on-rushing Lamarre. 2-0.

16:10 – elsewhere, Oxocelhaya have just gone 1-0 up against Champex through an Ekaitz Ybarra goal. That’s his 4th goal of the season.

16:14 – yellow card for young Leverett Guernon there, the Racing Club midfielder went in hard on Lanteigne there and Gaétan Bessette deemed it illegal so he’s the first player in the book so far today.

16:17 – BIG CHANCE. It’s gone begging for Racing here! It really was easier for D'Arcy Clavet to score than miss there but he’s somehow put the ball over from no more than 5 yards out. That really should have gone in for Racing.

16:20 – it’s worth noting that Espérance have just extended their lead to 5-0 away to Stade Yvelines, a real surprise there. Two goals in two minutes for the side from Rouen and they’re on their way to a big, big win.

16:22 – oh, that’s a nasty tackle by Christian Lamarre there on Sidney Allai. Lamarre could consider himself quite lucky to only receive a yellow.

16:24 – GOAL, Douanes 2-1 Racing Club (Echeverri 67’).

16:25 – it has been on the cards here and finally Racing Club have put the ball in the back of the net. Clavet makes up for his earlier miss with a great cross for Echeverri to head past Boisvert, a towering header from the big Euskal striker and Racing Club are back in this game with over twenty minutes to go.

16:27 – double substitution for Douanes. Lamarre, on a yellow of course, comes off for Florian Bourbeau. Gabriel Huot-Bonnet is off for Manu Bethuna. Not defensive changes for the home side there, they may be going for this.

16:30 – half-chance for Douanes to extend their lead there, St-Pierre got the ball on the break yet again, this time Racing had enough defenders back to deal with him and he puts the ball wide.

16:33 – Racing Club resuming their onslaught here. This really doesn’t look like a game between two of the best teams in Prahecq, all the possession has been the away sides. Douanes are ahead though and that’s the most important statistic at the end of the day.

16:34 – Béliveau did say before this game that his side would come with a game-plan to beat Racing Club, though, so perhaps this defend well and counter-attack ruthlessly shtick was it? Still 2-1.

16:37 – ten minutes left in the game now. Triple substitution from the away side. Racing Club bring off Bussière for Matthieu Le Sueur; Doisneau on for Guernon; Hector Badeaux comes on for Sennet Béland in the middle. A change to 4-4-2 for the away side as well here.

16:42 – final substitution for Douanes. Somer St-Pierre comes off for Loïc Hennequin, that’s a defensive move by the home side, but they are 2-1 up with five minutes plus injury time to go.

16:43 – Marianne have equalised against Aubaix, Bolduc with the goal for the home side there, 1-1.

16:44 – GOAL, Douanes 3-1 Racing Club (Soucy, 87’).

16:45 – Jérôme Soucy adds a third for Douanes and you have to say that that is game over here. Racing Club have been caught on the break three times. Soucy looked tired five minutes ago but he seemed to have found a second wind here as he ran through the Racing Club back-line onto Hennequin’s pass and he slotted home in composed fashion. A great ball from Hennequin, the young centre back has some ability and it’d be no surprise to see him starting regularly for Douanes in the future.

16:47 – there hasn’t been too many stoppages here and only two minutes added on by the fourth official here.

16:48 – Oxocelhaya will be taking the points in their game against Champex du Lac. Zabala has scored, a goal that will surely put the game beyond the away side there.

16:49 – Gaétan Bessette has called it a day here, final whistle, Douanes 3-1 Racing Club the final score.

16:51 – Racing Club just were not creative enough today, they couldn’t break Douanes down and that was the difference between the two sides. Douanes were incisive and clinical when they attacked and they got the win.

16:55 – well, that’s all from me today, there will be match reports and more coming later on the Le Yvelinois website. Look out for my report in the paper tomorrow!


Final scores: Union 0–1 Maccabi, Epinal 1–0 SS Plumelec, Douanes 3–1 Racing Club, Marianne 1–1 Aubaix, Étoile Rouge 4–3 Jeunesse, Oxocelhaya 2–0 Champex du Lac, Stade Yvelines 0–5 Espérance, Coulommiers 2–0 Jeanne d'Arc

## Le championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Marianne               11    6   3   2    27   19   +8    21
02 Oxocelhaya             11    5   5   1    21   14   +7    20
03 Racing Club            11    5   4   2    21   13   +8    19
04 SS Plumelec            11    5   3   3    13    6   +7    18
05 Champex du Lac         11    5   3   3    19   11   +8    18
06 Stade Yvelines         11    5   3   3     9   11   −2    18
07 Espérance              11    5   2   4    19   14   +5    17
08 Douanes                11    5   2   4    16   14   +2    17
09 Coulommiers            11    5   1   5    16   16    0    16
10 Jeunesse               11    4   3   4    12   20   −8    15
11 Epinal                 11    3   3   5    10   14   −4    12
12 Étoile Rouge           11    3   3   5    12   18   −6    12
13 Union                  11    3   3   5    11   17   −6    12
14 Aubaix                 11    2   4   5     7   11   −4    10
15 Jeanne d'Arc           11    2   2   7    10   16   −6     8
16 Maccabi                11    2   2   7     6   15   −9     8

[Republique Prahecqoise]

LA DEUXIÈME CLASSIFICATION HALF-SEASON UPDATE.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

So whilst Le championnat may be the top division of Prahecqois football, that does not mean the second tier should be forgotten about, particularly given the high levels of competition often seen there. We’re going to bring you right up to date with the latest events in the second tier and preview exactly what we think will happen in the remainder of the season. It sure has been an exciting start, let’s take a look at the league table:

## La deuxième classification  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Olympique Orthez             15   12   0   3    29   11  +18    36
02 Isturitz                     15   11   0   4    38   20  +18    33
03 Clichy-sous-Bois             15   10   1   4    36   21  +15    31
04 Stade Brioudais              15    9   4   2    33   16  +17    31
05 Perros-Guirec                15    9   3   3    35   24  +11    30
06 Olympique Louhannais         15    7   6   2    23   13  +10    27
07 Étudiants                    15    8   1   6    18   22   −4    25
08 International                15    7   2   6    22   16   +6    23
09 Stade Mohonois               15    5   5   5    25   20   +5    20
10 US Treignac                  15    6   1   8    24   25   −1    19
11 Sainte-Eulalie               15    5   2   8    21   27   −6    17
12 Nieul-le-Virouil             15    4   2   9    23   29   −6    14
13 Culoz                        15    4   2   9    16   22   −6    14
14 Gérardmer                    15    4   2   9    20   36  −16    14
15 Brassempouy                  15    2   3  10    13   33  −20     9
16 Deviat                       15    0   0  15     6   47  −41     0

It has to be remembered that La deuxième classification is a horribly tough league to get promoted from, there are only two promotion spots and it is often enormously competitive. Teams that get relegated from Le championnat are routinely purged of their best players, bringing their level of quality closer to their rivals that have spent previous seasons in the second tier. That isn’t to belittle the quality of some of those second tier sides, there’s often a core of around five or six teams at the beginning of each season who have a realistic shot at chasing the title and even more who fancy their chances for promotion. All of this is evident in the league table at the halfway point this season, as can be seen.

The biggest story so far is inarguably the title race, it is unbelievably tight at the top of the table with six points separating the top five with half the season to play. It should also be noted that pre-season favourites for the title, Breton club Perros-Guirec are currently 5th in the table, slightly off the pace, trailing six points behind the hitherto resolute Olympique Orthez. Orthez’s second club (behind perennial title challengers Douanes), are looking to find a way to challenge their local rival’s dominance of their city by making it into the top division and they look good value to do that on current form. They have built a strong defence there – so far the strongest in the division – which is often the best way to get promoted from the lower leagues. They’ve managed seven wins in a row to close out the first round of fixtures, their losses coming to Stade Mohonois (1-0 away), Sainte-Eulalie (4-3 away), and Isturitz (3-2 away). They have been dominant at home and highlights thus far have to be their 1-0 win over Perros-Guirec and a sensational 3-1 defeat of Stade Brioudais. Barring a collapse in form, they could well be making their way into the top-flight this season.

Behind Olympique Orthez come Isturitz, Gurelurra’s ‘other’ team. Similarly to the league leaders, Isturitz are well used to living in their local rival’s shadow, with Oxocelhaya being a well-established Championnat club. Isturitz also employ the cantera policy, of only signing players who are from or have had their ‘footballing education’ in Gurelurra. It’s currently paying dividends for them, as they occupy the second promotion spot and are only three points off the league lead. Isturitz are used to having their better players pinched by Oxocelhaya, but promotion would go some way to alleviating that issue for them as they too could boast about being in the top tier.

Behind the top two is a trio of teams, all three of which will be looking to jump into either the league lead or the second automatic promotion spot over the remainder of the season. Clichy-sous-Bois, Rouen’s second team, are currently 3rd – their strong attack leading them this far, they do need to tighten up at the back, though, as a lot of their games turn into shoot outs. Eventually they end up on the losing end. Then come the two pre-season favourites Stade Brioudais and Perros-Guirec, both have been slightly mercurial this season – prone to being exceptional in one game and then dire the next. Both will hope to rectify that for the remainder of the season and they absolutely will have to if they get promoted, Le championat is even more unforgiving.

Olympique Louhannais are only six points off 2nd, which is significant with it bringing automatic promotion if you finish there at the end of the season. They’re actually having a very impressive season. They have only lost twice and have been remarkably consistent. Before the season started most pundits would probably have only given them an outside chance of promotion at the very best and they absolutely would not have said even that with any certainty. Their only losses have come against the top two and they achieved admirable results away to Perros-Guirec and Stade Brioudais (2-2 in both), and beat Clichy-sous-Bois 2-1 in Rouen too. They could definitely have something to build on for next season if they manage to keep their better players (and as long as they don’t do the unthinkable and actually get promoted this season!).

There’s an entire cohort of teams in the middle of the league who are now merely battling for supremacy within their own mini-league. Those teams from Étudiants in 7th down to Sainte-Eulalie in 11th are in that sort of situation. They’re all already out of the race for promotion by a fair distance, however, they’re all also slightly too good to fall down the table and end up near the bottom (not that there is any relegation to be afraid of, they’d just obviously prefer not to be the bottom feeders in the second tier).

There are undoubtedly two teams that are just a long, long way behind the rest of the division. Brassempouy are the first, but they’ve managed to cobble together 9 points so far which is relatively respectable. Particularly when that statistic is held in-line with the unwanted statistic Deviat have managed to create at this point in the season. Deviat haven’t managed a single point so far this season, they have lost all 15 games they’ve played – scoring a mere 6 goals and conceding 47 in the process. 47! In 15 games! That’s over 3 goals a game conceded on average for the Doigtiste club. Now we know there isn’t a huge football culture in the region but that is surely taking things to the absolute extreme. It is a well-known fact that any Doigtiste footballers tend to flee the region for elsewhere, knowing that they will not be able to find good fortunes at Deviat. It’s therefore unlikely Deviat will ever have a good team, which is sad for the club and the Doigt region, but to the benefit of other clubs around Prahecq, that’s for sure.

Anyway, that’s the half-season review of the second tier of Prahecqois football. Tomorrow, we will have a cup update (has the word ‘cupdate’ not been made a thing yet? If not, it definitely should have been), then it will be back to the action in Le championnat – just as the title race begins to hot up!

[Republique Prahecqoise]

THE “CUPDATE”.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

Today we will bring you the latest from the two cup competitions in Prahecq. The prestigious Coupe Prahecqoise and its lesser sibling the Coupe de Championnat too. A quick recap of how the two competitions are run:

Coupe Prahecqoise.
• Split into the Étape préliminaire and Étape de fermeture, essentially an opening stage and a closing stage.
• The Étape préliminaire runs from the end of August until mid-December and is split geographically into four groups, these are: Centre-est, Île-de-Prahecq, Nord and Sud ouest. The first two have eight teams, with the Nord group having nine and Sud ouest having seven. These are run as a single round-robin group, each team playing every team in their region once each season. The regional groups are the same every season which fosters good rivalries and plenty of regular derby games. The top two from each region progress to the Étape de fermeture, meaning qualification can be difficult, with only the best rising to the top.
• The Étape de fermeture is then run after the winter break, with the teams playing two-legged ties until the final, which is held annually at the Stade de Prahecq in May. For the quarter final draw, the teams that came top of their regional group are seeded, with the second-place teams unseeded and teams from the same region cannot be drawn against each other. In the semi-finals, teams from the same region can be drawn against each other and there is no seeding.

Coupe de Championnat.
• This is a straight knockout tournament, with the sixteen Championnat teams randomly drawn against each other in two-legged ties. There is the first round, quarter finals, semi-finals and then the final held at the Stade de Prahecq at the start of March. It gives teams their first chance at silverware of the season.
• There is no seeding in this tournament, teams are randomly drawn throughout, which can lead to some big guns being knocked out early on.
• It has garnered a reputation for being the lesser cup competition, with big teams often resting their first team players as they focus on the league and Coupe Prahecqoise games – allowing younger players their chance in this cup competition.

With that out of the way, we’ll get on with reviewing the action so far!

---

Coupe Prahecqoise.

We’ll look at the biggest cup competition first, with the excitement in the opening stage being tangibly felt around Prahecqois football as fans get ready to support their teams – often in fixtures against some of their closest rivals. The ‘magic of the cup’ is felt all around the country and is often in strongest supply in this early stage of the season when second tier sides get a chance at their bigger local rivals, with a shock win giving them bragging rights for the current season at least and also benefitting potential progress to the latter stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise. First we will look at the action in the Centre-est region:

## Centre-est              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Champex du Lac            7   5  2  0   15   2 +13   17 Q
02 Aubaix                    7   5  1  1   14   5  +9   16 Q
03 Stade Brioudais           7   5  0  2   15   6  +9   15
04 Olympique Louhannais      7   4  1  2   13   7  +6   13
05 Jeanne d'Arc              7   3  1  3    8   9  −1   10
06 Culoz                     7   2  0  5    8  16  −8    6
07 Sainte-Eulalie            7   1  0  6    3  18 −15    3
08 Deviat                    7   0  1  6    6  19 −13    1

This is a region in which a definite hierarchy can be seen. There is the big two of Champex du Lac and Aubaix and then Jeanne d’Arc chasing them. Then a collection of smaller teams, with Stade Brioudais being particularly notable and having a good run in the second tier. We can see that this season the region has gone largely according to expectations. Champex du Lac smashed their way through their competition, going unbeaten with five wins and two draws. They were prolific, with fifteen goals, averaging over two per game and only conceded two – a staunch defence giving them an excellent all-round team in the opening stage.

It was closer than people will remember, though, with the top four separated by four points in total. Champex du Lac looked like the best team throughout, however, so the competition between the rest was largely for second place. Aubaix did eventually secure the second qualification spot to the closing stage by virtue of winning their final game 3-0 away at Culoz whilst Stade Brioudais capitulated at home to Champex. Stade Brioudais will be kicking themselves as they beat Aubaix in the fixture between the two sides, a crushing 3-0 win in Aubaix – which bodes well for Stade Brioudais if they do get promoted to Le Championnat this season.

Bringing up the rear in this division was Olympique Louhannais who, whilst finishing 4th and on a respectable 13 points, never really challenged the top three. They do look like a side who could go on to do well in the future though. Jeanne d’Arc had a shocking Coupe Prahecqois campaign, for a big side they never really looked like the big team in any of their games and will probably count themselves lucky to have cobbled together the 10 points they did manage. Between their league form and this cup campaign, Remi Lozé was starting to come under some pressure – luckily the results he put together in the ‘other’ cup competition have bought him some more time.

Culoz, Sainte-Eulalie and Deviat bring up the bottom of the table. All generally struggled in this group and may well do for some time unless they receive some investment in the playing staff. Deviat did however manage to get a point which is remarkable if you look at their league form, a 1-1 draw at home to Jeanne d’Arc with a late goal from 16 year old local lad Alexandre St-Martin sent the Doigtiste crowd into ecstasy with a famous point gained against top tier opposition.

## Île-de-Prahecq          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Racing Club               7   6  1  0   13   4  +9   19 Q
02 Maccabi                   7   5  1  1   17  10  +7   16 Q
03 Étoile Rouge              7   4  1  2   13   8  +5   13
04 Coulommiers               7   3  2  2   10   7  +3   11
05 International             7   2  1  4    8  12  −4    7
06 Stade Yvelines            7   2  0  5   10  12  −2    6
07 Jeunesse                  7   2  0  5    8  13  −5    6
08 Brassempouy               7   0  2  5    4  17 −13    2

Now we move on to arguably the most competitive region in the Coupe Prahecqoise, the capital region: Île-de-Prahecq. There are currently six top division sides in the capital region and as can be evidenced by this season, that makes for an intensely competitive opening stage and means that a few big teams will likely be disappointed with their performance – with only the top two able to qualify to the latter stages of the Coupe Prahecqoise.

Racing Club are one of the big three teams in Prahecq and for some that can even be translated as one of the biggest two teams in Prahecq – for many believe that Racing Club and Marianne are simply on a different plane to everyone else, although Douanes would vehemently disagree. The size and quality of their club was reflected in their performance in the opening stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise this season. They went undefeated, six wins and a draw in their seven games in the toughest region. In their final game, a 1-0 victory over Étoile Rouge, Sidney Allai scored what is possibly the goal of the tournament thus far, a 35 yard pile driver that flew into the away team’s goal.

They will be joined in the latter stage of the tournament by Maccabi, a team who have not performed at all that well in the league but who are making up for those performances with two very good cup runs (more on their performance in the Coupe de Championnat later). They progressed from their region by winning five games and drawing one, they suffered a solitary defeat to Racing Club on the third match day of the opening stage. Victories over top division opposition such as Jeunesse (1-0), Stade Yvelines (3-1), Coulommiers (2-1), were particularly impressive. Gaston Petrie, Maccabi’s captain had this to say following their final game, a 3-1 win over International: “We haven’t had a lot to shout about in the league so far this season, so it’s nice to give the fans the results they deserve. Hopefully this can now be the catalyst for us, we really need to fight in the league too and try and stay in Le Championnat.”

It’s a tough one for the rest of the region, they would have all believed they could qualify for the latter stage of the cup, but their results just weren’t good enough. Étoile Rouge finished 3rd, they drew 3-3 with Maccabi in what was probably the game of the opening stage – they finished three points behind their Yvelines’ rivals, so a win would not have made much difference in the grand scheme of things, but they will be kicking themselves now. Coulommiers rested star man Calixte Morel for much of the opening stage, trying to keep him fit for their fixtures in the league. His absence was reflected in their middling performance and perhaps demonstrates what life would be like without him, the rumours grow day-by-day that he will be off to one of Le Championnat’s big boys at the end of the season.

International will be relatively pleased that they managed to finish 5th, their performances were enough to finish above two higher tier opponents – both Stade Yvelines and Jeunesse finishing below them. Stade Yvelines have they excuse of focussing on the league but Jeunesse were just a bit poor in the opening stage, never really looking that great in any game. The likes of Racicot, Poisson and Bondy didn’t display any of their potential at any point sadly for them, particularly if they want moves away at the end of the season. Brassempouy were evidently the worst team in the region, but they did manage a couple of creditable draws: both 0-0 versus Coulommiers and International respectively.

## Nord                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Marianne                  8   6  0  2   16   8  +8   18 Q
02 SS Plumelec               8   4  4  0   16  11  +5   16 Q
03 Espérance                 8   3  3  2   12   9  +3   12
04 Étudiants                 8   3  3  2   12  10  +2   12
05 US Treignac               8   3  2  3   16  15  +1   11
06 Clichy-sous-Bois          8   2  3  3   12  13  −1    9
07 Gérardmer                 8   2  2  4   10  22 −12    8
08 Stade Mohonois            8   1  3  4   10  14  −4    6
09 Perros-Guirec             8   1  2  5   14  16  −2    5

The Nord region is similar to the Centre-est region in that it has three teams that are genuinely just better than the rest. These can be ascertained fairly easily by just reading a list of the teams in the region. Marianne, SS Plumelec and Espérance are the definitive ‘big three’ within the group. The region takes in football clubs from Ariege, Breizh, Nord and Nord-Est and is the biggest group in pure numerical terms, with nine teams.

Two of the ‘big three’ in the group managed to progress, this meant that Espérance failed to qualify for the latter stages and they will be extremely disappointed with that performance. The players of Marianne and SS Plumelec did what the hierarchy at their respective clubs expected of them. Marianne did suffer two defeats in the Étape préliminaire: a shock 1-0 win at home to Étudiants and a slightly more understandable 2-1 loss to SS Plumelec. They won their final three games in the opening stage, capping it off with their 1-0 victory over Espérance in the Derby du Nord at the Parc D’Espoir. It was a fiery encounter, finished off by Serge Bolduc’s 78th minute winner. The Marianne captain is well-loved by the fans there, with that goal endearing him to them even further. Murmurs of interest in Bolduc from Racing Club shouldn’t alarm them, players crossing the divide between Prahecq’s two biggest clubs is nearly unheard of, but Racing Club do have the money to lure Bolduc away – not that he isn’t on a decent wage at Marianne, but the capital’s biggest club do have a habit of getting players they are interested in.

SS Plumelec will be heartened with their performance, too, qualifying with relative ease. They went unbeaten, with four wins and four draws enough to ensure their passage to the closing stage of the cup. Their victory over Marianne, one of the consensus best two teams in the country will give their team and fans great confidence that they can in fact go further in this tournament. They will be slightly disappointed they couldn’t secure a top seed by finishing top of their regional group but they look strong. Combined with their league performance, this cup run demonstrates just how good this team can be. They’re flying high in the league in 3rd, they’re doing well in the cup and shrewd management off the pitch means they’re a club that can only get better in the future (a stadium expansion is in the offing, with training ground improvements also being rumoured). They need to try and keep hold of young manager Arzhael Miossec – he’s a local lad, with an affinity for the club – his expertise in developing young players is crucial to their future. There are rumours of both Marianne and Racing Club already planning succession for their aging managers and Miossec is supposedly top of the candidates’ list for both clubs when looking at a replacement.

Espérance will be disappointed with their performance in the Coupe Prahecqoise this year, but in reality they were always trailing Marianne and SS Plumelec – eventually finishing four points back on 2nd place with 12 points. This was in fact the exact same total that Ariegois side Étudiants managed. The team based at the university in Epernay did pretty well, shocking the giants of Marianne in the process. US Treignac were a point further back. The other teams in the region were all never really in the race, but it was a bit of a shock to see second tier frontrunners Perros-Guirec performing so badly. The bottom feeder role didn’t really suit them given their form in the league, but some believe they deliberately threw away their cup chances this season so they could focus on getting promoted. For some, a place in Le Championnat is everything, after all.

## Sud ouest               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Douanes                   6   4  2  0    8   4  +4   14 Q
02 Oxocelhaya                6   3  2  1    8   5  +3   11 Q
03 Olympique Orthez          6   2  4  0   11   7  +4   10
04 Epinal                    6   2  2  2    8   8   0    8
05 Isturitz                  6   2  1  3    9  11  −2    7
06 Union                     6   2  1  3    6   8  −2    7
07 Nieul-le-Virouil          6   0  0  6    1   8  −7    0

Douanes have not been all that great so far this season. They’re languishing mid-table in Le Championnat, with manager Remy Béliveau rumoured to be on his way out of the Stade Velodrome at the end of the season following his team’s poor performances this season. They have, however, done as expected in the cup and have progressed to the closing stage with consummate ease. They were not overly challenged in any game, four wins and two draws ensuring their qualification three points clear of anybody else. They drew against Oxocelhaya (1-1) and in the Derby du Orthez against city rivals Olympique Orthez – but won every other game 1-0. Their local derby was a thriller, a 3-3 draw where they relied upon a Somer St-Pierre equaliser to level the game late on. A win in this cup could save Remy Béliveau, so he may well focus his efforts here for the rest of the season.

Oxocelhaya are also through, finishing one point clear of Olympique Orthez. A defeat at home to Union made things interesting for the Euskal side and arguably closer than it should have been as they were relatively comfortable in the remainder of the opening stage. They also won the Euskal Derbia, the all-Gurelurra affair versus Isturitz. They were 1-0 down through Bizkargi Echechiquia’s free kick in the first-half (the full back is rumoured to be a target for Oxocelhaya, with their cantera policy limiting their options, but Echechiquia would be eligible to play for them by virtue of being Euskal), but two Ekaitz Ybarra goals late in the second period turned the game on its head and gave the top division side the bragging rights. Ybarra has been linked with Racing Club for large parts of this season, with the club from Yvelines apparently wanting a younger option than Fabrice Echeverri. Echeverri is of course Euskal too, so rumours have started to circulate about a cash plus Echeverri deal. Oxocelhaya would probably be disappointed to lose Ybarra who is an exceptional young forward, but they would not be unhappy with Echeverri – an experienced and quality campaigner in his own right.

Olympique Orthez will be slightly disappointed with 3rd, they managed to hold Oxocelhaya to a draw in Gurelurra and of course drew with their local neighbours – but both will now be viewed as missed opportunities as a win in either would have been enough for them to progress to the closing stage of the cup. Still, those performances will give them confidence in their ability for the remainder of the season.

Epinal and Union perhaps showed their level as not worthy of Le Championnat as they finished either side of Isturitz. Pre-season had many saying the two Cherolais clubs would be the ones relegated from the top tier but so far they’ve stayed just out of trouble in the league, but the cup has demonstrated their lack of quality in some departments so surely it won’t be long until the other teams wake up in the league and begin performing to expectations and the two Cherolais clubs will fall to the bottom – who knows? Finally there is Nieul-le-Virouil bringing up the rear, the team affectionately known as Les Gargouilles didn’t scare anybody in this Sud ouest group – with many enjoying the trip to the Côte d'Azur and its beautiful, sandy beaches. They finished bottom, losing all six games. Nieul-le-Virouil is a rich place and there has been rumours of a celebrity (allegedly an actor), buying the club and bankrolling it into Le Championnat – their performance in the cup this season could well have put any would-be investors off, it was that poor.

So, after all that, we head to the Étape de fermeture. The ties for the quarter final of the Coupe Prahecqoise are as follows:

Coupe Prahecqoise quarter final draw
   Racing Club  -  Aubaix
       Douanes  -  SS Plumelec
Champex du Lac  -  Oxocelhaya
      Marianne  -  Maccabi

Many would expect both Racing Club and Marianne to qualify from their games versus Aubaix and Maccabi over two legs, but the two games in the middle are extremely tough to call. Douanes have been poor in the league this season but imperious in the cup, whilst SS Plumelec have been exceedingly consistent in both. Champex du Lac and Oxocelhaya will be a tactical chess game between the two managers. Upsets can happen, which has to be remembered in all four ties and is something that has already been proven this season in the Coupe de Championnat! Speaking of which...

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Coupe de Championnat.

So this competition is often an awful lot of fun because the big teams occasionally take their eyes off both the literal and proverbial ball when they compete in it. They are often focussed on their league form or a run in the national cup competition the Coupe Prahecqoise, which leads to understrength teams or players not concentrating as fully as they usually might. This gives the smaller teams an opportunity and can lead to upsets – which is exactly what has happened this season so far! It only include sides from Le Championnat of course, but that hasn’t prevented some giant killings this season.

Coupe de championnat de Prahecq first round

    Jeunesse    4–3    Union           3–1  1–2
      Aubaix    4–1    Champex du Lac  1–1  3–0
Jeanne d'Arc  a 6–6    Étoile Rouge    1–0  5–6
 SS Plumelec    3–1    Epinal          1–1  2–0
   Espérance    3–3 a  Oxocelhaya      2–2  1–1
 Racing Club    1–1 p  Douanes         0–1  1–0  (1-2 pen)
 Coulommiers    5–2    Stade Yvelines  4–2  1–0
    Marianne    1–1 p  Maccabi         1–0  0–1  (0-2 pen)

We shall begin by looking at Jeunesse’s 4-3 aggregate victory over Union, a side tipped to struggle this season. The first leg at the Stade Kevin Morin in Yvelines was a rather routine performance for the home side. Jeunesse began strongly, going 1-0 up within ten minutes through an excellent Thomas Bondy strike. They doubled their lead only fifteen minutes later, Adrien Poisson finishing off a fine move. Around the hour mark they found their third from the penalty spot, Bondy the man again. Union did get a late away goal, which is always useful in the Coupe de Championnat due to the away goals rule. Hervé Pierre was the man to get them that goal. In the second leg, Union came out firing on home turf, Pierre the man again with a rocket from the edge of the area. Jeunesse did equalise just before half-time through Bondy, who was looking really good in cup competition. That goal looked like it may kill the tie off, but Union were determined to make a game of it and they roared back after half-time, Paquin rifling a shot into the Jeunesse goal to leave them only at a goal deficit on aggregate. An extra goal would see the two sides level on aggregate and away goals, but Union could not find it and Jeunesse progressed.

Aubaix versus Champex du Lac is always a big game, but particularly in cup competitions. Here, the sides would play out an edgy 1-1 draw at the Stade d’Aubaix – Vaillancour and Bler’s goals cancelling each other out. In the second leg, the game was completely different, Champex du Lac just did not turn up and Aubaix were on it all game. The Sauvageot brothers were different class throughout, Stéphane coming away with a brace and Aubin the third goal as Aubaix won 4-1 on aggregate and (rather surprisingly) found their way through to the quarter finals. It is fair to say that Champex’s fans were incensed, the Ultras Champex capo could be seen remonstrating with club captain Hugo Beaudry post-game through the high fence separating the pitch and the fan group’s section at the Parc du Lac.

Next it’s the tie that was the tie of the round based on the action on the pitch – you wouldn’t have thought it looking at the names of the teams involved pre-game though. You wouldn’t have thought it after the first leg, either, as Jeanne d’Arc beat Étoile Rouge in a normal 1-0 win through Matthieu Goddu’s goal. The second leg was absolutely crazy, however, with 11 goals. Étoile Rouge won 6-5 in the fixture, but that meant Jeanne d’Arc went through on away goals. It was a crazy game, the home side actually went 3-0 up in the first half an hour. Armand Viens scoring two either side of Percy Gamelin’s piledriver. Jeanne d’Arc roared back into the game then, Goddu firing a brace before half-time. The second period was no less insane, with each side trading goals. Viens grabbed his hat-trick, before Yvon Cinq-Mars replied. This alone made the score 4-3. Then Lesage scored to make it 5-3, with Cinq-Mars scoring again to make it 5-4. Jeanne d’Arc seemed acutely aware that they could not allow the deficit to stay at two goals as this would send them out and every time they went two behind they responded. This happened again, Viens scored his fourth of the game to make it 6-4, but in the dying minutes of the game – in injury time, in fact – Jeanne d’Arc found the goal that would send them through. Cinq-Mars lumped the ball into the box from a free-kick, with every player excepting himself in the opposition area, centre back Alphonse Panetier was the man who rose to meet it and his header thumped into the back of the net. 6-5. Jeanne d’Arc would be going through after the craziest game. The home side’s players looked distraught following what was an incredible victory, because away goals, the cruellest of mistresses, would be sending them out.

After all that, SS Plumelec’s 3-1 aggregate win seems absolutely normal and it pretty much was. Even if Epinal would have been pleased to take a 1-1 draw away from Breizh Park following the first leg. Daniel Daniau’s strike opened the scoring before SS Plumelec captain Valéry Martel equalised. Epinal were buoyant following that result, but it would prove in vain, as their opponents showed their true ability in the second leg. SS Plumelec put in a thoroughly professional performance, winning 2-0 through Géroux and Faure goals to send them through to the next round.

Away goals would affect the tie between Espérance and Oxocelhaya. The first leg was a good game, a 2-2 draw in Rouen with both sides looking vibrant going forward. Oxocelhaya gave the youngster Sabin Checonenea a run-out and he repaid the faith shown in him by manager Anko Azcarraga with a brace. He goes by the name of “Checo” on his shirt and the away contingent were chanting that from the stands following his two late goals that brought the Euskal club back into the game following Paimbouef and Champf’s first-half strikes. In the second-leg, Azcarraga didn’t give youth as much of a chance, with a full-strength side being named. Ekaitz Ybarra scored the opener, with a trademark run and finish. The away side were not to be cowed, however, with Verrill Doucet being particularly creative. He eventually managed to score after a mazy run through a tense Oxocelhaya defence. This left the tie at 3-3 on aggregate. Neither side found another goal so away goals was used to split the teams and the Euskal side advanced.

Next comes the tie of the round due to the teams involved. Racing Club versus Douanes. Two of the biggest three clubs in Prahecq. The games themselves were extremely cagey and intense. They were tactical affairs, with neither side particularly wanting to be knocked out at an early stage. In the first leg, Douanes travelled to Yvelines and managed to come away with the win. They won 1-0, Somer St-Pierre scampering onto a ball over the top and smashing the ball into the Racing Club net to take an advantage back to Orthez. In the second leg, Racing Club would repay the favour and get an away win through Echeverri’s header. 1-1 on aggregate. Extra time came and went and the sides could not be separated so it would be penalties. Douanes progressed, keeping their heads slightly better and winning 2-1. It was an abject penalty shoot-out, but the side from the south coast were not bothered by that in the slightest.

Coulommiers played fantastically in the first leg, defeating Stade Yvelines 4-2. Their main man Calixte Morel stole the show there, scoring three and laying on another for Jeannot D’Aramitz. The two goal advantage going into the second leg in Yvelines was important, but a poor performance could see that fade away fast. Every credit to Phil Mossé for getting the most from his players in a creditably professional 1-0 victory (at a very hard place to go and get a result, look at the league form!). Morel the man again, setting up Talon Cousteau’s goal with a delicious no-look reverse pass.

Finally, there is the biggest giant-killing of the round as lowly Maccabi found a way to knock out Marianne. Maccabi coach Philibert Gagnon may well be the ‘cup-whisperer’ as he finds ways to find unlikely victories in cup competitions. The Maccabi hierarchy will be praying he can transfer this know-how to their league form. Both teams won their home ties 1-0. Marianne’s victory coming courtesy of their stalwart Serge Bolduc’s outstanding free kick. Gaston Petrie, Maccabi’s best player, got their winner in the second leg. Extra time was useless for the two sides, with the players all out on their feet. Penalties were again abject, particularly on the Marianne end as they missed all four they attempted. Maccabi missed their first, converted their next two, but did not need any more attempts because of how poor Marianne were. Abel D’Aboville must have had his players doing penalty drills for weeks after in training due to this horror show.

Coupe de championnat de Prahecq quarter final

  Oxocelhaya    1–1    Jeunesse        0–1  1–0  (5-4 pen)
     Douanes    0–1    Jeanne d'Arc    0–0  0–1
     Maccabi  a 2–2    Coulommiers     0–0  2–2
 SS Plumelec    3-3 a  Aubaix          2–2  1–1

So we head to the quarter finals with two of the biggest three clubs in Prahecq out of the competition. That gives the remainder of the competition and outstanding opportunity to win the first silverware of the season.

Oxocelhaya moved one step closer after being Jeunesse on penalties following the score finishing at 1-1 on aggregate. Both sides won away from home, Jeunesse achieving the rare feat of coming away from Gurelurra with a victory through Bondy’s 5th goal in the competition. Oxocelhaya would win away in Yvelines though, they huffed and puffed all game and finally a bit of quality from Beñat blew Jeunesse’s defensive wall down. The penalties were of high quality compared to the first round, with both teams converting all of their penalties until Isaac Roussel’s was saved by Ruben Linville. It was Jeunesse’s final penalty before sudden death, the entire Oxocelhaya team sprinted towards their goalkeeper who was ecstatic in celebration. Poor Roussel was on his knees, his captain Manville Ayot jogged over to console him with goalkeeper Jolicoeur. Roussel was distraught, but that’s the nature of the penalty shoot-out.

Douanes must have thought that they had an easy route to the final after Marianne and Racing Club had been knocked out of the tournament. However, they did not bank on the absolutely expert game-plan thought out by Jeanne d’Arc manager Remi Lozé. Lozé set his side out to just defend emphatically in the first leg. He didn’t change his 4-3-1-2 formation, he just instructed his players to not take risks, to play the first ball forward and to keep it tight at the back. It seems simple, but it worked. They also played deep, preventing Somer St-Pierre from running in behind as he so often does. This meant Douanes had to break them down and they just could not do it. Jeanne d’Arc were extremely pleased to take the 0-0 to Saint-Maximin. In the second leg, they did more of the same, except this time their counter-attacking strategy also worked. Yvon Cinq-Mars had been instructed to sit deep when defending, so they had almost two banks of four. When they won the ball he would be instructed to sprint forward to join the two strikers to form a three. But it was what Remi Lozé instructed him to do in transition that would prove most important. Jeanne d’Arc’s defensive players were told to hoof the ball long to Goddu and Foucault, which is what happened. Foucault brought the ball down but lost it quickly – Cinq-Mars did exactly what he was told to do when transitions occurred, hustle and harry the Douanes defence, hoping to force them into a mistake. He managed this here, as he pressed Manu Leroux, the big centre-half got his feet in a mess and Cinq-Mars poked the ball away before launching an excellent through-ball for Matthieu Goddu to sprint onto. Loic Hennequin was in pursuit but Goddu’s pace and strength held him off and he slammed the ball into the goal. 1-0, it would prove to be the final score and Remi Lozé’s game-plan worked superbly. A deep defence to blunt St-Pierre’s effectiveness. Two deep blocks when not in possession to stifle Douanes’ creativity. Quick forward passes to the strikers to counter-attack. And an extremely specific role for Yvon Cinq-Mars, who carried it out expertly. He joined the forwards at speed to provide an extra man, didn’t forget his defensive duties when Jeanne d’Arc lost possession and in the transition he did exactly what Remi Lozé had foreseen. A great performance from the 19 year old, who could easily find himself plying his trade somewhere like Douanes next season.

After that explanation of a tactical masterclass, this result was surely more about sheer man-management and motivation than anything tactical. Maccabi and Coulommiers played out a fairly boring 0-0 draw in the first leg. In the second leg, everything seemed to be going swimmingly for Coulommiers as Calixte Morel scored his 4th and 5th goals of the tournament before half-time. That is until the second-half when Maccabi came out roaring, scored two goals in five minutes courtesy of Mailloux and Binet before sitting deep and holding the 2-2 draw out. The two away goals would be enough to send them through and they played pure anti-football following their two goals, but every credit to them as they progress. Phil Mossé was furious, “Fair play to them. They got back in the game quickly in the second-half, but following that only one team was trying to win the game out there and their name did not begin with ‘M’. I am frankly disgusted by some of the play, Cal[ixte Morel], has a gash up his leg from one of the tackles.” And whilst that may be true, it is Maccabi who progress to the semi finals.

Finally, there is the tie between SS Plumelec and Aubaix. Another decided by away goals, in fact. The first leg was a strange game, with no action until the last twenty minutes. All the goals came then in a rush of action. SS Plumelec went ahead through Faure, with Aubaix coming back with a great goal from Girard. The home side then went ahead again, Valéry Martel converting from the spot. But Armand Bler would equalise late on with a header. Aubaix would have been the happier of the sides with the result, but in the second leg it would be SS Plumelec scoring again first, Erwann-Gaétan Géroux’s speed allowing him to get away from the Aubaix defence and finish. Aubaix would not die, though and came back again, Armand Bler nodding home Aubin Sauvageot’s cross and getting his 3rd goal of the competition in the process. Aubaix would qualify to the next round by virtue of away goals. SS Plumelec will be ruing a missed chance at silverware, especially with the relatively weak level of competition available in the semi-finals (with Douanes, Marianne and Racing Club all being eliminated).

Coupe de championnat de Prahecq semi final draw
    Aubaix  -  Jeanne d'Arc
Oxocelhaya  -  Maccabi

The draw for the semi-finals is interesting because none of the big three teams are in it! The biggest side is undoubtedly Oxocelhaya, who must be rubbing their hands with glee at the chance of silverware early on in the season. They have drawn Maccabi, who have turned into real cup wizards under Philibert Gagnon. They may lose focus on the cup competitions given their struggle against relegation in Le Championnat. Still, they just need two more good results to find themselves in the final and that is not impossible. Oxocelhaya must really fancy their chances, though. In the other fixture, Aubaix meet Jeanne d’Arc in an all Haute-Alpes affair. That will definitely be a feisty fixture and whilst it lacks the history of an Aubaix-Champex du Lac or a Jeanne d’Arc-Champex du Lac fixture, the close proximity of the two sides ensures a fierce rivalry (just without a specific name for the fixture). Of course, the prospect of glory will make it even more competitive than usual. The prospective final combinations are intriguing, with very few predicting any of these teams to do well in the cup competitions (although some did tip Oxocelhaya and Aubaix as good outside bets), with the most intriguing of all being a fixture between Jeanne d’Arc and Maccabi. The religious heritage of both sides has led to that fixture being known as La Guerre Sainte (en anglais, ‘the holy war’), with ultras groups at both clubs being extremely violent towards each other when the sides meet. Of course, any pairing could serve up a thrilling game of football and that is what we’re looking for!

That’s our update of the cup competitions, action starts again in Le Championnat this weekend as we go into the second half of the season. As always, L’Action is the best place to keep up to date with all the action!

[Republique Prahecqoise]

22/23 Le Championnat Season Review.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

We have come to the end of an exceptional opening season for Prahecqois football. It was full of thrills and spills along the way, with the title race in Le Championnat going down to the final day! The top three were in fact only separated by three points and the entire top seven only separated by a grand total of eight – demonstrating the highly competitive nature of the campaign. A few teams performed above expectations whilst a few others produced extremely below-par performances. Some managers will be counting themselves lucky that this was the first season they could be judged upon, that’s for sure, with all clubs in both professional leagues deciding to keep their current managers for next season given the limited sample size they had to go on.

## Le Championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Marianne               30   17   7   6    68   44  +24    58 C, UICA CC, RCdC
02 Racing Club            30   16   8   6    56   32  +24    56 UICA GC
03 Champex du Lac         30   15  10   5    60   33  +27    55 UICA GC
04 Oxocelhaya             30   15   9   6    54   41  +13    54 UICA GC
05 Stade Yvelines         30   15   7   8    34   23  +11    52
06 SS Plumelec            30   15   6   9    39   28  +11    51
07 Douanes                30   15   5  10    54   38  +16    50
08 Coulommiers            30   14   3  13    39   40   −1    45
09 Jeunesse               30   11   9  10    47   58  −11    42
10 Espérance              30   10  10  10    38   35   +3    40
11 Étoile Rouge           30    8   7  15    38   55  −17    31
12 Maccabi                30    8   6  16    19   33  −14    30
13 Aubaix                 30    5  12  13    20   32  −12    27
14 Epinal                 30    7   6  17    25   46  −21    27
15 Union                  30    6   6  18    29   55  −26    24 R
16 Jeanne d'Arc           30    5   5  20    29   56  −27    20 R

Marianne, the famous side from Jonzac and – for some – the biggest club in Prahecq, just about managed to win the title from their greatest rivals Racing Club. For many in Prahecq, the rivalry between Marianne and Racing Club is a microcosm of Prahecqois society. The working people against the establishment.

Marianne are famously seen as the ‘club of the people’, with left-wing traditions, hailing from Jonzac – a hard-working northern city that was the birthplace of modern Socialisme prahecqois. Racing Club hail from the capital, Yvelines, and they are traditionally seen as the club of the middle and upper classes – part of the establishment, with financial clout that outweighs every other team in the league.

This season the pair gave us a titanic battle to remember, they were at times joined by Oxocelhaya too, whose gung-ho attacking style won many admirers across the country. This despite the anti-Euskal sentiment that followed them throughout the season, many in the rest of Prahecq resent the Euskal club for the hugely prevalent separatist beliefs among their supporters and people from Gurelurra more generally.

Marianne were often defensively poor this season, but this did not often matter as the talents of forwards such as Germain Hétu (the league’s top goalscorer), Serge Bolduc (the consensus player of the season), and Romain Ménard made up for their defensive mishaps. They led the league in goals scored, manager Abel D’Aboville generally keeping faith in his team to always be able to get that extra goal to win a game or at least avoid defeat. Bolduc was top class, his skills in-behind the striker were a joy to behold. His dribbling skills and quality on the ball were plain for all to see and meant that there were an abundance of chances for Hétu to gratefully finish. There are rumours that Racing Club – with all their financial clout – would be prepared to spend an eye-watering sum of money to try and bring Serge Bolduc to the capital. Whether he would be prepared to cross the divide between the two giants of Prahecqois football is another question. He is the captain of Marianne and has just won the league with them – would he have it in him to make himself the biggest villain in Jonzac and move to their most hated rivals? That remains to be seen, but for now, he was the difference maker and probably the reason Marianne won the title. His haul of 15 goals was enough for 7th in the individual scoring charts and his contributions with assists made him the player involved in the most goals in the league. An incredible talent. D’Aboville will be loath to lose his star man, but the only club that would be able to come in for him domestically is Racing Club and it is questionable whether the bigwigs at Marianne would sanction such a move lest their own fans turn against them. They have already been on manoeuvres with some in the media hearing rumours of interest in Coulommiers’ Calixte Morel, a player who could become even better than Bolduc one day. Morel enjoyed a good season at a middling power within Le Championnat, some have wondered what he would be able to do with the players at Marianne around him.

Racing Club were much better defensively than their rivals from Jonzac, but they seemed to have a habit of losing important games and this let them down regularly. They could have even clinched the title on the final day as Marianne lost away at Epinal, but they were mugged by local rivals Stade Yvelines in the Derby de Capitaux. Jasmin Calvet is not a manager afraid to spend and this side can be improved across the board – notoriously outspoken, Calvet has called for big moves for Somer St-Pierre (Douanes), and Ekaitz Ybarra (Oxocelhaya), as well as a couple of defensive additions. Those two moves would weaken two of the top clubs in the league whilst simultaneously improved their frontline. Talks of Bolduc coming to the capital also won’t go away as aforementioned.

Champex du Lac were solid at both ends of the pitch this season and they will be a side that will be content to slowly improve to try and match the big three clubs (Marianne, Racing Club and Douanes – the latter club having a dreadful season compared to how they were expected to perform). Gigi Vaillancour is one the league’s top strikers, coming second in the individual scoring charts. Gilles Plessis is known to be a manager who develops young players and they have a huge young Mytanar talent coming through who goes by the name of Itzhar Yvjoev – expect him to become more involved in the coming years.

Oxocelhaya may have dropped to 4th eventually but they were the club that pushed the top two closest, even occupying top spot for a couple of weeks near the end of the season (Champex du Lac may have been top for a few weeks at the start of the season but Oxocelhaya were the only team to break Marianne and Racing Club’s hegemony after Week 7!). They ran out of steam a little bit, their all action attacking style was fun to watch and led to some of the most exciting games this year but it probably put paid to their title hopes too. Ekaitz Ybarra was very good up front, with capable midfielders and wingers supplying him. Their cantera policy obviously limits who they can sign to just Euskal players (or those who received their ‘footballing education’ in Gurelurra), but there is a few talents to be had. Interest in Ignace Chaput has been rumoured and that would be an instant upgrade in goal for them.

Stade Yvelines would argue that they were the team that punched above their weight the most this season and few would argue back with them. They built a 5th place finish in the league upon a solid defensive bedrock, with manager Auguste Marchal building strong foundations that resulted in them having the stingiest defence in the league. It would be no surprise to see their best defenders picked off by bigger clubs. Marianne in particular need upgrades, but the arms race for next season could see other clubs get involved too. Marianne, Racing Club and Douanes are all expected to invest, the first two trying to maintain their position as Prahecq’s top two clubs and win the title and Douanes to actually try and perform somewhere near how they’re expected too. Stade Yvelines could be a victim of this.

SS Plumelec did about how they were expected to, a solid team, nothing too flashy – they went about their job well and made their home ground an extremely tough place to go. Breizh Park is being expanded to a 36,000 capacity this summer and that will make their noisy home support even more vociferous. A few additions could have them in a UICA Globe Cup spot. They will want to keep young manager Arzhael Miossec, the 42 year old is developing a reputation for being able to improve young players and SS Plumelec have a few of them. Gagnon, Sauvageau, Faure and Géroux have all benefited from his tutelage. A flying winger, Bleizou Kerrien, is being hyped up as an exceptional talent too and he will no doubt fulfil his potential under Miossec’s watchful eye. SS Plumelec have a bright future ahead of them if they can hold onto their young talents.

Then we get to Douanes. They didn’t actually do that badly in terms of how far behind they were Marianne at the end of the season. Eight points is not an enormous amount, but their league position is slightly disappointing for the side from the south coast. They are seen as one of the ‘big three’ of Prahecqois football, but they are in danger of being removed from that trio if they repeat performances like this. Somer St-Pierre was a regular danger for them up front, but he looks like he may be off to Racing Club and Douanes do often have to sell in order to keep their finances in check. That would be hugely disappointing, but a cut-price move for Matthieu Goddu could be a perfect tonic. Goddu is available following the relegation of Jeanne d’Arc and would fill any hole left by St-Pierre leaving. Their board are going to persevere with manager Remy Béliveau, but for how much longer remains to be seen. His reputation for developing youngsters is keeping him at the club as they have some top talent in their first team and if those players reach their potential then Douanes could maintain a title challenge for years to come.

Coulommiers did about how they were expected to do this season, some saying they even birdied the hole, with a slightly above expectations performance. A lot of that was to do with Calixte Morel, his 13 goals and general performance lifting his team mates. Jeannot D’Aramitz is one for the future. Phil Mossé is a good man-manager, but he doesn’t like to spend and that could hinder his side’s chances of advancing beyond their mid-table position. Morel surely has higher aspirations than that and a chain of events could be set-off if Bolduc leaves Marianne as the side from Jonzac have been heavily linked with Morel despite having the best number ten in Prahecq already, if he were to leave then Morel is the next best thing and could even surpass Bolduc in the future.

Jeunesse were comfortably mid-table come the end of the season, Thomas Bondy’s 16 goals in 30 games firing them to a respectable position. Many are already tipping them as a potential surprise contender for relegation next season, however, Camille Loupe is well-known for being tight when it comes to signing players. That could cause them problems as they do have a couple of areas where improvement is necessary. Other managers may well have got the message about that – particularly those at clubs who struggled this season when they were not expected to do so. Jeunesse could be a victim of that if they do not invest wisely. Keeping a hold of Bondy and Racicot will also be crucial.

Espérance also finished comfortably mid-table in the end. Clément Battier should be active in the transfer market, known for his wheeler-dealer reputation. A few good signings could move them up the table considerably as they have some potential in this squad. They also have a good stadium and strong fan base, all the seeds are there for growth but it’s just whether the club’s board can harness this and supply the players for Battier to get the Rouen side up the table. Some fans don’t back Battier and are calling for a new face to lead them up the table, however.

Étoile Rouge were pretty safe in the end despite a brush with danger. Their financial issues will be the biggest fear for the club’s hierarchy now the season is over, though. They may struggle to stay in the league beyond next season as investment in players could be difficult and they might have to even offload a few. Yvon Cinq-Mars has been linked with a move to the club from relegated Jeanne d’Arc though, and that would be quite a coup as he’s a highly talented youngster.

Maccabi have to thank manager Philibert Gagnon enormously for his experience and his tactical excellence. Those two qualities kept this side in the top division. Their squad was not high in quality but Gagnon engineered a position of safety on the back of defensive resilience. They only conceded 33 goals all season, as good as Champex du Lac who finished in the top four and better than champions Marianne! Gagnon will not be drawn to big name signings this summer in a bid to repeat the feat, he'll go straight in for experience and players who fit his philosophy. It will be important to keep influential captain Gaston Petrie too. Gagnon has worked wonders for this side and keeping him could be just as important in the future – but he loves Maccabi and seems extremely committed, outwardly at least.

Aubaix were perhaps expecting a little better this season, but their cup run made up for a poor league position. Jonathan Dufort is probably the best young goalkeeper in the league at the moment and all the big clubs are interested. Racing Club have the greatest need but have other priorities so Aubaix may be able to keep him a little bit longer. That will be important, but they do need to improve as they should not have been dragged into a relegation dogfight and improvements will be necessary to avoid that next season. Jean-Joël Granet is one of the best young managers in the country as proved by him leading Aubaix’s cup run, he’s being touted as a successor at Marianne and Racing Club. Aubaix have him for now and his team’s league form can be forgiven this season based on their performance in the Coupe de Championnat, but next season the league form will have to be better.

Epinal may look a little safer than they actually were, a final day shock win over Marianne saving them. It’s a shock to many that they managed to stay up, but they did it and now the work starts to try and repeat the feat next season. That will surely be difficult. Aubin Allaire has a couple of decent young talents at his disposal and they may go under the radar a bit, so the club could hold onto them for next season and that will be important. Their defence needs work though and without improvements could hinder them.

Union say goodbye to Le Championnat. It’s a sad day for the club but they are going to keep manager Étienne Loup in the hope that he can bring them back up at the first time of asking but that will be difficult with some solid teams in the second tier. They will hope to avoid a decimation of their squad, some of the better players will undoubtedly go, but if they can keep a few of them they have the basis of a side that will be horrible to play against at a lower level, with several strong physical talents. Their fans will be confident, but it has to be remembered Jeanne d’Arc will be there too and many are tipping Clichy-sous-Bois for promotion next year too – so competition will be fierce.

Jeanne d’Arc are an example of inaction causing problems to pile up and result in a terrible outcome. The Saint-Maximin side should never have been relegated. Goddu and Cinq-Mars were two good players that should have ensured that didn’t occur and yet they somehow conspired to finish dead last and some 7 points from safety. Remi Lozé is a promising young manager but he may have been guilty of over-complicating things at times, his possession-based tactical style not suiting a side devoid of confidence. This contributed to their relegation. There had been murmurings of large-scale investment in the club from a well-known local company, but this will surely not occur now they are in the second tier and they could have a hard task of reaching the top division again. Goddu and Cinq-Mars will almost definitely leave and nobody would be too surprised if an even greater exodus were to occur. Dark times for Jeanne d’Arc, they’re keeping Lozé on, but his odds for being the first manager in Prahecqois football to be sacked next season have been slashed. He’s the odds-on favourite now.

Player of the Season.
##  Name              Club            Age  Pos  Notes
01  Serge Bolduc      Marianne        26   AMC  Generally top-level performances, league-leader in assists and prolific goalscorer from attacking midfield
02  Gaston Petrie     Maccabi         31   DMC  Inspiring captain in an average side, single-handedly gained points in a relegation scrap
03  Gauthier St-Jean  Stade Yvelines  27   DR   Top leader in the league's strongest defence, resulting in his side exceeding expectations in the league table

Honourable Mentions: Germain Hétu (26, ST, Marianne); Gigi Vaillancour (27, ST, Champex du Lac); Didier Lanoie (25, DC, Marianne); Antoine Guédry (26, DR, Racing Club); 
                     Sixte Delacroix (24, MC, Oxocelhaya)

Young (u-23) Player of the Season.
##  Name               Club            Age  Pos  Notes
01  Calixte Morel      Coulommiers     23   AMC  Chipped in with goals and assists, a real game-changer for his team throughout the campaign
02  Somer St-Pierre    Douanes         23   ST   Excellent record in front of goal, delightful finishing and a terror to defenders with his pace
03  Peverell Tétrault  Stade Yvelines  23   DC   Cool head on young shoulders at the back, unbeatable in the air and confident passer of the ball too

Honourable Mentions: Jonathan Dufort (21, GK, Aubaix); Kylian Maçon (22, DC, Champex du Lac); Verril Doucet (23, AMC, Espérance); Sidney Allai (21, MC, Racing Club);
                     Turner Artois (19, GK, Stade Yvelines)

Top Goalscorer.
##  Name               Club            Goals  Appearances
01  Germain Hétu       Marianne        23     30
02  Gigi Vaillancour   Champex du Lac  20     30
03  Fabrice Echeverri  Racing Club     19     30
04  Ekaitz Ybarra      Oxocelhaya      18     29
05  Somer St-Pierre    Douanes         18     30

Honourable Mentions: Thomas Bondy (Jeunesse, 16/30); Serge Bolduc (Marianne, 15/30); Calixte Morel (Coulommiers, 13/26); Valery Martel (SS Plumelec, 13/28);
                     Verril Doucet (Espérance, 13/30)

Manager of the Season.
##  Name              Club
01  Abel D'Aboville   Marianne
02  Auguste Marchal   Stade Yvelines
03  Philibert Gagnon  Maccabi

[Republique Prahecqoise]

22/23 La Deuxième Classification Season Review.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

Prahecqois football’s second tier’s first season was hard-fought and closely contested throughout the season, with the top two fighting for the title until the last day of the season. The race for promotion was decided a little earlier, but it still held many twists and turns along its journey. It is hoped that this season is an example of what is to come, with a largely competitive second tier being a good thing for the game in Prahecq overall. Of course, this season there were a couple of clubs that were a long way behind the rest, but some put that down to teething issues for the clubs in question as they get used to professionalism. Even the bottom-feeders produced some bright sparks, with Deviat’s Alexandre St-Martin being snapped up by Le Championnat side Aubaix. He was a shining light in their otherwise dismal campaign and is being loaned back to the Doigtiste club to gain more experience next season. That could be an exceptional deal for them as they look to do better next year (well, they can’t do any worse!). Here’s the review:

Olympique Orthez and Perros-Guirec battled until the bitter end, the fight for the title going down to the last day of the season. Both sides were at home, Perros-Guirec hosting International and Olympique Orthez against Culoz. Perros-Guirec entered the day on 65 points, one behind the league leaders Olympique Orthez.

## La Deuxième Classification  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Olympique Orthez             30   22   3   5    60   22  +38    69 C, P
02 Perros-Guirec                30   20   6   4    73   39  +34    66 P
03 Clichy-sous-Bois             30   19   3   8    70   38  +32    60
04 Olympique Louhannais         30   17   8   5    52   25  +27    59
05 Stade Brioudais              30   17   8   5    69   35  +34    59
06 Isturitz                     30   16   6   8    51   32  +19    54
07 Étudiants                    30   15   3  12    43   47   −4    48
08 International                30   13   8   9    41   30  +11    47
09 Nieul-le-Virouil             30   12   4  14    50   54   −4    40
10 Stade Mohonois               30   11   7  12    46   44   +2    40
11 US Treignac                  30   11   6  13    41   43   −2    39
12 Sainte-Eulalie               30    9   2  19    32   57  −25    29
13 Gérardmer                    30    7   6  17    36   61  −25    27
14 Culoz                        30    6   6  18    27   47  −20    24
15 Brassempouy                  30    3   4  23    24   71  −47    13
16 Deviat                       30    1   2  27    16   86  −70     5

The Stade de l'Huveaune was full to the rafters as Olympique Orthez kicked off in the game they hoped would win them the title. Their fans were looking for early goals to break the tension and calm the nerves, as they knew a win would guarantee them the title – nothing Perros-Guirec could do could better that. Their players duly obliged, Aaron Riqueti contributing an early brace with the sun beaming down on the south coast. The news reached Perros-Guirec and their young squad seemingly fell to pieces as International ran riot and smashed them 3-0 in Breizh at Perros-Guirec’s Stade Guivarc'h. The titles belonged to the side from Orthez who knew that promotion would mean renewing their local rivalry with Douanes in Le Championnat.

Eddy Cheron’s counter-attacking style worked wonders in the second tier, his side conceding the fewest goals all season. He put together an experienced side that didn’t really excel in any one area but was good enough in all of them. A really workmanlike squad, with Aaron Riqueti providing the goals up front to fire them to promotion. His contribution of 20 made him the fourth highest goal scorer in the second division.

Perros-Guirec’s Ewen Tiercelin was diplomatic about his side’s failure to win the title, “Obviously it would have been nice to lift the trophy, but promotion was the goal and that is what we have achieved. This side is so young – I’m so proud of the boys – and with some ambition we could really build on this and try and establish ourselves in Le Championnat.” Tiercelin is the youngest manager in the second tier (39), and will be joint youngest with Jean-Joël Granet (Aubaix, same age), when he starts managing in the top-flight next season. His side’s successful promotion bid was built on the best attack in the league, scoring 73 goals as a team. Damien Jeannin led the scoring up-top with 24 goals. His team have an average age of about 22 and that’s including their now departing captain Lauri Mordelet. The 38 year old full-back happy to call time on his career after helping to get his boyhood side into the top division. He’ll need replacing, but Tiercelin’s hint to the board to show ‘some ambition’ and keep the young starlets together if heeded could see this side really bloody some noses in Le Championnat. Lagadeuc, Touellec, Malet, Kel-Fetr, Vandame, Talbourdet, Bozonnet, Le Goaziou and even Jeannin will all be 23 or under when next season starts and the group are being touted as the best single-group of youngsters produced at one time in Prahecq (not that there is much previous to go on!). The fact they’ve all come through at once will have Breton rivals SS Plumelec worried, although of course, they will be interested in bringing some of them across the divide between the two clubs too.

Clichy-sous-Bois ran the top two close for much of the season but just ran out of steam towards the end of the campaign. They relied on the Odonelec brothers to fire them that close to promotion. Usten and Jasno are the sons of Mytanar immigrants and as such are eligible to represent both Prahecq and Mytannion at international level. Jasno (an attacking or central midfielder), was second top scorer in the league with 23 goals, whilst Usten (a 193 centimetre centre back), commanded the defence. Many clubs in Le Championnat are casting an envious eye over the pair and you can be sure Mytanar clubs will be aware of them too – but convincing them to leave could be difficult as they are both passionate supporters of Les Citoyens, natives of an inner suburb cité HLM close to the stadium. Clichy-sous-Bois are eager to try and renew their age-old rivalry with Espérance and are looking to bring in a couple of players with top-flight experience to clinch promotion next season and make that a reality. Rouen is a big enough city for two top football clubs and Clichy-sous-Bois are a little tired of being in their rivals’ shadow. They’re seen as noisy neighbours for now, but with the Odonelecs in their side anything is possible.

Olympique Louhannais were close to getting 3rd, merely a point behind Clichy-sous-Bois, their mean defence being their main strength. Whether they will be able to maintain that next season is another question entirely. This year they were pushed all the way by Stade Brioudais – who may be slightly disappointed with their season. Isturitz followed them, the Euskal club will be losing Bizkargi Echechiquia next season – he’s moving to Oxocelhaya who are always going to be a more attractive proposition to natives of Gurelurra given the size of the club. Isturitz are happy enough to just compete as representatives of the region.

It is expected that the second tier will be very hard to call in the future as a fair amount of teams are bunched together around the league table. A couple of results could change a lot and inconsistency was rife in the opening season, if that becomes a feature of La Deuxième Classification it should make for some incredibly exciting title races, fights for promotion and just generally interesting results around the league. Brassempouy and Deviat whilst awful this year are expected to compete a little better next season as their infrastructure improves – so their particularly bad campaigns shouldn’t be repeated.

If the bods that run the league system are correct then pretty much any team should be able to get promoted if they can put together a decent enough side and find a way of winning in this league – which seems an obvious statement, but if it means teams doing poorly one season and the next season fighting for promotion then we’re all for it. This campaign was interesting, we look forward to more of the same.

[Republique Prahecqoise]

22/23 Cup Competition Review.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

The opening season of professionalised Prahecqois football may be complete in the two league competitions, but that leaves out the two cup competitions that are just as important to the culture of the sport within Prahecq. The Coupe Prahecqoise is obviously the most important competition, with all 32 professional clubs competing for a chance to win the prestigious trophy. There is also the Coupe de Championnat, a competition specifically for the top division sides.

The Coupe Prahecqoise is split into the opening stage and closing stage – the opening stage is already complete – teams are split geographically into four groups, with each team playing every other team in their group once and the top two from each group qualify to the closing stage which is what will be covered in this article. The sides who have qualified for the closing stage are: Racing Club and Aubaix; Douanes and SS Plumelec; Champex du Lac and Oxocelhaya; Marianne and Maccabi. They will play two-legged ties until the final is reached in May to be played at the national stadium, Stade de Prahecq in Yvelines.

In the Coupe de Championnat, the 16 top-flight sides are randomly drawn to play opponents in a straight knockout competition with ties played over two legs. The final is also played in Yvelines at the national stadium, but at the start of March. As such, this competition gives teams their first opportunity to secure silverware in the Prahecqois footballing calendar.

The Fédération Prahecqoise de Football (FPF), has decided in all its wisdom to reconfigure the format of the two cup competitions for the 02/03 season – meaning that next season shall be the last time the current format is seen in competition. The FPF held talks with all 32 professional sides about the future of the cup competitions and they came to a few conclusions:

• The format of the Coupe Prahecqoise was seen as favouring the bigger clubs. This was agreed almost unanimously, with representatives from the traditional ‘big three’ (Douanes, Marianne and Racing Club), all agreeing on this point too. This was because the league format was seen as benefitting the bigger clubs because the amount of games more suited their larger squads and better resources. The clubs agreed that they would have to try and make the format less predictable and give smaller sides a better chance of competing.

• The format of the Coupe Prahecqoise is largely traditional, with there also being near unanimity on retaining an opening stage and a closing stage. There was also a significant grouping of teams (usually second tier clubs), that wanted to try and maintain geographically-split groups citing the cost of travel for away games if this was scrapped but also the loss of revenue from increased ticket sales and sale of refreshments at games against local rivals which were guaranteed with the groups being based on location. There was also a significant grouping of teams in favour of scrapping the regional groups, pointing to the fact of an increased chance of playing against big sides who would bring strong away support with them. A proposal was made on splitting gate receipts at all Coupe Prahecqoise games, which would make-up for the lost revenue from games versus local rivals. This was received favourably.

• The format of the Coupe Prahecqoise was seen as too long, with teams forced to play up to 8 games in the opening stage and a minimum of 6 dependent on which region the team was located in. This could mean being forced to play several ‘dead rubbers’ if eliminated early. The eventual winner of the tournament could have to play 13 games under the current system and clubs agreed this was too many games for a tournament with only 32 teams in it. Concerns were also voiced about the lack of consistency in the amount of games played between clubs could be detrimental to competition in Le Championnat and La Deuxième Classification – with some clubs playing only 6 games in total if they were knocked out at the opening stage.

• The format of the Coupe de Championnat was agreed to be acceptable. Although second tier sides did say that provision would have to be made to extend eligibility to Deuxième Classification clubs in the event that there was significant expansion of the league system or if amateur/semi-professional sides were allowed to compete in the Coupe Prahecqoise in the future.

Therefore, a few changes were made for the format of the Coupe Prahecqoise for the 02/03 season, meaning the current format shall be retained for the 01/02 season. The changes were as follows:

• The opening stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise will be retained, but now all 32 professional teams shall be randomly divided into eight groups of four teams. There shall be no splitting of teams based on location nor any seeding for top division teams (although the previous year’s Coupe Prahecqoise winner will always be in Group A). These groups will be single round-robin, so the teams will only play each other once. This was devised as a method of shortening the format, but also in an attempt to increase excitement. The top two from each group will still qualify to the closing stage, meaning 16 teams will advance.

• The closing stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise will now be decided in single games rather than two-legged ties. Ties will go to extra time and penalties if level after 90 minutes. Again, this was aimed at shortening the format and increasing excitement. The two teams in the final will now play a maximum of seven games, which is in line with the amount of games the finalists in the Coupe de Championnat have to play. This was seen as desirable because it reduced the workload on players for league competition but also for Prahecqois players who may be selected for the national side. In the future this could be important, teams agreeing that players need to be fresh when competing for the national team.

• To mitigate the effect on club finances of playing less games and less games between local rivals in particular, the FPF agreed that all ties in the Coupe Prahecqoise should see the teams split gate receipts equally, both getting half each. This would mean smaller sides playing away in bigger stadiums against the bigger sides would receive a large financial windfall for doing so. The FPF also intimated that they would encourage clubs ‘with the means to do so’ to consider either donating their half of gate receipts from cup ties to their opponents (if in financial need), to the FPF’s grassroots solidarity fund or to a charity of their choice in order to foster stronger community links both within and outside the football world.

Without further ado, here’s the action from the latter stages of the two cup competitions this season:

Coupe prahecqoise first round

   Racing Club     1-1 p  Aubaix       1-0  0-1  (2-3 pen)
       Douanes     2-0    SS Plumelec  1-0  1-0
Champex du Lac     6-5    Oxocelhaya   3-1  3-4
      Marianne     5-0    Maccabi      1-0  4-0

210 minutes of football was not enough to separate Racing Club and Aubaix. Both sides secured 1-0 victories at home, with Aubaix’s defensive performance being a highlight of the tournament as they repelled the Yvelines’ sides advances again and again. Jonathan Dufort was exceptional between the sticks, too. He’s being linked with a move to Racing Club over the summer. In the first leg, Racing Club’s Echeverri put them 1-0 up, a lead they took to Aubaix. Stéphane Sauvageot’s long range strike brought Aubaix level in the return leg. A 1-1 draw on aggregate meant the tie went to extra time with neither side finding a goal and that meant penalties. Jonathan Dufort’s heroics in the Aubaix net, saving three of Racing Club’s attempts (the first, fourth and fifth). Armand Bler had an opportunity to clinch the tie if he’d scored Aubaix’s fourth but the pressure got to him and that meant Dufort’s save of Racing Club’s final attempt sent them through to the semi-finals. A big upset, with Racing Club expected to do a little bit better in this competition. In the opposite camp Jean-Joël Granet was hailed as a mastermind at the Stade d’Aubaix for getting his team past the Yvelines’ giants.

Douanes had a fairly straight-forward pair of games against SS Plumelec, gone was their gung-ho lightning-fast attacking approach as they kept possession and just carefully pushed and probed the SS Plumelec defence around in both ties. Somer St-Pierre scored the winner in the first leg, turning provider for Thomas Lanteigne in the second to secure their advance 2-0 on aggregate.

Champex du Lac and Oxocelhaya played out an absolute thriller. In the opening game at the Parc du Lac, Ekaitz Ybarra showed why there is so much interest in him from Racing Club as he fired his side ahead. Champex were not to be cowed though, they equalised before half-time through captain Beaudry and shortly after the break they were ahead. Gigi Vaillancour powering home a fine header. Vaillancour added a third just before the end to take a strong 3-1 lead to Gurelurra. Oxocelhaya knew that they had an away goal, which could prove useful, but all thoughts of trying to sneak through utilising that were quickly gone as Champex went ahead, Brodeur putting past Linville. Things soon became even worse for the Euskal club as Vaillancour found the net again, a 2-0 lead and Champex were looking good value with a 5-1 lead on aggregate. Oxocelhaya came out in the second half and Azcarraga had gone all-out-attack with no fewer than 5 players who could be considered forwards on the pitch. This paid dividends with Ybarra pulling one back and then equalising before the hour mark. This still left the score 5-3 on aggregate with Champex having two crucial away goals, but Oxocelhaya’s advance couldn’t be stopped. Beñat got a third and Checo (or Sabin Checonenea to his mother), the fourth to take the score to 5-5 on aggregate and 4-2 on the day. Champex were still going through, but now it was only on away goals and Oxocelhaya knew one more for them would secure passage to the semi-finals and their fans were baying for blood. The Euskal side were pushing for a winner and that’s when Champex struck on the counter, with Brodeur getting his second of the game. 4-3 on the day to Oxocelhaya but 6-5 to Champex on aggregate as they went through to the semi-finals.

Marianne straight-forwardly negotiated their way past Maccabi, they were expected to win fairly easily but made hard-work of the first leg at home. They finally got a winner in the 82nd minute through Bolduc after what seemed like 80 minutes of attack versus defence. The second leg was altogether much more simple as they smashed four past Maccabi at the Isac Levitsky Arena and advanced to the semi-finals 5-0 on aggregate, just as they were expected to.

The semi-final draw would pit Champex du Lac against Douanes and Aubaix against Marianne.

Coupe prahecqoise semi final

Champex du Lac  a 2-2    Douanes   1-0  1-2
        Aubaix    2-2 a  Marianne  2-2  0-0

Champex du Lac have developed well under Gilles Plessis, he’s a good tactician and is often pragmatic in the pursuit of results. In the first leg of his team’s semi-final against Douanes he displayed his managerial quality as he set his side up in their standard 3-4-3, with strict instructions not to allow Somer St-Pierre to get in behind. This meant sitting deep, which can often be a bad idea against a side like Douanes, but it worked a treat as their opportunities in front of goal were limited and Champex frustrated them – before pinching the victory right before the death through captain Hugo Beaudry. The second leg meant a trip to Orthez and the Stade Velodrome, the atmosphere was raucous with the home side believing they could overturn the one goal deficit and make their way to the final of the Coupe Prahecqoise. Their side impressed, too, Jérôme Soucy having a particularly good game. He opened the scoring with a well taken chance from the edge of the penalty area. Thomas Lanteigne put Douanes 2-0 up and the fans in the Velodrome must have thought their side were going to the final, but then Gigi Vaillancour – as he so often does – produced a piece of magic, a stunning volley from 25 yards out to get a crucial away goal and send Champex to the final instead. An excellent result for Champex and Douanes will be disappointed they let this opportunity get away from them.

Aubaix and Marianne met at Stade d’Aubaix with Granet hoping to take another huge scalp en route to the final. The first leg twisted and turned, with both teams looking impressive going forward, Germain Hétu nodded home from Alexis Ruel’s cross to put Marianne 1-0 up. Aubaix survived a period of pressure though and then came into the game, Stéphane Sauvageot going close and then teeing up Clair Sergeant to equalise. Aubaix would then go ahead just after the hour mark, David Girard’s cross met by Armand Bler to put the Haute-Alpins team ahead. Marianne are a hard team to stop though and Serge Bolduc’s through ball found Germain Hétu and he coolly finished as he so often does. 2-2 going to Stade Marianne and Aubaix fans would be forgiven for not being too optimistic, but their Coupe de Championnat run would give them hope. Sadly they could not find a goal as an out of sorts Marianne struggled, with both sides not offering too much in front of goal. Jonathan Dufort was once again impressive, saving the few on-target shots Marianne did produce. It finished 0-0 however and Marianne’s two away goals would send them through to the final to meet Champex du Lac.

Coupe prahecqoise final

Venue: Stade de Prahecq (Attendance: 80,879)
Weather: Sunny (20°C)
Referee: Gaétan Bessette

Champex du Lac   1-2   Marianne

The pageantry of the Coupe Prahecqoise final is quite something to behold with the national anthem playing and the President handing the trophy over to the victorious captain. Pre-game talk here was all about whether Champex could cause a minor upset and defeat the all-conquering Marianne who already had already put the league title in their trophy cabinet and were looking to complete a famous double. Stade de Prahecq was nearly full to capacity and the weather was perfect as the ultras groups of both clubs revealed impressive tifo displays to welcome their sides out.

The game went almost completely as it was expected to, Marianne just had that touch of extra quality when compared to Champex, but Plessis would have been slightly disappointed with his side’s first-half display as they were hustled and harried by Marianne’s forwards who pressed high up the field and his players – who are very capable on the ball – looked nervous, with passes going astray regularly because of D’Aboville’s team’s high press. Marianne took the lead with a well taken chance by Alexis Ruel, he sneaked in at the back post and finished with aplomb. They would double their lead just after half-time, Romain Ménard tearing away from the Champex defence and finishing well, cheekily chipping Courtemanche. From then on it was an exercise in keep-ball for Marianne, but Champex did make it interesting with a late goal by Vaillancour ensuring there would be a nervous few minutes for the Jonzac side. It would finish 2-1 to Marianne and they completed a piece of early history, with a double in the opening season of professional football in Prahecq. D’Aboville’s team have been extremely impressive throughout and this win is fully deserved, their attacking prowess blowing teams away at times. Champex will naturally be disappointed but they will come again and with a manager like Plessis at the helm they can hope for many more chances of silverware in the next few years.

---

The final four of the Coupe de Championnat were Aubaix and Jeanne d’Arc; Oxocelhaya and Maccabi. The big teams had been dispatched and now they would battle for the first piece of silverware of the season. The final in March in Yvelines is a cold occasion for the most apart, but that wouldn’t matter one bit if they could get there and take home a trophy. Oxocelhaya were the favourites with the bookmakers, with their firepower up-front expected to blow the remaining teams away. But nobody could discount any of the other teams either, they were all fighting against relegation from Le Championnat barring Oxocelhaya so a cup victory could be the catalyst for a change in their fortunes in the league too, providing them with momentum to move them to safety.

Coupe de championnat de Prahecq semi final

    Aubaix   2-0   Jeanne d'Arc  1-0  1-0
Oxocelhaya   1-0   Maccabi       1-0  0-0

Aubaix’s home leg against Jeanne d’Arc was largely a dull affair with neither side particularly prepared to attack and give away any easy chances. Matthieu Goddu had a golden chance to make it 1-0 but Dufort turned his effort round the post, a truly exceptional piece of goalkeeping from the youngster. Aubaix would take a 1-0 lead into the second leg, with a fine effort from Armand Bler the difference between the sides at Stade d’Aubaix. The second leg served up more of the same, although Jeanne d’Arc were a bit more prepared to open the game up in front of their own fans – that would prove to be their undoing eventually though as that man Stéphane Sauvageot scored to send Aubaix to the final after a 2-0 aggregate win. Sauvageot is definitely Aubaix’s best player and keeping him will be important to their efforts in future seasons.

If the tie between Aubaix and Jeanne d’Arc was dull over the two legs, this game was even worse. Oxocelhaya’s lauded strike force was nowhere to be seen other than in the early stages of the first leg when Caouette played in Zabala who squared for Ybarra to tap in with ease. 1-0. Maccabi offered little going forward in either leg and were seemingly waiting for a mistake that never came as Oxocelhaya comfortably kept possession. Oxocelhaya’s cutting edge had been blunted slightly as they struggled to break Maccabi down and this made for a dull tie over two legs, the first leg finishing 1-0 in Gurelurra and the reverse being a 0-0 draw in Yvelines. Oxocelhaya progressed to the final, but would need to be better if they wanted to win the trophy.

Coupe de championnat de Prahecq final

Venue: Stade de Prahecq (Attendance: 78,467)
Weather: Rainy (7°C)
Referee: Gaétan Bessette

Aubaix   3-2   Oxocelhaya

The final was eagerly awaited by both teams’ supporters, with a chance at silverware that few would have predicted they would receive. Oxocelhaya were favourites, but it was a rainy day and that would not favour their fast flowing attacking football – they usually try to keep the ball on the ground. Bessette blew the whistle and the game kicked off and the pace was truly frenetic. Aubaix went close through a Bler header early on before Ybarra hit the upright with a solid effort on the turn. It would be Aubaix opening the goal scoring, a long range effort from David Girard beating Ruben Linville in the Oxocelhaya goal. Oxocelhaya are famed for their ‘cantera’ policy of only using players from Gurelurra or those who receive their ‘footballing education’ there. It’s meant to improve togetherness in the squad with players having a shared identity and this was shown in their quick response – they didn’t allow their heads to drop and they got the equaliser speedily. A fast-break down the left allowed Caouette to stroke a lovely cross in and Koldobika Zabala slid in to equalise. 1-1.

Aubaix would go ahead again just before half-time, with Armand Bler showing his strengths as a target-man, powering a header into the ground and it eventually smashed against the inside of the post and in. 2-1. Oxocelhaya again showed their famed togetherness as they came back into the game and sustained some great pressure, Ybarra and Sixte having efforts saved by Jonathan Dufort, but Ybarra couldn’t be stopped for too long as he found a way to drive a low effort home to make the score 2-2. Aubaix would finally put the game to bed in the 85th minute as Stéphane Sauvageot stepped up to curl a free kick into the net to make the score 3-2. If there was a player of the tournament accolade, he would surely have to receive it as he has been instrumental in Aubaix’s success in this competition.

For Aubaix, the glory was a welcome break from their struggles in league competition. For Oxocelhaya it would go down as a missed opportunity to win some silverware when the big boys were absent. They didn’t play quite as well as they possibly could have and Anko Azcarraga will surely be disappointed. Of course, young Jean-Joël Granet will receive the plaudits for leading his side to victory in the Coupe de Championnat and he deserves it. They were the better side in the final and knocked out local rivals Champex du Lac and Jeanne d’Arc before beating Oxocelhaya to secure the silverware.

Granet is being touted as a potential successor to D’Aboville at Marianne and Calvet at Racing Club, this success will do him no harm in positioning for those jobs in the future. For now he’s at Aubaix and will be looking to improve in the league and potentially retain this cup next year too. With a few signings and the retention of stalwart goalkeeper Jonathan Dufort, they could have a chance, too.

[Republique Prahecqoise]

23/24 Le Championnat Season Preview - Part One.

Full name: Olympique Aubaix
Location: Aubaix, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Stade d'Aubaix (Capacity: 22,000)
Manager: Jean-Joël Granet, 40, his preferred formation is 4-4-1-1. He is known to trust youth and is a good man-manager. He is not quite still the youngest manager in Le Championnat, but now joint-youngest, with Ewen Tiercelin of Perros-Guirec. His biggest achievement thus far is taking Aubaix to victory in the 22/23 Coupe de Championnat.
Previous season: A disappointing league campaign was rescued by some outstanding performances in cup competitions. Granet managed to keep his side in the top division in the end though and should now forever hold a place in the hearts of the clubs' fans as he brought glory to Aubaix. A thrilling 3-2 win over Oxocelhaya in the Coupe de Championnat final will live long in the memory, not to forget they were one goal away from the final of the Coupe Prahecqoise as well.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Granet's inexperience perhaps showed a little bit in the league campaign for Aubaix last season, with some displays of tactical naivety clear for all to see. However, his abilities in managing his side and getting the best from his players were evident in the cup competitions - with good runs in both. If he can transfer that to the league form, a much better season could be in the pipeline. Retaining Jonathan Dufort was Aubaix's most important piece of business this summer and the young goalkeeper will be crucial to their form. Solid additions at centre back (Quessy), and on the wings (Daigle and Paquin), could form the basis of a very strong side in future seasons. The move to sign starlet Alexandre St-Martin is an obvious look towards a little further down the line and that may be when Aubaix's success comes. This season they should be safely mid-table, 8th, perhaps with another cup run..”

La Gazette d'Aubaix (local media): “Solid business in the transfer market from Granet, with the signing of Paquin being particularly exciting. It is slightly disappointing that young St-Martin has not been brought in immediately, but another year of experience playing for Deviat should make him an even better player when he does eventually arrive. It may also make the FR 4 million price-tag weigh a little less heavily on his young shoulders. Aubaix should be comfortably staying up this season, although anything more than mid-table may be a little beyond this current set of players right now, but the future is bright..”

Dylan Affré (supporter): “Last season was one of immense highs and lows, winning the Coupe de Championnat was obviously incredible but we had some nervous weeks looking over our shoulders at the relegation zone and we hopefully won't relive that again this year. I'm excited to see what Paquin can do on the wing for us, but I feel Daigle is not good enough on the other wing. Keeping Dufort and Stéphane Sauvageot was the main thing for us this summer and we've done that. We'll be fine this season and I would love to see us go on another run in the cup..”

Full name: Association athlétique de Champex du Lac
Location: Champex du Lac, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Parc du Lac (Capacity: 40,000)
Manager: Gilles Plessis, 44, plays a 3-4-3 formation utilising wing-backs. He enjoys playing with width and to that end plays two wide attacking midfielders as well. He is known to be an extremely tactical manager and for adeptly developing young players. His biggest achievement to date was managing Champex to a 3rd place finish in the 22/23 season, along with being runners-up in the 22/23 Coupe Prahecqoise.
Previous season: Not a bad season by any means for Champex du Lac, they were an agonising three points off winning the league (they actually had better goal difference than eventual champions Marianne!), whilst also finishing runners-up in the Coupe Prahecqoise (which was also won by Marianne). They will be hoping to go one better this season and get their hands on some silverware.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Champex have made some very intelligent moves in the transfer market in acquiring a league title winner in Toussaint Beaudoin from Marianne and in one of the nation's brightest young prospects Paien Racicot from Jeunesse. All for a grand total of FR 7 million! Plessis displaying some nous with those signings. They haven't lost any of their major players either, retaining goalscorer Gigi Vaillancour and the entirety of their staunch defence. This season could see them make-up for their cup heartache last season and perhaps go one better than runners-up, but seeing them win the league may be an outside bet at best as the Marianne-Racing Club-Douanes triopoly doesn't look like ending anytime soon. 4th, but back them strongly to go on a cup run..”

La Voix du Lac (local media): “It is time to start calling this side potential title winners. There is barely a weak link in the squad, with the defence only getting stronger for the arrival of Beaudoin and Racicot and the retention of the team's top forwards meaning the goals should keep flowing. With young talent like Mytanar Itzhar Yvjoev coming through, Champex should be in with a real shout this season - and if not this season, the big teams know that it's only a matter of time..”

Jean-Marc Abadie (supporter): “I would prefer to win a cup than run the big teams close again in the league, some tangible success is what all fans want, even if it's at the expense of our league form. Right now I feel our squad is a little behind Marianne and Racing Club's, so maybe focus a bit more on the cups and deliver some glory for the fans. We will get there eventually in the league, but the game is about glory after all..”

Full name: Coulommiers sportifs
Location: Coulommiers, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: L'Arsenal (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Phil Mossé, 48, prefers the 4-2-3-1 formation. He is a good man-manager and is thrifty in the transfer market.
Previous season: Mossé managed Coulommiers to a comfortable mid-table finish last season and his side were never in any danger of a relegation scrap, thanks mainly to the exploits of Calixte Morel. His side didn't qualify for the closing stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise and exited the Coupe de Championnat in the quarter finals.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “On the face of it Coulommiers did not have the most outstanding year last season, but their performances lit up the league at times, with Calixte Morel being arguably the best player in the country, with great kudos also going to Jeannot D'Aramitz. Coulommiers have retained both players and have brought in Matthieu Le Sueur on loan from Racing Club in a bid to add more goals. The sale of Etxauz Agorria to Oxocelhaya may be losing a talent long-term but made financial sense for the club. The fact is that Coulommiers have kept their better players whilst a few clubs around them have lost theirs and that means they have raised expectations ahead of this season, particularly on the shoulders of Morel and D'Aramitz. If they perform how they should, 6th could be within their grasp..”

Coulommiers Quotidien (local media): “The issue with a decent season is that people begin to get excited and believe that it's the norm. There is a lot of pressure on Calixte Morel - a player who has allegedly had his head turned by Marianne - to perform to an exceedingly high standard and the question is whether the young lad can handle the expectation. A lot has been made of the signing on loan of Matthieu Le Sueur, but the 19 year old is largely unproven. I think it's time to temper the expectations a little for Coulommiers, maintaining a mid-table position this year would be a solid enough performance and Mossé should receive credit for establishing the team as a top division side on a relatively shoe-string budget..”

José Flandin (supporter): “I'm just scared that Morel may be unable to perform as well as he did last season or get injured. With out him, we could have been in trouble last year. Granted D'Aramitz is a talent and the addition of the young forward Le Sueur is promising too, but with out Morel, nothing ticks in midfield. We look bereft of ideas. It all relies on him once again and I'm not sure that that is a sustainable situation long-term..”

Full name: Club sportif douanier
Location: Vieux-Port, Orthez, Côte Sud
Stadium: Stade Velodrome (Capacity: 67,000)
Manager: Remy Béliveau, 52, utilises a 4-3-3 formation. He is known to be an expert in the development of youth players, helping them reach their full potential and is also a prominent proponent of offensive football. He endured a rough 22/23 season with the club, performing well below expectations at the Stade Velodrome, meaning the pressure is well and truly on him to deliver this season - whether that is possible or not is wildly unclear right now.
Previous season: As mentioned, Douanes did not perform how many expected them to last year. On paper their squad was definitely in the top three in terms of the quality and standards of their players, however, they ended up finishing 7th in Le Championnat. A club of Douanes' size should not be finishing any lower than 4th and their fans let that be known, with large scale protests throughout the season. They were also dumped out of the Coupe Prahecqoise in the semi finals by Champex on away goals. Their Coupe de Championnat campaign ended in the quarter finals, meaning no silverware. The fans were distinctly unimpressed and the board were as well, meaning failing to improve the situation will probably mean being unemployed for manager Remy Béliveau.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Our prediction for Douanes last season was massively incorrect, they finished way lower than 3rd but were in fact only 5 points removed from that position in the table - the crisis widely discussed in the media was perhaps a little over-exaggerated. Last year was simply a highly competitive first season of fully professionalised football in Prahecq. Douanes will undoubtedly be back this season and Béliveau will have to get the best from his players in order to make up for last season. One thing that may prevent them from doing this is the loss of goalscorer Somer St-Pierre, his sale to Racing Club, whilst bringing in FR 15 million could be a problem for them this year. They brought in Matthieu Goddu from Jeanne d'Arc as a replacement and that be a crafty bit of work from the manager. What may prove to be a massive advantage for Douanes is that those two moves are their only real big actions in the transfer market (Manu Bethuna has gone on loan to Espérance, with Florian Bourbeau leaving to the same club on a free). The players Douanes have have now had a season to bed in together and really get playing the way the manager wants them to. This familiarity could make their already strong attacking play even more devastating and may mean the defence improves too. They have the quality to finish 3rd, but for the manager's sake they need to win something this year, the fans in the green and yellow parts of Orthez are very, very expectant indeed..”

Orthez Écho (local media): “The loss of Somer St-Pierre, whilst bringing in much needed hard cash could be a stumbling block to Douanes' hopes of bridging the gap to what is increasingly looking like the big two of Marianne and Racing Club. Talk of a big three is fading fast as Douanes just don't look on the same level as those two clubs, as evidenced by selling their best player to one of the two. It's a shame that Douanes' finances are an issue as on all other levels, they are equal to Marianne and Racing Club. Their fans are just as vociferous, their stadium actually the largest club ground in Prahecq, whilst also boasting outstanding training facilities and youth recruitment. But the financial side remains a problem and until the club's financial problems are resolved, Douanes will be chasing the big two and potentially be at risk of falling behind other, better run clubs (e.g. Champex du Lac). Béliveau must bring success this season, both in terms of league position, but silverware may also be necessary to keep his job. The team's good enough to finish in the top four, maybe this year they will go a round further in the Coupe Prahecqoise and perhaps even win the entire thing and keep Béliveau in a job for at least another year..”

Enzo Gachet (supporter): “The demands of the fans in Orthez are enormous and I feel the pressure got to our young squad last year, which was evident in our eventual league position. The sale of St-Pierre is disappointing, but his desire to leave to Racing Club (our La Lutte rivals), was the worst thing about the whole charade. The signing of Goddu was important and his contributions may actually make us forget about the traitor. I think we can give this season a good shot, our focus must be on returning to the top three of Le Championnat and hopefully a good run in both cups - just to show everyone that we're back! I'm also excited to see Manu Bethuna get some game time on loan at Espérance, hopefully he does well and comes back a much better player for it next season..”

Full name: Société d'équitation Epinal
Location: Epinal, Cherolles
Stadium: Hippodrome Epinal (Capacity: 12,000)
Manager: Aubin Allaire, 56, plays the old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation. Allaire is a fan of playing his youngsters, entrusting them with responsibility and believing this is the best way to help them improve. He is also an advocate of counter-attacking football, soaking up pressure and then building-up with quick passes forward after winning the ball back. Keeping Epinal safe from relegation in the 22/23 season is seen as one of the best managerial performances in recent times, with the team being massive favourites to go down prior to the season, Allaire managed to steer his team to safety.
Previous season: A dramatic finish to the league campaign kept Epinal up by three points from local rivals Union, a fantastic day to support Epinal as they finished 14th, just outside the relegation zone. A poor set of cup campaigns saw them crash out of the Coupe Prahecqoise in the opening stage and fall in the first round of the Coupe de Championnat in a 3-1 reverse over two legs versus SS Plumelec.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Epinal have been completely inactive in the transfer market, with nobody coming through the doors of the Hippodrome or leaving either. This would normally be cause for concern when your side has narrowly stayed in Le Championnat but there is a feeling that some of Epinal's players have improved following their tough campaign last season and disrupting the camaraderie of this squad could have been an error for Aubin Allaire. The good thing for this squad is that they have been through the mire before and they have the experience if they need to do it again. This, coupled with the inexperience of the newly promoted sides and also Étoile Rouge means that we feel Epinal will stay up a little more comfortably this year and finish 13th..”

La Campagne (local media): “Last year everybody was concerned that Epinal wouldn't be able to stay in Le Championnat, but this year the picture is a little more rosy. Youngsters Daniau, Sault and Leandres have another year of experience and Allaire's system seemingly proven as efficient and able to get the job done. The goal will once again be securing safety in the top-flight and there is more confidence around the Hippodrome this season. However, Allaire may well pay with his job if they do get relegated, with the board feeling they gave him ample opportunity to make a few signings to improve the playing staff - even despite their limited financial resources..”

Maël Hector (supporter): “I'm a little more optimistic this season, despite not signing anyone to improve our defence. At least we're the best Cherolais club! My worries are more about if we did relegated, getting back to Le Championnat could be extremely tough with our finances. I'm not sure we'd keep Daniau or Leandres and probably not even Bastien Sault either. They would prefer to play in the top division I'm sure. If we could keep them, finances permitting, we'd have a good shot at coming back up - I'm just hoping that this year we may be good enough to not have that problem to think about at the end of the season..”

Full name: Espérance rouennais
Location: Quai Aigle, Rouen, Nord-Est
Stadium: Parc D'Espoir (Capacity: 35,000)
Manager: Clément Battier, aged 60, usually sets his teams out in a 4-4-1-1 formation. However this season he is setting out his team in a 4-2-3-1. He is known to be a bit of a wheeler dealer in the transfer market and usually employs long ball build-up play.
Previous season: Espérance had a pretty quiet season all-round last year, which was essentially what was expected of them, they finished 10th in the league. They were well clear of the relegation zone, but never really troubled any higher than mid-table. They didn't qualify out of their region in the opening stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise, eventually finishing 3rd, four points behind SS Plumelec and they fell at the first hurdle in the Coupe de Championnat too, out on away goals to Oxocelhaya.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Espérance are well known for being financially spendthrift and selling their best youngsters and this is evident in the sale of Fiacre Boisclair to Racing Club and the net profit of FR 3,5 million they have made on their transfer dealings this summer. However, they may be relatively happy overall with their lot ahead of the new season. Out went Boisclair (to Racing Club for FR 5 million); Paimboeuf (to local rivals Clichy for FR 1 million); and Landry (to Isturitz for FR 1 million). In came Julien Poulin (from Union for FR 3,5 million) to add some threat up front, along with winger Manu Bethuna and Florian Bourbeau (both from Douanes, on loan and a free respectively). Bethuna's pace on the wing could be a fantastic weapon for Espérance and Bourbeau adds some bite in midfield. All in all, a good transfer window for the Rouen club. They also kept Verrill Doucet who scored 13 in 30 for the club last year. We predict an 11th place finish, but they are truly a club that could go on a cup run as they should be completely safe from the drop and could therefore turn their focus to the cup competitions..”

Presse Nord-Est (local media): “Some smart business in the transfer market from Battier as would be expected, bringing in Bethuna on loan and Bourbeau on a free, both moves in line with the tight budget philosophy of the club. Poulin's signing represents a big spend for the club but is of course off set by the departures from the club. Many will wonder how they managed to wangle FR 1 million apiece out of other teams for Paimboeuf and Landry in all honesty. Ludo Houdin has a big step up to make following Boisclair's departure, with Battier feeling confident enough in the youngster's ability to not sign a ready made replacement. That could prove costly if his trust was misplaced. The future is fairly bright for Espérance, with several young talents, the question is constantly when will they be anything more than bright future - particularly for the club's fans..”

Jacques Bachelot (supporter): “This may be Gauthier Lamontagne's final season for the club, the captain's 37 and not getting any younger so I'd like to see us really go all out and try and win something this year and do it for the captain. Having to find a replacement for a real club legend is going to be horrifically tough next summer. Outside of that I'm confident for the future, despite our board's constant sales of our better players. Houdin, Pellissier, Doucet and Poulin can provide us a good base for the future and if loanee Bethuna comes good then hopefully we bring him in permanently. All the ingredients are there for us to move up the table a bit, as fans we don't want to see our side languishing in the lower mid-table regions forever. Especially when it looks like Clichy are finally getting their act together, those two Mytanar kids [Jasno and Usten Odonelec, Prahecqois born players of Mytanar heritage, who play for Espérance's local rivals Clichy-sous-Bois] they have could be a right pain in our backside's if we don't start looking upwards instead of being content with our lot. The board need to change their priorities..”

Full name: Étoile Rouge
Location: Balzac, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Serge Ouvrard (Capacity: 17,000)
Manager: Sacha Marchand, 64, usually sends his teams out in a 3-4-2-1 formation but is known to be tactically flexible. He is a notoriously out-spoken manager, regularly making comments in the media about opposing teams and occasionally his own players. He is also known to be incredibly intense, involved in his job to an extent that could perhaps even be said to be bad for his health. He kept the club up last season despite their relative lack of quality players and a shoe-string budget, the club's financial issues are well documented.
Previous season: Marchand did a solid job keeping Étoile Rouge up last season, something that was achieved comfortably, they finished 11th - 7 points clear of the relegation zone. This was considered a good season for the club and their lack of progression in both cups was not a mark against Marchand's name given the manner in which he kept the club in Le Championnat (although finishing 3rd in the solid Île-de-Prahecq region in the opening stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise is not something to be sniffed at!).

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “The sale of experienced goalkeeper Ignace Chaput could come back to bite Étoile Rouge, although they did use the FR 4 million raised from his sale to Oxocelhaya to sign Yvon Cinq-Mars. Cinq-Mars was disappointing for Jeanne d'Arc last year as they got relegated, but he's a talented young player and his creativity could at least help in shouldering some of the burden on Percy Gamelin and Armand Viens. The club resisted overtures from the likes of Marianne and Racing Club for Percy Gamelin over the summer, his box-to-box performances last season garnering all sorts of attention. Marchand said in no uncertain terms that if Gamelin was sold, he'd be out the door straight after him, demonstrating his importance to this side. They've kept him and if he plays well they may not suffer a poor season, but the lack of improvement at the back and the loss of Chaput mean that they could be in trouble. We think they'll narrowly be relegated, 15th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “The signing of Yvon Cinq-Mars is an exciting one, with this ostensibly adding a greater threat in attack, however the full FR 4 million from the Chaput sale being pumped into an offensive player when the club's on-field problems are clearly most associated with the defence is an interesting one to say the least. Marchand is experienced though and the club's fans have tended to trust him. Bisaillon leaving on a free to Jeunesse was not particularly problematic given the arrival of Cinq-Mars, but you do have to wonder if the club's dealings in the transfer market are not going to be questioned even more in retrospect. Would it have been better to keep Bisaillon - a decent player - and invest the FR 4 million on a better defender? It's a question that will only be answered come the end of the season..”

Lucas Malet (supporter): “I'm very excited with the signing of Yvon Cinq-Mars, it perhaps shows a desire for improvement even despite our obvious financial issues. We also have a culture at this club of playing the right way, with exciting attacking football forming a part of that culture and this transfer fits in with that ideal. I am a bit worried about the state of our defence but there is a general feeling around the club that Marchand is a manager that 'gets' us and because of that we have to trust him. He will do the right thing and if last season is anything to go by then he'll be successful and keep us up for another year..”

Full name: Société sportive de la jeunesse
Location: Houellebecq, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Kevin Morin (Capacity: 24,000)
Manager: Camille Loupe, is a 47 year old who prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. People know him for his thrifty abilities in the transfer market along with the fact that he regularly trusts youth players to go out and make performances.
Previous season: A fairly comfortable season culminated in Jeunesse finishing 9th despite having the worst defensive record in Le Championnat. They were never at risk of relegation. They failed to qualify to the closing stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise, with a terrible performance in the opening stage, finishing second bottom of the Île-de-Prahecq region and were knocked out of the Coupe de Championnat in the quarter finals.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Jeunesse actually performed above expectations last season, with a comfortable mid-table position secured despite their leaky defence. An impressive bit of management on the part of Camille Loupe. Their poor defence was not improved over the summer, which could prove to be an enormous oversight. It was in fact arguably worsened, with the sale of promising full back Paien Racicot to Champex for FR 3,5 million. They did however add attacking midfielder Roger Bisaillon (Étoile Rouge) and versatile winger Manuel Legrand (Aubaix) on free transfers. Both could prove to be canny additions, particularly given the lack of monetary outlay. On the whole, Jeunesse's squad is pretty average but they should have more than enough to stay up comfortably, 12th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “It almost feels a bit like groundhog day for Jeunesse, they have an average budget and this basically means they continuously have an average team. Selling Racicot will have angered fans with the young full back being one for the future, if the club cannot keep its best players how are they going to progress? It's a difficult point and one that Camille Loupe must be slightly annoyed by also. If Jeunesse want to move up the table, the club's board are going to have to take some risks or hope that their feted youth scouting network pulls up some spectacular young talents quickly..”

Hector Delafosse (supporter): “The sale of Paien Racicot was a frustrating one. There seems to be a genuine lack of ambition on the part of those running the club and it's really beginning to get to some fans. We'll have enough to stay up this year but it feels like we could easily sleepwalk into relegation eventually. Many want us to be looking at the top-half of the table, but I'm beginning to become more worried about slipping down further. The lack of ambition definitely won't allow us to achieve a top-half position but it could eventually result in something much, much worse..”

[Republique Prahecqoise]

23/24 Le Championnat Season Preview - Part Two.

Full name: Club sportif maccabi Yvelines
Location: Nemirovsky, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Isac Levitsky Arena (Capacity: 9,000)
Manager: Philibert Gagnon, 51, plays a pretty unusual 5-3-2 formation. He isn't afraid to park-the-bus, being known within Prahecq as a defensive manager who attempts to minimise goals conceded. He utilises counter-attacking football in order to score up the other end. Gagnon was third in the voting for the Manager of the Season award in the 22/23 season given his side's exploits, staying up against all the odds and a duo of cup runs. He is a well-respected football man and is well-known in backing his managerial abilities. He's a hero at Maccabi.
Previous season: Maccabi were tipped as favourites for relegation by many, but they eventually finished 12th, 6 points clear of the drop. They only conceded 33 goals all season, which was 11 better than the champions, Marianne. Their problem was in attack, they only scored 19 goals (the lowest in the league), and its this they'll want to improve this season. They were also excellent in the cups, they reached the closing stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise following qualification out of a stacked Île-de-Prahecq region, but were knocked out in the first round of the closing stage by eventual winners Marianne. They also went on a run to the semi final of the Coupe de Championnat, this time being knocked out over a close tie by Oxocelhaya.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Maccabi proved a lot of people wrong last season, with their playing squad and financial issues. Gagnon's tactics were proven to work and Gaston Petrie became a firebrand leader on the pitch, embodying everything his coach stands for out on the field. Gagnon was third in Manager of the Season and Petrie was second in Player of the Season which says everything you need to know. This year Gagnon has improved his squad by making three signings and only spending FR 0,5 million, with a net profit of FR 4,5 million (an important injection of cash into the club's coffers). In came Beltane Chesnay (Racing Club) and Charl Souquet (Jeanne d'Arc) on frees and Antoine Asselin (Jeanne d'Arc) for the money. Gagnon was not bothered about picking the bones of Jeanne d'Arc's relegated team. The signing of the experienced Chesnay was a real coup, he came in from Racing Club to replace the retiring Agrican Thériault. One loss Gagnon may be a bit sore about is the sale of promising full back Loann Fandeau for FR 5 million to Stade Yvelines, but many believe Fandeau was made better by Gagnon and that we may now see a regression (although he's going to a club with another manager who is renowned for his solid defensive work). All in all, Maccabi have greatly improved their squad and with Gagnon at the helm they are unlikely to ever be in real danger of relegation. A comfortable season lays ahead of them, 10th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “Last year was truly excellent for Maccabi, Phil Gagnon has steadied the ship and another season of Le Championnat football will go some way to alleviating the club's financial pressures. The sale of Fandeau was a necessary one in the long-term, with so much that happens at Maccabi being motivated by those financial problems, but if there's anything Gagnon has shown us it is that he always finds a solution and the signing of Antoine Asselin as a direct replacement for Fandeau and the experienced Beltane Chesnay at centre-half will shore up and already staunch defence even further. Maccabi are moving in the right direction and if they can keep Gagnon, they may well eventually move even higher up the table than their outstanding 12th last year..”

Wilhelm Guilbert (supporter): “Well, what a season we had last time out, eh? This year we should be even more comfortable and hopefully we'll add a few more goals as well. We aren't particularly bothered about how we stay up as long as we do, but it's always nice to see your team scoring with some degree of regularity. Hopefully Saber Mailloux begins to fulfil some of the potential he clearly has, he's only 20 years of age and looks a decent prospect but the team need to create some chances for him to score and Gagnon's tactics don't always allow for that. Although that is not a criticism of the gaffer, he clearly knows what he's doing and as long as we stay in Le Championnat how we play is not an issue for me..”

Full name: Club de sport marianne de Jonzac
Location: Jonzac, Nord
Stadium: Stade Marianne (Capacity: 60,000)
Manager: Abel D'Aboville, 59, likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. He's getting on a bit in age now, but he's as sharp as ever, his intensity levels have never and probably will never drop. His teams are known for relentless offensive football. His side secured a famous double in the opening season of Prahecqois professional football, winning Le Championnat and the Coupe Prahecqoise. He's rated as one of the best managers in Prahecq and a real fan favourite.
Previous season: As aforementioned, Marianne had a really successful 22/23 season, winning the league and the country's major cup competition. The treble was prevented by a first round exit from the Coupe de Championnat, knocked out by Maccabi on penalties after two legs. The club's fans will expect more of the same this year, along with much of the media and the general population. Racing Club and a few others will probably have something to say about that however.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “D'Aboville is well liked around Prahecq and him being touted as a potential national team coach comes as no surprise. His managerial skills were demonstrated in a very successful first campaign, winning the league and the cup. Now the challenge is to replicate that success. They have recruited two defenders to improve a sometimes shaky defence from last season, bringing in two of the Stade Yvelines defence that was the best in the league last season: Peverell Tétrault joins for FR 10 million, the 24 year old already one of the best centre-halves in the country with a little room for improvement still; joining him is Gauthier St-Jean, the captain of Stade Yvelines last season left his boyhood club for Marianne in a move that received a response of sad resignation from his former club's fans - with no hard feelings towards their former captain - he cost FR 7,5 million. Toussaint Beaudoin leaves the club moving from Marianne to Champex du Lac for FR 3,5 million. Altogether this means the best side in the country have only become stronger following their double-winning season! A scary prospect for the rest of the league and who would doubt that Marianne can do it again? Champions..”

Le Journal (local media): “Marianne once again look like the strongest force in Prahecqois football, across the field they have genuine stars: Lavallée in goal, Tétrault signed in defence, Ménard on the wing, Bolduc at number 10 and Germain Hétu up top. They are undoubtedly a really strong team and will once again be favourites for the title. Rumours swirled over summer of Racing Club potentially making a move for Serge Bolduc - something which would amount to a highly traitorous betrayal for Marianne supporters - that seemed to disappear however and the player remains with the club ahead of this season. Marianne fans will hope his performances remain as good as they were last season as he won Player of the Season and was the creative spark behind the club's title win..”

Sacha Caillat (supporter): “Again, I feel very confident in this Marianne squad to do what they need to do and win the title. Racing Club have undoubtedly strengthened, but we've spent money in the areas it needs spending and I'm sure the leaky defence of last season will be a thing of the past and we'll secure another title with an even more impressive performance, scoring just as many but conceding less and playing excellent football as we do it..”

Full name: Olympique de Orthez
Location: Artaud, Orthez, Côte Sud
Stadium: Stade de l'Huveaune (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Eddy Cheron, aged 45, his preferred formation is 4-5-1, based on a counter-attacking style which attempts to get the ball to his wingers high up the field as quickly as possible in order to generate attacks. His man-management skills are well respected also and were no-doubt a huge factor in getting his side promoted from the 2ème Classification in the 22/23 season.
Previous season: Promotion was undoubtedly the goal for Olympique Orthez last season and that is what they achieved, winning the league title on the final day of the season with a 2-0 win. They didn't qualify out of the opening stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise, finishing 3rd in the Sud Ouest region and missing out on the closing stage by a solitary point.

Club information: Olympique Orthez are a club usually only brought up when discussing their larger, more glamorous neighbours Douanes. It is a struggle for the city's smaller team as they compete against a club that draws supporters from across Prahecq and L'OO's fans sometimes struggle to come to terms with that fact. When times are hard - in terms of poor results - the disparity is often noticeable in the form of empty seats in the Stade de l'Huveaune. Their home kit is a yellow shirt, white shorts and yellow socks; the away kit is a matte blue shirt with singular red and white hoops, red shorts and matte blue socks. Their biggest rivalry is obviously with Douanes in the Derby du Orthez, although many Douanes' supporters would argue their bigger rivalry is with Racing Club - something that drives Olympique Orthez fans mad. They are financially sound, with a board that generally run the club well.
Club infrastructure: Their stadium is decently sized for a club that will generally yo-yo between the top two divisions of Prahecqois football, it is an old stadium and that is certainly visible if you visit for a game. The club's board are not too bothered about improving the outward appearance as of yet. Their training ground is of average quality and is something the club would look to improve ahead of their stadium in an attempt to improve their players and attract better players to the club. Olympique Orthez's youth recruitment network is limited to the local area, although within a city like Orthez that obviously provides a large sample of players, however their scouts are generally quite average when it comes to assessing the potential of recruits which could prove to be problematic.
Fanbase: Their fanbase is limited to Orthez and is usually quite supportive when things are going well, but a non-significant proportion of the club's fans will go away if the club's form takes a downturn which could be bad in Le Championnat as the club are not expected to be successful every week like they were in the second tier. Obviously they do a have some loyal fans, including the ultras group Yellow Devils who are known to create a noisy atmosphere behind one of the goals at the Stade de l'Huveaune. Their fanbase is multicultural and drawn from all social classes similarly to Douanes given the melting pot nature of the city of Orthez.
Trophies won: 22/23 2ème Classification

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “The problem for Olympique Orthez was always going to be attracting players to bring the standard of their squad up to that which is required in Le Championnat and their lack of activity in the transfer market demonstrates those difficulties for all to see. Only one player was brought in (undoubtedly a good one), Victor Simon moving from Racing Club to the south coast on a free and whilst he improves their defence, there's no question that the full-back's best years are behind him. Cheron's squad was built to get promotion from the second tier and the top-flight requires a bit more quality and they haven't added that so the prediction is that they have a grim season ahead of them: 16th..”

Orthez Écho (local media): “There's a feeling within Orthez that whilst staying up is going to be very, very difficult for L'OO, if any man can keep them up then it is Eddy Cheron. He's a talented manager and keeping him at the club is going to be necessary for the club to be successful in the future. Raphael Corriveau down the left flank is the club's most talented player and his pace and crossing ability will be crucial to the club's chances, he has to create goalscoring opportunities for Aaron Riqueti to put away. If Corriveau has a breakout year then Olympique Orthez have half a chance, if not, then it could be a very long, arduous season..”

Aziz Djebar (supporter): “We come into this season with very low expectations, relegation would be sad, but it would not be catastrophic for us and we would come to terms with it. As fans, we are happy to have an opportunity to play against the best clubs in Prahecq and to have a chance to put one over Douanes, if we could beat them once this season it would all be worth it. If we could stay up, it would be nearly unbelievable..”

Full name: Club de sport Oxocelhaya (Prahecqois French)/Kirol Kluba Otsozelaiako (Basque)
Location: Oxocelhaya, Gurelurra
Stadium: San Ignazio Loiolakoa (Capacity: 50,000)
Manager: Anko Azcarraga, 55 years of age, prefers to send his teams out in a 4-3-3 formation. As demonstrated with the formation, Azcarraga is an extremely offensive-minded coach, he's also known for being able to really develop young players and help them reach their potential. He took his team to 4th in the league in 22/23, along with a cup run to the final of the Coupe de Championnat, where they were narrowly beaten.
Previous season: Their 4th placed finish in the league was a sign of the times at Oxocelhaya, a generally young, exciting and dynamic squad being managed by Azcarraga, a man who loves free-flowing attacking football. Their run to the final of the Coupe de Championnat was impressive, they were defeated in a 3-2 thriller against Aubaix, but it could be a sign of things to come. With Oxocelhaya it is almost a feeling of when, not if, their success will come - many believe it will be sooner rather than later!

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Oxocelhaya may have finished 4th last season but the true story is that they were well and truly involved in the title race, before faltering at the end of the season as their style of football - fast, high pressing, generally constant movement - finally caught up with them and tired legs killed off their challenge. They are probably the most exciting team to watch in Prahecq. This season they have lost their main man up front, Ekaitz Ybarra moved to Racing Club for FR 10 million plus Fabrice Echeverri, meaning a tidy sum of cash and a ready-made replacement (albeit one who is considered slightly inferior). With the money raised from the Ybarra sale, in came promising centre-back Etxauz Agorria for FR 1,5 million from Coulommiers and goalkeeper Ignace Chaput for FR 4 million. Bakar Ochoa was released and left on a free to Perros-Guirec whilst Aloin Caouette was allowed to leave on loan for second tier Clichy-sous-Bois given the emergence of young Checo from the club's academy. Oxocelhaya are renowned for their Euskal-only policy and whilst this makes it harder to sign players it does mean they have developed an extraordinarily good youth academy and scouting network and that's evident in the young age of their squad (their first eleven features 5 players under the age of 22 including two 16 year olds). This inexperience may well mean they don't finish much higher than 5th this year, but the future of Le Championnat may well be Euskal if they can keep this group together..”

Otsozelaiako Telegrafoa (local media): “A lot of movement in the transfer market is often considered a bad thing for a club as it means they cannot create a settled group of players who know how to play as a team, however this summer it was needed. The sale of one of the best strikers in the country in the form of Ekaitz Ybarra was seen as a bad move at first but it has allowed Azcarraga to improve the squad as a whole. The youth academy is again a strong point, with the promotion of Checo to the first eleven meaning Caouette has been allowed to move on loan to Clichy - he will have to prove himself there and improve if he wants to take his place back, which can only be a good thing. Generally this season may be similar to the last, they will be looking to finish in the top four, but it could prove a bit more difficult this season..”

Esparatz Zubizarreta (supporter): “I feel almost like the team has taken a voluntary step backwards this season to take a great leap forwards long-term. No doubt the sale of Ybarra is unfortunate and we would prefer to keep our star man and his choice to move has not impressed many in Gurelurra, but long-term it has allowed us to upgrade our keeper significantly and Agorria could also be a great talent in defence. We just need to keep the likes of Icazatea, Zabala and Checo long-term. I think a cup run is our most realistic chance of success this season. The future remains bright, though..”

Full name: Club de football Perros-Guirec
Location: Perros-Guirec, Breizh
Stadium: Stade Guivarc'h (Capacity: 16,000)
Manager: Ewen Tiercelin is the joint-youngest manager in Le Championnat this season, aged 40. He uses an unusual 4-3-2-1 formation and is lauded for his trust in young players and skills in developing them to their full potential. He achieved promotion with Perros-Guirec in the 22/23 season, with an exceptionally young squad, showing exactly why he is thought to be the next thing in management within Prahecq.
Previous season: A solid season, where they were only three points away from winning the 2ème Classification, promotion always has to be the goal when in the second tier and Perros-Guirec achieved it with a young squad touted widely as the best generation of players to come through at one club at the same time. Lagadeuc, Touellec, Malet, Kel-Fetr, Vandame, Talbourdet, Bozonnet, Le Goaziou. Remember their names, they're looking to make a mark on Le Championnat this season.

Club information: Perros-Guirec are the second-biggest club within Breizh, the region that speaks Breton and asks for a little more autonomy from the Prahecqois government without going to the extent of full seperation like the Euskal of Gurelurra. The team represents that regional identity on the football pitch as well, including in their kit. Their home kit has the ubiquitously Breton colours of black and white; with a shirt with black and white hoops, white shorts and blacks socks with a single red hoop near the top. The away kit is a red shirt with two yellow stripes down the middle, black shorts and white socks. The club's biggest rivalry is with fellow Breton team SS Plumelec and games between the two clubs are a particularly fiery affair, the game is known as the Derby du Breizh. Perros-Guirec are team with well-known links to left-wing politics, with the red flag forming a part of their badge. The club were set-up by the city's trade unions to give the working people of the city something to do in their spare time and that link has prevailed until the present day, with left-wing flags waved on the terraces and left-wing songs sung too. The club's finances are average, but Perros-Guirec are well-run, they are just unlikely to be able to pay big transfer fees with any regularity.
Club infrastructure: Stade Guivarc'h is another old stadium, with some particularly rickety sections behind both goals. It is an area the club will look to improve in future seasons. It is also a fairly unprotected ground, with only one stand having a roof which leaves the terraces open to the elements, problematic when Perros-Guirec is of course located on the coast. The inclement elements experienced have been known to affect games and opponents often complain of Perros-Guirec being a tough place to go. The club's training facilities are above average, being funded by the local government in the area. The club's youth recruitment network is exceptional, being able to pull in players from across Breizh and even in neighbouring Ariege too and their scouting department is one of the best in the country. This combination of top class recruitment and scouting means they often produce some of the finest young footballers in Prahecq.
Fanbase: Very well supported within Perros-Guirec and Breizh more widely too, they regularly pack out their stadium and its often very difficult to find a ticket for their games. They draw fans of all social and economic backgrounds, but with their left-wing trade union history they do tend to be linked more with politically left-wing people. Their supporters are normally well-behaved, although they do have a small hooligan element and their large ultras group are named after the area of the ground the inhabit: SEKTOR 11, often stylised with a couple of backwards letters in a homage to famous Mytanar ultra groups.
Trophies won: N/a

Season Preview.

L'Action (national media): “This remarkably young squad gained promotion quite brilliantly last season, playing some exciting football and surprising a few people on their way. Their inspiring captain Lauri Mordelet has retired - happy to see his team in the top-flight at the end of his final season - and joined the coaching staff at the club. Young manager Ewen Tiercelin has replaced his former captain with Bakar Ochoa, who joins on a free from Oxocelhaya after a solid season for the Euskal club. The list of starlets at the club is numerous, but people feel Touellec, Kel-Fetr or Talbourdet may be the best at the minute. Kel-Fetr is a combative midfielder of Berber origin and is a real fan favourite, he's known for smashing into tackles and a few Championnat players will face a rude awakening when they go into battle against him. The young talents in this squad may just have enough to stay up, 14th, their inexperience will not cost them as they play with out fear..”

Télégraphe de Breizh (local media): “A real good bunch of young players here and many believe their inactivity in the transfer market is actually a good thing as it means they have kept all their young talent together. Of course, it could prove problematic when they go from winning games regularly in the second tier to struggling in a relegation battle in the top division but Ewen Tiercelin is an exciting young manager and many believe he'll get the best out of these players. Damien Jeannin is actually a decent striker, he was playing way below his level in the second tier last season and he'll be determined to prove he should have been playing in Le Championnat all along. He'll be a real threat for Perros-Guirec this season, along with all their young attacking talents (Bozonnet, Le Goaziou, Talbourdet et al). There's a real good feeling in Perros-Guirec and it may prove to be a part of keeping them up this year - they could even surprise a few people and end up comfortably mid-table, with out even being involved in the relegation battle..”

Yanic Saint-Andre (supporter): “I feel that a relegation battle may be likely this season, the step up for our young players will be tough and they will need to get used to the level of football. However, I also feel quietly confident in our chances of staying up. Tiercelin is an excellent coach, the players are all technically very good, even if physically some still have a bit of development to do - some are only teenagers still! I can see us playing some Championnat sides off the park though as the football we play is excellent and the players could surprise a few people with their ability. They'll want to, that's for sure, some will likely be thinking of moves to bigger clubs but as long as that means top-level performances and safety for Perros-Guirec... Well, it's fine by me..”

Full name: Racing Club
Location: Hugo, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Colisée de Yvelines (Capacity: 53,000)
Manager: Jasmin Calvet, aged 66, prefers to send his teams out in the 4-3-3 formation. He isn't afraid to spend money to improve his teams, known as a bit of a chequebook manager and he's also very out-spoken in the media, letting everybody know just what he thinks. He's also the oldest manager in Le Championnat this season. He managed the club to 2nd in the 22/23 season.
Previous season: As mentioned, Racing Club finished 2nd last season, which for such a big club is actually a little bit of a disappointment. The most disappointing thing is their complete lack of success, though, especially given the impressive manager in which they qualified out of the Île-de-Prahecq region of the Coupe Prahecqoise (6 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses for 19 points). They were eliminated in the first round of the closing stage on penalties by Aubaix. In the Coupe de Championnat they were knocked out by Douanes in the opening round, again on penalties - a particularly embarrassing loss against one of Racing Club's great rivals (i.e. Douanes, Marianne and some would add Stade Yvelines). A disappointing season, but Calvet's being given another chance this year, he'll have to win something if he wants to keep his job.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “Racing Club had one of the best squads in Le Championnat and that was before an extremely active transfer window. Their first was the signing of Ekaitz Ybarra for FR 10 million and Fabrice Echeverri. The two Euskal players being exchanged with both clubs feeling happy with their lot. The most controversial signing of the window was that of Somer St-Pierre from Douanes to Racing Club for FR 15 million. The Orthez club and Racing Club are of course enormous rivals and compete in La Lutte each season, so the transfer may surprise some but Douanes are also a club with financial problems and the sale of their star players is something they have to do every so often. Another swap was completed with Gabriel Beaudoin moving from Stade Yvelines to Racing Club in exchange for forward D'Arcy Clavet (who was deemed surplus to requirements following the signings of Ybarra and St-Pierre), it'll be interesting to see if Racing Club's supporters consider that nearly as controversial given the rivalry between themselves and Stade Yvelines. Fiacre Boisclair was the final signing, brought in for FR 5 million. Matthieu Le Sueur left on loan to Coulommiers; Victor Simon went to Olympique Orthez on a free; and Beltane Chesnay on a free to Maccabi. Whilst some criticise clubs for making lots of transfers, it only seems like Racing Club have improved their squad. They will undoubtedly be challenging for the title this season, particularly with the young trio of midfielders they have in the engine room who are three of the best in the country and now with the forward line that is probably the best in Prahecq, maybe they'll go a little better than we predict here? 2nd, but they will surely win something this season and save Calvet's job..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “It is hard to rule out Racing Club this season, particularly given the signings they have made over the summer. St-Pierre and Ybarra are up there with the best strikers in the country and Beaudoin in particular is a major upgrade defensively and will surely improve even further. Boisclair is an improvement but is perhaps not the more glamorous signing many fans would have liked. There still remains problems defensively though, Lamarre in goal is suspect and many wanted Jonathan Dufort to come in as a replacement. The Aubaix stopper would represent a major upgrade and perhaps the club should have pursued him over an offensive upgrade, where they were already relatively strong. Leclair is also worryingly error-prone for a league hoping to be challenge for the title. They do of course have the most exciting midfield trio in the league though: Béland is an excellent deep-lying playmaker who isn't afraid of a tackle or two, Guernon is excellent box-to-box with energy to run all day and Sidney Allai is similar too, with a little more attacking intent. They'll have another tilt at the title that's for sure, but they're certainly not nailed on for success..”

Gustav Jacquemoud (supporter): “The big thing prior to this season is that as a fanbase we hope that the Tempête de la Capitale ultras group react to Somer St-Pierre in a positive way, they're well known for their far-right, fascistic tendencies and hopefully they don't surface. We have Sidney Allai who is a spectacular black player and he doesn't receive negativity so it should be no different for St-Pierre. The worry is that because of his being from Orthez (thereby being a representative of the poorer, more rural and less industrialised south) and a former Douanes player that they may act differently. Hopefully a lid is kept on that. With regard to the football, many believe this may be our season, our forward line is the best in the country and the midfield could stake a claim on that too. We believe this season..”

Full name: Société sportive de Plumelec
Location: Plumelec, Breizh
Stadium: Breizh Park (Capacity: 36,000)
Manager: Arzhael Miossec, 42, he is seen as one of the most promising young managers in Prahecq and usually utilises a simple 4-4-2 formation. He is already building a burgeoning reputation for being something of a youth expert, trusting his young charges and developing their ability at the same time.
Previous season: Miossec took his side to a very creditable 6th place in Le Championnat last season, whilst managing to qualify out of the Nord region in the opening stage of the Coupe Prahecqoise with no losses. They did fall to Douanes in the first round of the closing stage though. They were also eliminated at the quarter final stage of the Coupe de Championnat by Aubaix on away goals.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “SS Plumelec may be a little worried when looking at their Breton rivals Perros-Guirec who have a class of players coming through at the same time that - if they can keep them together - could go onto do some very special things in a few years time. However, this would ignore the fact they have Arzhael Miossec and a good crop of young players themselves. They weren't active in the transfer market ahead of this season despite Florian Parent retiring, preferring to promote from within, Sezny Le Menn getting a chance in the starting eleven. The most important thing was keeping their best players and in retaining Faure and Géroux they have one of the most promising young strike partnerships in Prahecq. Their captain Valéry Martel had a decent season last year scoring 13 in 28 appearances and his performances will again be important this year. They may not challenge for the top four this season, but they're a solid team and known for efficient football so they could go on a cup run, 7th..”

Télégraphe de Breizh (local media): “Many in Breizh have said that SS Plumelec are going to suffer from their lack of spending and that Perros-Guirec are going to catch them at some point soon given the outstanding crop of players they have at the club, but the footballing future of the region is just as good at both clubs. SS Plumelec have some outstanding talent including Faure and Géroux, both were linked with moves away from the club this summer so they did well to keep them both. Dan Gagnon is outstanding in the centre of the park and Marianne were interested in him, Jud Sauvageau outside him is an excellent young winger too. SS Plumelec's side is good and only going to get better, we're tipping them as an outside bet at the top four this season. Miossec is excellent at getting his team over the line. Look out for 18 year old midfielder Joann-Loick Kerguehennec to be more involved this season as well, he's a very bright young talent and some did call for him to start ahead of this season but Miossec's sticking with his formation, but the youngster will make an impact off the bench..”

Joavan Pichon (supporter): “I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty worried about Perros-Guirec. It's never nice to see your biggest rivals being successful and especially given they're playing some decent football. Not to mention the fact that the group of players they have coming through will be around for a while. I guess it's good that we have a chance to get one over on them in the Derby du Breizh, though. Hopefully Valéry Martel continues his good form from last year and the young strikers grow even more as the season goes on and begin to contribute more goals. Our board's ambition this summer has been shown through retaining our best players and expanding the stadium but whether that will lead to tangible success is a different question..”

Full name: Stade Yvelines
Location: Camus, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Yvelines (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Auguste Marchal, 46, usually sets his team out in a 4-4-2 formation. He has gained a reputation for playing counter-attacking football and trusting young players with responsibility. He came 2nd in the Manager of the Season award for the 22/23 season after managing his side to 5th, with the best defence in Prahecq, only conceding 23 goals.
Previous season: Stade Yvelines came a very respectable 5th place in Le Championnat last year on the back of a staunch defence that allowed the least goals in the league. They were unable to qualify out of the Île-de-Prahecq region of the Coupe Prahecqoise, finishing below a second tier side in the form of International. They were also eliminated from the Coupe de Championnat in the first round, falling to Coulommiers 5-2 on aggregate.

Season Preview.
L'Action (national media): “An outstanding season for Stade Yvelines as they came oh so close to a top four spot, but their performances over the season were exceptional, with a very tight defence. The only issue for Auguste Marchal now is that that squad has been broken apart due to their success. Gauthier St-Jean left to Marianne for FR 7,5 million; Peverell Tétrault went to the same club for FR 10 million; there was an intelligent swap with Racing Club with Gabriel Beaudoin going to Racing and forward D'Arcy Clavet coming to Stade Yvelines. Curtis Compagnon retired. This meant Stade Yvelines had a few positions that need filling and a decent transfer kitty. They brought in Alphonse Panetier from Jeanne d'Arc as a replacement at centre-half; full back Loann Fandeau came in from Maccabi for FR 5 million; finally Guerin Primeau came from Union for FR 2,5 million as a replacement for Compagnon on the wing. Their squad has been weakened as a result of this and it's doubtful they will manage to finish as high as last season, they'll fall maybe as far as 9th..”

Le Yvelinois (local media): “It was inevitable that after such a good season, particularly with how tight they kept things at the back, that the big teams would at least look at Stade's best players. The result is that three out of four of excellent defence from last term (Beaudoin, Tétrault and St-Jean), have left the club, although the team's supporters are not angry at the players themselves but rather the club for allowing them to leave. The supporter's expectations have been raised by the team's performance last season and despite the club having usually solid finances that's often only achieved by selling their better players (the net profit of FR 6 million is a nice cash injection for the club after all). There's a hard balance to achieve between the two, but this season there will undoubtedly be a regression in the club's form. It's hard to see them finishing 5th again with all the sales, although nobody would put it past Auguste Marchal to have this cohort of defenders just as well drilled as the last lot - so at least they still have him managing the club..”

Florent Tomas (supporter): “As long as Auguste Marchal is at the helm it's easy to be confident in how we're going to do. He keeps the side well drilled defensively, so much so that we had the best defence last season, but we don't lose as much in attack as other well-known defensive teams like Maccabi which is good. It's nice to see a couple of youngsters in the starting eleven despite losing club captain St-Jean and club legend Compagnon. Jean-Louis Gigot and Edgar Jauffret will have the full backing of the club's fans and Gigot in particular is one we will be hoping does well given that he supports Stade Yvelines. I had a bet on the club to win something this year and I've put the same bet on this season, the odds weren't quite as good as last time though..”

[Republique Prahecqoise]

23/24 Season Review.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

The second season of Prahecqois football is complete and we had some excellent action across Le Championnat and 2ème Classification as well as both cup competitions. The challenge was set to the rest of the teams ahead of this season by Marianne with their double victory in the 22/23 season. In particular, Racing Club and Douanes would be hoping to challenge them this season given their stature within the domestic game. It was expected that anything less than a trophy this season would see Douanes manager Remy Béliveau sacked, so he will be hopeful that the signings he made ahead of this season has make them a little bit more competitive. At the other end, it was expected that there would be an almighty scrap in the fight against relegation. Many predicted that anything up to around 6 teams could end up in a relegation shoot-out which would make for extremely exciting viewing.

Let's see what happened:

Le Championnat Review.

## Le Championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Racing Club            30   18   7   5    48   28  +20    61 C, UICA CC, RCdC
02 Marianne               30   16   8   6    63   38  +25    56 UICA GC
03 Champex du Lac         30   15   6   9    46   34  +12    51 UICA GC
04 Perros-Guirec          30   15   6   9    44   37   +7    51 UICA GC
05 Douanes                30   15   4  11    63   47  +16    49
06 Stade Yvelines         30   13   9   8    26   19   +7    48
07 SS Plumelec            30   13   7  10    45   38   +7    46
08 Aubaix                 30   13   5  12    30   30    0    44
09 Oxocelhaya             30   11  10   9    46   46    0    43
10 Coulommiers            30   13   4  13    54   56   −2    43
11 Étoile Rouge           30    8   9  13    36   49  −13    33
12 Espérance              30    9   5  16    34   49  −15    32
13 Maccabi                30    8   7  15    17   31  −14    31
14 Jeunesse               30    7   7  16    39   49  −10    28
15 Epinal                 30    7   6  17    24   42  −18    27 R
16 Olympique Orthez       30    7   4  19    20   42  −22    25 R

Racing Club make right their failure to win the title last season - finishing behind their hated rivals Marianne - by winning the league title and setting a new record for points total and winning margin for good measure as well.

Racing Club are often seen as the club of the establishment in Prahecq, this being a product of where they're based in the capital Yvelines and their enormous reserves of wealth when compared to other teams. This isn't strictly one hundred percent true, they draw their support from all social classes and indeed they have an enormous fan base because of this but it doesn't stop rival teams using the 'club of the establishment' thing as a pejorative term. Racing Club fans often turn that on its head and use it as a point of pride and winning this Championnat title will only serve to add to that. Their title charge was fuelled by a solid defence - they conceded the second least goals in the league - the back-line of Beadoin, Boisclair, Leclair and Guédry probably deserve to jointly receive an award for their excellent performances. Guédry in particular was a star and a genuine contender for Player of the Season. The additions of Somer St-Pierre and Ekaitz Ybarra didn't perhaps result in the free flowing attacking football the club's hierarchy had hoped for, but they both contributed with 13 goals apiece which is not to be sniffed at and given they have actually won the league title it is doubtful that many around the club will mind too much.

Marianne finish as runners-up, something they will be quite disappointed with in all likelihood, they had expected to retain their title in pre-season - especially given the intelligent additions to the side they made in the transfer market. Their issue was still their relatively leaky defence, even with those additions they were nowhere near the same standard as eventual winners Racing Club. They will likely invest ahead of next season in order to return to the top spot, they've been linked with Perros-Guirec's excellent defensive midfielder Yvon Kel-Fetr who had a real good season (as did his team, but more on that later!). The rumours that Serge Bolduc will move to Racing Club still won't go away with the player's agent openly courting a move in the media. It is believed that Marianne's hierarchy are unimpressed with the situation and will sanction the move over the summer as they believe Bolduc's presence caused a little disharmony in the squad this season. That sale could result in an entire domino effect of transfers, with Marianne's long-time interest in Calixte Morel perhaps resulting in a tangible move if Bolduc does leave. Bolduc leaving will anger the club's fans, there's no doubt about that. Racing Club are of course Marianne's greatest rivals and Marianne's ultras groups Brigade Bleue, Tribune du Sud and Jungle Boys 67 issued a joint statement vilifying Bolduc and saying he did not represent the values of the club.

Champex du Lac follow-up in 3rd place, a repeat performance from last season, which is something they will be pleased with as they look to establish themselves as the 'third team' in Prahecq ahead of the generally accepted third team Douanes who have experienced repeatedly poor performances in the opening couple of seasons. Champex were again generally solid in everything they did this year. Gigi Vaillancour up front remains an exceptional weapon to have at their disposal and they were also solid enough defensively as well. In order to really make the step-up they need to make a couple of real upgrades at centre-half and central midfield. If they can do that they could actually challenge for the title. One slight worry for them is that their young right wing-back Paien Racicot is perhaps not developing quite how they hoped, that will be a little disappointing but he is still only 20 so there is a little time. Next season expect to see a lot more from young winger Itzhar Yvjoev, the young Mytanar looks a real talent and he's also eligible for the Prahecqois national side as well. Expect there to be a battle between the two national football associations to try and persuade the youngster to represent their national team in the future.

Perros-Guirec had a really outstanding season, performing way, way above expectations and generally impressing everybody involved in Prahecqois football. Their young squad played with an authority way beyond their years and manager Ewen Tiercelin is well and truly the hottest managerial property in Le Championnat. They shocked pretty much everyone this year, but they have some exceptional young talents in their squad and their hope will be to keep them together at Stade Guivarc'h for a few more seasons yet. That could well be difficult, Yvon Kel-Fetr as aforementioned has received a great deal of interest, particularly from Marianne. Damien Jeannin, their star striker, has attracted interest from Douanes as well. Perhaps a little more worryingly for Ewen Tiercelin, his former captain and current assistant manager Lauri Mordelet has attracted interest from Douanes and the reason for that is...

Douanes have finally sacked Remy Béliveau. Two seasons with a lack of success is not good enough for a club of Douanes size and the manager finally had to fall on the chopping block and his head did eventually roll. Lauri Mordelet, assistant manager at Perros-Guirec is the early favourite to land the job given his role in their success this season (they finished two points ahead of Douanes and in a Globe Cup position). There are some worries about his relative lack of experience but there is generally a shortage of other candidates although Stade Yvelines' Auguste Marchal has been mentioned. Douanes scored a lot of goals despite losing Somer St-Pierre last summer, Matthieu Goddu providing a more than adequate replacement as he scored 16 goals in 30 appearances. Their issue was in defence, conceding 47 goals, which was actually worse than both relegated sides. They will have to improve that if they want to improve their league position. It's a strange issue as the players they have in defence are all solid enough, as is the goalkeeper, so it seems to be more of a tactics issue rather than a personnel issue. An upgrade in the defensive midfield role could give their defence a little bit more protection, though, perhaps.

Stade Yvelines again had a solid season, Auguste Marchal is really impressing there, he would surely like his club to back him a little more in retaining his better players and signing a few upgrades also. However, the board want to keep their club's finances well and truly in the black given the issues some clubs have with their finances and one way of doing that is selling their better players - a fact that is a little disappointing for Marchal of course. They had the best defence in the league this season, despite three of their four man defence from last season leaving over the summer. The new quartet of Fandeau, Panetier, Labbé and fan favourite young Jean-Louis Gigot put in excellent performances throughout the season, whilst young goalkeeper Turner Artois led the league in clean sheets with 15 (there's also the interesting stat that every game they won they won to nil, with a clean sheet in every single victory). Artois is a real talent and expected to be given the captaincy at the young age of 21 as Hugo Renaud has decided to retire following this season. Look out for young Sefir Ajanovic next year, another young prospect of Mytanar heritage who may well start next season such is the trust Marchal seems to have in him. He made 6 appearances as a substitute in central midfield this season, scoring a stunning volley against Jeunesse in a 1-0 win.

SS Plumelec will be a little disappointed in their performance this year, especially given the fact that their Breton rivals Perros-Guirec had the most impressive season they probably could have. It still doesn't represent a particularly bad finish, they're in the top-half of the table and only five points outside of the UICA spots which is what they're aiming for eventually. Arzhael Miossec is building slowly in Breizh, though, there's no huge pressure to break into the top four given their comfortable finances and the club's board are patient enough too. They preferred to expand the stadium last summer rather than make any flashy signings. They have two excellent strikers in Faure and Géroux and it is expected that one will be sold this summer as it's rumoured Miossec wants to get young playmaker Kerguehennec into the starting eleven and he believes the way to do it is to sacrifice a striker. Goalkeeper Vincent Reyer will be retiring also, so expect any funds raised from the sale of one of their two strikers to go towards a new goalkeeper (or maybe towards the club's infrastructure given their aversion to buying players last summer).

Aubaix had a pleasing season, finishing mid-table, with Jonathan Dufort once again the star of the show for them. The goalkeeper is an exceptional talent and will likely get the starting job for the national team at some point in the future. Finishing comfortably mid-table was more or less what was expected of Aubaix this season and they're adding Alexandre St-Martin ahead of next season as well. That deal was done last summer and will add a real cutting edge to this side that occasionally look a little toothless going forwards. Jean-Joël Granet is another manager being given licence to slowly develop his team and they're increasingly looking like a team that will be able to move up the table. They're looking forward to an expansion of their modern stadium over the summer, it's a modest increase of 5,500 - but the addition of a second tier along one of the sidelines could lead to a full second tier expansion around the stadium (the capacity could eventually increase by 18,000 to 40,000), which was something that was planned for when their modern ground was originally built.

Oxocelhaya will be disappointed with their campaign, they were in the top four last season so falling down to 9th is a severe drop. Losing Ekaitz Ybarra in the last transfer window was a big blow and whilst Fabrice Echeverri is no mug he's not quite as good as Ybarra. Generally speaking it was a case of other teams improving when compared to the Oxocelhaya squad, but they have a whole cohort of youngsters who will continue to improve and the club will hope that that will lead to them returning to a higher position in the league table.

Coulommiers were 8th last season but drop down two spots to 10th with two points less also. Calixte Morel was again the talisman and anything that was good in their performances was channelled through him, particularly when on the attack. He contributed 14 goals in 30 games (27 in 56 games as an attacking midfielder in his career thus far, an impressive return), with 12 assists as well. It does look like he may well be off to Marianne this summer, but that relies upon Serge Bolduc's sale and nobody is sure that that will go through with out a hitch. They will hope to retain Jeannot D'Aramitz as well, although his injuries this season may have put a couple of clubs off. Look out for attacking midfielder Zaim Partyka next season, he could replace Morel if he does leave - but even if he doesn't he will likely play a role and he looks like he could be a solid player going forward.

It is after Coulommiers that there's a bit of a drop, with a ten point gap from them to Étoile Rouge who will be extremely pleased with the way they stayed up this season. They ended up six points clear of the relegation zone and were comfortable enough. Our preview of the league season had them relegated but Sacha Marchand got them playing in a way that ensured their safety. The signing of Yvon Cinq-Mars looked unusual at the start of the season given their deficiencies at the back but he had an excellent season, scoring 9 goals and laying on several goals as well. He was a consistent threat to defences, keeping them honest by playing in between the lines and even stretching the play by running beyond the striker in Marchand's 3-4-2-1 system. Their supporters will hope that signings over the summer will address their defensive issues and allow them to stay up just as comfortably again next year.

Espérance finish 12th, which was about where they were expected to finish (we nearly got it right!). Their run to the final of the Coupe Prahecqoise is a remarkable part of the story of this season and shall be reviewed in more detail later. Their victory in that competition brings some much needed glory to Rouen as Espérance begin to look over their shoulders a little as their local rivals Clichy-sous-Bois have gained promotion to Le Championnat with their highly rated Odonelec brothers. It was also Gauthier Lamontagne's final season with the club as he retires, so lifting the trophy in the final was a fantastic way to go out for a club legend. They have some excellent youngsters coming through their academy: Baboucar Sesay at centre-half and Sebastien Esaba at right-back, so as a club they will come back with renewed motivation to try and push on following this first success.

Maccabi continue to - for want of a better term - shithouse their way into keeping their top-flight status. Philibert Gagnon is a legend in the Nemirovsky area of Yvelines and as is Gaston Petrie, their inspirational captain. He's agreed a new deal that will keep him at the club until the age of 37 and likely retirement. It's remarkable that they continue to have one of the best defences in the league despite their lowly finishes, but they are so organised and difficult to break down that it probably should never come as a surprise. Their return of only 17 goals remains a concern, but it is difficult to score goals in a side that approaches the game in the manner Maccabi do. Adding goals to their game would make them pretty much unstoppable but they would unlikely be able to do so with out sacrificing something defensively. They will be worried about interest in goalkeeper Yannic Charbonneau from Racing Club, but Gagnon has already said he will be prepared to pick apart the bones of the relegated sides in order to secure players if necessary. Hugh Avard, their right-sided full back retires at the age of 37, it looks like Maccabi have a ready-made replacement in their ranks: Gavriel Shimshelewitz is an 18 year old native of the Nemirovsky quarter and will undoubtedly be delighted to represent the club he supports in Le Championnat.

Jeunesse did eventually stay up, but only by a single point and that is exactly representative of what some Jeunesse supporters have termed as the club 'sleepwalking towards relegation' due to a lack of investment in the playing staff and selling their better players. They were safe, just about, this year. However, this will cause great concern for Camille Loupe and he will hope his board give him a little bit more backing over the summer. There has already been interest in Adrien Poisson, the defensive midfielder attracting attention from clubs much higher up the league. Jeunesse do have a young centre back, Franck Bonnel and he looks like he could be a really useful player.

Finally, the two relegated sides, Aubin Allaire was hailed as a genius when he kept Epinal up in the 22/23 season, but he could not repeat those heroics this season. They just didn't have the requisite quality in order to stay up but they ran Jeunesse above them very close. They were probably just a little unfortunate to be competing in a season where there were so many teams that were fighting to stay up. There was just a little too much quality around them, Epinal actually achieved the exact same points total as last season and it would have been enough to keep them up last year - demonstrating the slight increase in quality of those sides fighting for survival this season.

Olympique Orthez were always fighting an uphill battle, their squad was essentially constructed in order to get promoted from the 2ème Classification and the prevalence of so many second tier players meant they just did not have the ability to score those important goals that are the difference between staying up and getting relegated (they scored the second least in the league after Maccabi, but of course are nowhere near the standard of the Yvelines' club defensively). It's likely that they could make a decent fist of trying to get promoted back to the top-flight next year as they have made noises about trying to retain the vast majority of their playing staff.

---

2ème Classification Review.

## 2ème Classification   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Union                  30   21   4   5    66   37  +29    67 C, P
02 Clichy-sous-Bois       30   20   6   4    71   33  +38    66 P
03 Jeanne d'Arc           30   17   7   6    58   36  +22    58
04 Isturitz               30   18   2  10    56   41  +15    56
05 Étudiants              30   16   7   7    52   36  +16    55
06 Culoz                  30   16   5   9    51   34  +17    53
07 Brassempouy            30   14   7   9    41   33   +8    49
08 US Treignac            30   15   3  12    39   36   +3    48
09 Stade Brioudais        30   15   3  12    46   41   +5    48
10 Olympique Louhannais   30   10   7  13    41   49   −8    37
11 Deviat                 30   11   3  16    44   50   −6    36
12 Sainte-Eulalie         30   11   3  16    52   57   −5    36
13 Gérardmer              30    7   4  19    36   50  −14    25
14 Nieul-le-Virouil       30    7   4  19    42   60  −18    25
15 Stade Mohonois         30    5   3  22    23   69  −46    18
16 International          30    1   4  25    14   70  −56     7

Union return to Le Championnat at the first time of asking just as their local rivals Epinal from the Cherolles region, winning the 2ème Classification by a single point. They were excellent though, solid going forward and decent enough defensively as well. Étienne Loup will be pleased he was able to get them back into the top-flight, as he backed his abilities despite relegation last season and he will hope that his board give him some backing in the transfer market as they look to stay up ahead of next season. Hervé Pierre was second top goal scorer in the league with 22 goals and was a very important part of their title win. Union were arguably not the best side in the second tier this season but they were the ones who outlasted the rest and that is why they have won the title. Promotion was the goal at the start of the season and they have achieved at and now they have to try and construct a squad able to survive in the top division.

Clichy-sous-Bois were probably the best team in the 2ème Classification in the 23/24 season, with the best attack, best defence and the best player: Jasno Odonelec who scored 26 goals from his number 10 role. The 21 year old is a top class player and it was rumoured that Robin Hjik was interested in calling him up for his Copa Rushmori squad but that didn't quite come to fruition. His Mytanar heritage is something that comes up a lot (along with his brother Usten), but nobody is quite sure whether he will represent Prahecq - where he was born - or Mytannion, the land of his parents. It doesn't particularly matter to his club side, who he supports, as they get promoted and he's the key figure in that effort. They would have liked to win the second division title, but promotion is the major goal and it means they will get a chance to renew hostilities with local rivals Espérance. Clichy is a poorer suburb of Rouen and known for having the highest crime rate of anywhere in the country, it's a rough, tough place and has raised the likes of the Odonelecs and also youngster Nourredine Abdelaziz who goes by the mononym Nouri and is also expected to have a big future with Clichy. He's a real pest of a striker, small and quick with excellent instincts and his finishing is dangerously good. He's going to be a real talent.

Jeanne d'Arc will be disappointed with their failure to get promoted back to the top-flight, but they were the ones who ran the top two closest, this of course meant that Remi Lozé was out of a job as the Saint-Maximin out fit sacked him. His minimum requirement was to get them promoted and therefore the conclusion was fairly inevitable. He made a string of demands regarding the improvement of the infrastructure of the club and the club's hierarchy happily did that, so his getting the club relegated and then being unable to get them back into Le Championnat hardly repaid the faith the club's board had in him.

---

Coupe Prahecqoise Review.

This is the last campaign with the current system of the Coupe Prahecqoise, the regions will be eliminated from next season. The original idea for the new format was eight groups of four teams, with two teams qualifying from each group to the knockout stage. However, the Fédération Prahecqoise de Football (FPF), decided late on to change that again. This has been badly received by the teams who wanted to retain an opening and closing stage. The FPF decided to eliminate the opening stage altogether and have all 32 professional teams entered into a straight knockout tournament with out seeding. Each tie will be played over two legs until the final which will be a single game played at the Stade de Prahecq. This has been designed to supposedly improve the excitement, with knockout football being regarded as providing that from the off. Anyway, for now we're stuck with the current system, so let's review it:

## Centre-est              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Aubaix                    7   6  1  0   21  12  +9   19 Q
02 Champex du Lac            7   4  2  1   13   8  +5   14 Q
03 Culoz                     7   4  1  2   12   8  +4   13
04 Jeanne d'Arc              7   3  2  2   15  13  +2   11
05 Sainte-Eulalie            7   2  2  3    8   8   0    8
06 Stade Brioudais           7   2  2  3   10  14  −4    8
07 Deviat                    7   0  2  5    5  12  −7    2
08 Olympique Louhannais      7   0  2  5    5  14  −9    2

It's the same two teams qualifying out of the opening stage as last season for the Centre-Est region, just in the opposite order this time around. Aubaix stormed to the top spot with a spectacular performance: winning six, drawing one and no losses. Champex follow them through to the closing stage, although their route through was slightly more potted than their local rivals from Aubaix. They scraped through by a point, Culoz running them close. Anything can happen in the closing stage so Champex will not be too fussed about their less than stellar showing in the opening stage.

## Île-de-Prahecq          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Racing Club               7   6  0  1   19   5 +14   18 Q
02 Maccabi                   7   5  0  2   17   9  +8   15 Q
03 Coulommiers               7   4  1  2   14  12  +2   13
04 Jeunesse                  7   4  1  2    6   8  −2   13
05 Étoile Rouge              7   3  1  3   11  15  −4   10
06 Stade Yvelines            7   1  2  4    4   7  −3    5
07 International             7   1  1  5    5  11  −6    4
08 Brassempouy               7   1  0  6    5  14  −9    3

Racing Club qualified just as expected with a professional showing in the opening stage, Maccabi also follow them into the closing stage as Philibert Gagnon once again shows his uncanny ability to manage his side to victory in cup competitions. They get to the closing stage for a second straight season. It's the same two qualifying out of the opening stage as in the 22/23 season and the other teams must be pretty pleased that the format of the Coupe Prahecqoise is changing next year.

## Nord                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 SS Plumelec               8   6  1  1   18   9  +9   19 Q
02 Espérance                 8   4  3  1   12   8  +4   15 Q
03 Perros-Guirec             8   4  2  2   16   9  +7   14
04 Étudiants                 8   4  1  3   10  10   0   13
05 Marianne                  8   3  2  3   10   8  +2   11
06 Clichy-sous-Bois          8   3  1  4   14  12  +2   10
07 US Treignac               8   3  1  4   10  12  −2   10
08 Gérardmer                 8   2  1  5   10  17  −7    7
09 Stade Mohonois            8   0  2  6    4  19 −15    2

The big shock from the Nord region came when Marianne failed to qualify to the closing stage, even finishing behind lowly Étudiants. SS Plumelec did excellently to finish top of the regional table, only dropping 5 points in total. Espérance also qualified out of their region narrowly in the end, a point ahead of Perros-Guirec. Both would be relatively confident going into the knockout rounds given the quality of their performances in the opening stage - anyone that is able to knock Marianne out of the competition has to take confidence from that.

## Sud ouest               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Epinal                    6   5  1  0   13   5  +8   16 Q
02 Douanes                   6   5  0  1   11   1 +10   15 Q
03 Olympique Orthez          6   3  1  2    9   5  +4   10
04 Oxocelhaya                6   2  2  2   11  10  +1    8
05 Union                     6   2  2  2    7   8  −1    8
06 Isturitz                  6   1  0  5    7  18 −11    3
07 Nieul-le-Virouil          6   0  0  6    4  15 −11    0

Epinal unexpectedly top their region despite their showing in the league. Perhaps even more unexpected is the fact that they went through the opening stage completely unbeaten. Douanes join them in the closing stage after only suffering a single loss against Epinal. The rest of the region didn't really show their real quality, with Olympique Orthez being the ones who came the closest to the top two, an entire five points behind. Oxocelhaya will be particularly disappointed with how they have done.

Coupe Prahecqoise first round
     Aubaix    3–2    Maccabi         0-1  3-1
     Epinal    2–5    Espérance       2-2  0-3
Racing Club    7–1    Douanes         5-1  2-0
SS Plumelec    1–2    Champex du Lac  0-1  1-1

Aubaix and Maccabi were hard to separate over two legs but a late third goal in the second leg would be enough to confirm Aubaix's advance to the semi finals. They would have just about advanced anyway on away goals but it's always nice to add a bit of an exclamation mark to confirm things. Espérance confidently strode into the semis with a 3-0 win at home in the second leg after their 2-2 draw in the opening game. Racing Club once again smashed their way past Douanes, embarrassing them in fact in La Lutte. The 5-1 win at home in Yvelines meant they knew they would be going through to the next round barring a collapse in the second leg, but they made sure there would be no issues with a thoroughly professional 2-0 win in Orthez. It was probably this game when Remy Béliveau knew he would be getting the sack as the Douanes support let their feelings be known following the game with whistles and boos ringing round the Stade Velodrome, as well as objects being thrown on the pitch and the ultras causing significant damage to their home ground. Champex du Lac narrowly beat SS Plumelec, a 1-0 win away in Breizh set them on their way but a nervous draw in the second leg back in Champex du Lac made things a little more hectic than they would have liked them to be.

Coupe Prahecqoise semi final
Racing Club    1–2    Champex du Lac  0-1  1-1  (aet)
  Espérance    6–4    Aubaix          3-1  3-3

Champex and Racing Club shared 1-0 away wins, both of them winning far from their home grounds. That meant their game went to extra time and it would be the man Gigi Vaillancour who would eventually separate the two sides in extra time as he rose the highest at a corner and powered a header into the Racing Club net and sent the Parc du Lac into raptures. Whilst the first tie was a tight encounter, the second one between Espérance and Aubaix was crazy and full of goals. In the home tie Espérance comfortably ran into a three goal lead before Aubaix stole a late consolationt that could come in handy after the second leg. They went back to Aubaix with a bit of hope. What came of this was one of the games of the season as they played out a 3-3 thriller, Jonathan Dufort made a couple of blunders after his side ran into a 2-0 lead and allowed Espérance back to 2-2. Dufort's a spectacular talent but those high profile errors perhaps reveal a slight issue with his mentality, maybe a lack of composure. The game ended up 3-3 and the tie 6-4 to Espérance on aggregate as they proceeded to the final against Champex.

Coupe Prahecqoise final
Venue: Stade de Prahecq (Attendance: 80,427)
Weather: Overcast (14°C)
Referee: Gaétan Bessette

Champex du Lac 1–2 Espérance

This was a fiery encounter for these two sides, Champex went 1-0 up through Vaillancour. A good ball by Racicot set him through and the big man slotted home coolly. Gaétan Bessette then made a big decision as he adjudged Vaillancour to have elbowed Ludo Houdin as they both went up for a header and sent the Champex forward off. It was a controversial decision, but replays showed that Bessette was correct and Vaillancour did elbow the Espérance defender, it's just whether there was a level of intent there as Vaillancour isn't exactly known for being a violent player. He's just a big forward and these things occasionally occur, there was a degree of recklessness there. After half-time, Espérance came back into things against ten men and Manu Bethuna was a real pest to the Champex defence. He ran clear and chipped the ball into the net to equalise. Julien Poulin then combined with the on-loan Douanes forward Bethuna for the second, playing the ball into Bethuna's feet and he played a wonderful back-hell for Poulin to run onto and he steered the ball into the Champex goal to make the game 2-1 and win it. Gauthier Lamontagne lifted the trophy in his final game for the club and what a way to go out. A bit of a surprise winner this time around and it really demonstrates the excitement and magic of the Coupe Prahecqoise.

---

Coupe du Championnat Review.

For some the Coupe du Championnat is considered the 'secondary' cup competition, but it is still fiercely contested and is the first chance for Prahecqois clubs to lift some silverware each season. It features all 16 top-flight teams in a straight knockout tournament with ties being decided over two legs up until the single leg final at the Stade de Prahecq in Yvelines. Let's see what happened:

Coupe du Championnat first round
        Marianne    4–0    Epinal          3-0  1-0
  Champex du Lac    0–1    Espérance       0-1  0-0
          Aubaix    2–1    Stade Yvelines  1-1  1-0
Olympique Orthez    1–0    Perros-Guirec   0-0  1-0
     Racing Club    4–3    Douanes         3-3  1-0
         Maccabi    2–3    SS Plumelec     1-2  1-1
    Étoile Rouge    1–2    Oxocelhaya      0-2  1-0
        Jeunesse    1–2    Coulommiers     0-1  1-1

Marianne impressed in a comprehensive victory over Epinal as they started their Coupe du Championnat campaign, it meant they could relax and rest a few players ahead of the second leg which they went on to win 1-0 anyway. Espérance edged a close tie with Champex as they got the better of them, foreshadowing what happened in the Coupe Prahecqoise final, Bethuna once again a thorn in the side for Champex. Aubaix beat Stade Yvelines 2-1 over two legs, winning in the capital in the second leg in order to advance. Olympique Orthez won a battle of the promoted clubs against Perros-Guirec in the same way they won the title in the 22/23 season. Racing Club saw off Douanes yet again, the rivals of La Lutte hate each other anyway but Douanes must really be getting sick of the sight of the Yvelines' club. SS Plumelec narrowly beat Maccabi; Oxocelhaya and Coulommiers both went through to the quarter final following identical 2-1 aggregate scorelines against Étoile Rouge and Jeunesse respectively.

Coupe du Championnat quarter final
Racing Club    0–1    SS Plumelec       0-1  0-0
   Marianne    5–1    Aubaix            2-0  3-1
 Oxocelhaya    5–2    Espérance         4-2  1-0
Coulommiers    5–7    Olympique Orthez  4-5  1-2

SS Plumelec shocked Racing Club in the quarter final following a 1-0 win away from home, the second leg was essentially a battle of attack versus defence with Arzhael Miossec's side happy to defend as Racing Club were relentless in attempting to find an equaliser and a way back into the tie but they could not and it would be the Breton side who would progress to the semi final. Marianne comprehensively beat Aubaix over two legs with two excellent performances. Oxocelhaya did the same thing against the eventual Coupe Prahecqoise winners Espérance. Coulommiers and Olympique Orthez played out an absolute thriller, with the Orthez side winning 5-4 away from home in a game where both teams completely forgot how to defend. They then won 2-1 at home to confirm their passage through to the semi final.

Coupe du Championnat semi final
Olympique Orthez    0–5    Marianne    0-1  0-4
     SS Plumelec    2–4    Oxocelhaya  0-1  2-3

Olympique Orthez were always up against it when they drew Marianne in the semi final, but they perhaps did not expect the outstanding performance the Jonzac club would put on at Stade Marianne. They were 1-0 up from the first leg and then they put in one of their best games of the season at home, Bolduc was named man of the match and they progressed to the final. Oxocelhaya and SS Plumelec's game was a little bit closer. Oxocelhaya took a 1-0 lead into the second leg at home in Gurelurra. They then won a thriller at the San Ignazio Loiolakoa, with Checo having an excellent game to drive his side to victory.

Coupe du Championnat final
Venue: Stade de Prahecq (Attendance: 80,934)
Weather: Clear (8°C)
Referee: Florian Melleveau

Marianne 3–0 Oxocelhaya

People expected this to be a closer game than it was in the end as Marianne and Oxocelhaya both have a few players who can change games in a second, however, Marianne were perhaps aware they were not playing quite as well as they did in the 22/23 season and wanted to give their supporters something to cheer for. A Germain Hétu brace and an excellent run and finish by Romain Ménard won them their third domestic trophy and completed the set - they've won Le Championnat, the Coupe Prahecqoise and now the Coupe du Championnat. They'll hope that they can increase their trophy count next season. If this is Bolduc's last season with the club and he moves to Racing Club that task will become an awful lot harder, even if Bolduc will be the most vilified man in Prahecqois sport if he does make the move to the capital.

[Republique Prahecqoise]

24/25 Season Preview - Part 1.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

The 24/25 season is about to get underway, so this is a preview of what to expect from the teams that are involved in Le Championnat this season. Can Racing Club defend their title or will Marianne wrest it back from them? Will Douanes finally perform how everybody thinks they should? Will there be a surprise package winning the league or will a supposedly mid-table club get relegated? This preview will look to provide all the information you want to know and make some predictions about how the upcoming season will pan out.

In this preview we look at the first eight teams in this season's Championnat:

Full name: Olympique Aubaix
Location: Aubaix, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Stade d'Aubaix (Capacity: 27,500)
Manager: Jean-Joël Granet, 41, preferred formation is 4-4-1-1. He is known to trust youth and is a good man-manager. He endured a difficult start to his managerial career in the 22/23 season, just about keeping Aubaix in Le Championnat. However, he also won the Coupe de Championnat that season, a victory which demonstrated his tactical nous and ability as a manager. The league campaign was much more comfortable last season and he continued his cup success taking the club to a second straight Coupe Prahecqoise semi final.
Previous season: Aubaix finished comfortably mid-table last season in 8th, which has to be considered a successful campaign for the Haute-Alpes club. As mentioned, they also managed another trip to the semi final of the Coupe Prahecqoise, although they couldn't negotiate their way past eventual winners Espérance. Their attempt at defending the Coupe de Championnat was ended in the quarters by Marianne, who also went on to win that trophy. Two cases of hard luck in the cups for Aubaix last year.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Granet has really stabilised this team over the past couple of years. The single most important thing the club have done is retain their better players, with no sales this summer ensuring the retention of the likes of goalkeeper Jonathan Dufort, left-back Gérard Poulin, club captain Rémi Pierre and their creative hub Stéphane Sauvageot. They also have some talented young midfielders in the form of Plessis and Paquin and keeping them is important as they both look like they're developing in the right way and could become very important players for the club in the long-term. Aubaix are in a good financial position so it is perhaps a bit of a shock that they have not been slightly more aggressive in trying to sign players to improve their team, however, they do have Alexandre St-Martin coming into the starting line-up this season as he returns from his loan at Deviat. The young forward is a product of the Deviat youth academy (which is surprising in itself given the lack of football infrastructure in the region of Doigt more generally), and Aubaix signed him for FR 4 million last summer but allowed him to spend another season at his boyhood club to develop a little more and give him a less pressurised route to the Aubaix first team. Granet has put him in the starting line-up ahead of this season and he will bring goals from the outset. St-Martin is 6'3, powerful in build, but he retains his speed at the same time and this combination of physical attributes - along with his composed finishing - will make him a menace for defenders in Le Championnat this season. Having said this, Aubaix look like they may be lacking a few pieces to really challenge the upper echelons of the league, so we're predicting them to finish comfortably mid-table in 8th..”

Pos.  Name                 Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Jonathan Dufort      23   PRH     6*/8*
DL    Gérard Poulin        26   PRH     6*
DC    Rémi Pierre          29   PRH     6*      Captain
DC    Ellis Quessy         26   PRH     4*
DR    Noel Berengar        21   PRH     2*/6*
ML    Royce Daigle         28   PRH     4*
MC    Aubin Sauvageot      31   PRH     4*      Brother of Stéphane Sauvageot
MC    Évrard Plessis       22   PRH     5*/8*   DMC/MC
MR    Eliot Paquin         22   PRH     5*/8*
AMC   Stéphane Sauvageot   25   PRH     6*      Brother of Aubin Sauvageot
ST    Alexandre St-Martin  18   PRH     5*/10*

MC    David Girard         29   PRH     2*
MC    Adver Simselevic     18   MYT     3*/10*  Also eligible for Prahecq
ST    Armand Bler          26   PRH     4*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Alexandre St-Martin from Deviat to Aubaix, loan return

Out.
N/a

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Founded in the wealthy city of Aubaix in the mountainous Haute-Alpes region in the centre of the country. Aubaix is often seen as the 'gateway' to the high mountains due to its position on the northern shore of Lac Léman. It is regarded as an important financial centre for the country. The club plays in a royal blue and yellow halved home shirt, with royal blue shorts and socks. Their away kit is a white shirt, black shorts and black socks. They share a local derby with Champex du Lac known as the Derby du Lac. The two cities lie at different ends of the lake and are competitors for financial hegemony within the region - this rivalry continues over into sport. Aubaix are financially well-run and will have money available in the transfer market if it is deemed necessary. Aubaix are traditionally a middling club known for developing young players.

Fanbase: They are a one-club city and therefore boast a large fanbase within their city. Their supporters tend to be affluent and middle-class, hooliganism is not a big problem for Aubaix. They do have a small and committed ultras group UBJ-49 that own a sector behind one of the goals at Stade d'Aubaix and do succeed in creating a noisy atmosphere at home and follow their team well away from home.

Trophies won: 1 x Coupe de Championnat (22/23)

General.
Club Reputation: Regional
Finances: Good

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: State of the art
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: Good
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Good

Full name: Association athlétique de Champex du Lac
Location: Champex du Lac, Haute-Alpes
Stadium: Parc du Lac (Capacity: 40,000)
Manager: Gilles Plessis, 45, plays a 3-4-3 formation utilising wing-backs. He enjoys playing with width and to that end plays two wide attacking midfielders as well. He is known to be an extremely tactical manager and for adeptly developing young players. He's taken his team to remarkably consistent 3rd place finishes in his opening two seasons and nobody would bet against him doing it again. The hope for him now is to try and go one better, as he's developing a solid unit with Champex.
Previous season: 3rd last year for Champex, although they were a little further off the title, something that may annoy Gilles Plessis ever so slightly. What will undoubtedly annoy him more, however, is the fact he steered them to the Coupe Prahecqoise final in a winnable tie against Espérance and they lost. The club's board are surely beginning to desire a trophy. Their Coupe de Championnat campaign ended meekly in the opening round against the team they lost to in the final of the Coupe Prahecqoise: Espérance, Champex must be sick of the sight of them.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “An excellent season last year has really given Gilles Plessis something to build on and some at Champex are starting to believe he must also start delivering silverware along with the lovely football. Their business in the transfer market wasn't particularly impressive, although they did get rid of some deadwood from the squad. Dupond and Daniau are both improvements on what they had - that much is certain - but many feel that they are not the most ambitious signings they club could have made. Daniau could prove to be an intelligent signing long-term, though, given he still has a little bit of room for improvement and was brought in relatively cheap. The club do have the money to sign bigger names, though. Itzhar Yvjoev, the young Prahecq-born Mytanar will be an intriguing addition to their starting line-up, he's being discussed as the next big thing in Prahecqois football and if that is true he could be a real thorn in the side for Championnat defenders for years to come. It's likely to be Hugo Beaudry's last season with the club, Champex's club captain intimated over the summer that he would be retiring at the end of the campaign, so that could give the players a little extra motivation to try and secure a trophy for the captain if nothing else. Our prediction with Champex almost never changes, they're still the fourth best squad in Prahecq and until they show a little more ambition in the transfer market it's going to be very difficult for them to regularly break the 'big three's' stranglehold on Le Championnat. Therefore, we predict 4th for Champex..”

Pos.  Name                    Age  Nation  CA/PA  Notes
GK    Christian Courtemanche  32   PRH     4*
DC    Toussaint Beaudoin      28   PRH     4*
DC    Ab Dupond               25   PRH     5*
DC    Kylian Maçon            24   PRH     6*/7*
WBL   Thibaut Gasper          24   PRH     6*/7*
MC    Amaury Brodeur          22   PRH     5*/8*
MC    Daniel Daniau           24   PRH     6*/7*
WBR   Paien Racicot           20   PRH     3*/8*
AML   Itzhar Yvjoev           16   MYT     5*/10*  AML/AMR; also eligible for Prahecq
AMR   Hugo Beaudry            35   PRH     6*      Captain
ST    Gigi Vaillancour        29   PRH     10*

DC    Jérôme Duchamps         30   PRH     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Ab Dupond from Coulommiers to Champex du Lac, FR 1 million plus Julien Tolbert
• Daniel Daniau from Epinal to Champex du Lac, FR 2,5 million

Out.
• Marcel David from Champex du Lac to Clichy-sous-Bois, FR 1 million
• Remi Richelieu from Champex du Lac to Clichy-sous-Bois, free transfer
• Julien Tolbert from Champex du Lac to Coulommiers, exchange for Ab Dupond
• Valérien Béringer from Champex du Lac to Stade Yvelines, free transfer

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Champex du Lac is a generally wealthy city situated on the southern edge of Lac Léman and at the foot of the Haute-Alpes mountains. It is an important cultural and economic centre for Prahecq. Their eponymous team play in purple home shirts with white shorts and purple socks. Their away kit is a black shirt, purple shorts and black and purple hooped socks.

Champex du Lac have two local derbies within their region, the Derby du Lac with Aubaix and the Derby du Haute-Alpes with Jeanne d'Arc. The former is based on the rivalry between the two cities that cuts across everything from economics to art. The latter is based on geographic proximity and the fact the two teams essentially represent the two biggest settlements in the Haute-Alpes mountains, with people from Champex du Lac often seeing those from Saint-Maximin as rural country bumpkins and the Maximinois seeing people from Champex as snooty hotshot city-dwellers. They are extremely financially secure and can invest a lot of money in improving their squad if they wish to do so.

They have an extremely interconnected relationship with Banc Champex which obviously benefits them economically. They are traditionally a club that is just on the periphery of those dubbed 'big clubs' and are known for having a good youth system.

Fanbase: Another one-club city and Champex are a proud representative of that city. They draw their support from all social categories, although their fans do tend to be fairly affluent due to the relative affluence of the city when compared to other places in Prahecq. Their support is known to be noisy and they boast two ultras groups, the apolitical Ultras Champex and the smaller, right-wing Garçons du Lac. Both travel well and the latter are known to be violent.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Interregional
Finances: Exceptional

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: State of the art
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: State of the art
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Association athlétique de Clichy-sous-Bois
Location: Clichy-sous-Bois, Rouen, Nord-Est
Stadium: Stade Dimitri Julien (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Raoul Haillet, a 45 year old local man who grew up a supporter of Clichy, he favours 4-3-1-2 formation and enjoys possession football. Has a burgeoning reputation for developing young players' talent and helping them reach their potential. Successfully gained promotion from the second tier last season with his side playing a brand of thrilling football that had them as almost every Prahecqois football fan's second favourite team last season.
Previous Season: They gained promotion from the 2ème Classification playing some of the most spectacular football seen in Prahecq, it may have been against second rate opposition, but that doesn't take too much away from a great team. They scored 71 goals in 30 games and only conceded 33, they were the second tier's leaders in both categories. They only finished 2nd in the league table though, losing out on the title by a point.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Clichy have finally reached the top-flight and some question why exactly it has taken them so long, but Raoul Haillet's men are here now and they look like they could cause trouble for some established teams with a promising young line-up. The counter-culture of the area can be seen on the terraces at the Stade Dimitri Julien and the fans will create a raucous atmosphere that could intimidate opponents. On the pitch, the jewel in the crown for Clichy is quite obviously Jasno Odonelec, he's one of their own - born in Clichy to Mytanar parents - and he's a prodigiously talented player too. His impact with the Mytanar national team has not gone unnoticed as he was integral to their run to the Cup of Harmony quarter finals. Beyond Jasno Odonelec, Clichy also have his brother, the towering centre-half Usten Odonelec who clocks in at 6'5 at the age of 16. He looks like a real prospect and the experience of playing in Le Championnat at such a young age will no doubt help him in his development - despite already being an exceptional young player. Clichy have also been very active in the transfer market with FR 5 million spent and five new signings coming in, the likes of Marcel David and Bastien Sault add some real quality to the line-up. The club's finances make it a necessity to stay in the top division following this flurry of transfer activity, so they will need the new players to gel quickly and ensure their position to keep the club's finances out of the red. In terms of their team, we feel like Clichy have more than enough to stay up and predict a 12th place finish. Don't be too surprised if they don't get embroiled in a relegation dogfight, though..”

Pos.  Name             Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Gill Lamarre     32   PRH     4*
DL    Youssef Hamou    26   KET     3*      Captain
DC    Abdoulaye Keita  25   KET     2*
DC    Usten Odonelec   16   MYT     7*/10*  Also eligible for Prahecq; brother of Jasno Odonelec
DR    Remi Richelieu   28   PRH     2*
MC    Jacques Genin    25   PRH     2*
MC    Bastien Sault    22   PRH     4*/7*
MC    Marcel David     25   PRH     5*
AMC   Jasno Odonelec   21   MYT     10*     MC/AMC; brother of Usten Odonelec
ST    Aloin Caouette   21   PRH     3*/7*
ST    Eric Paimboeuf   27   PRH     4*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Marcel David from Champex du Lac to Clichy-sous-Bois, FR 1 million
• Remi Richelieu from Champex du Lac to Clichy-sous-Bois, free transfer
• Bastien Sault from Epinal to Clichy-sous-Bois, FR 2 million
• Aloin Caouette from Oxocelhaya to Clichy-sous-Bois, FR 2 million
• Gill Lamarre from Racing Club to Clichy-sous-Bois, free transfer

Out.
N/a

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Historically the second biggest club from Rouen behind their hated rivals Espérance, Clichy are a club from one of the city's infamous banlieues, an area of deprivation and poverty. The north of Prahecq is traditionally a lot richer than the south, but that can't really be felt in Clichy, despite being a suburb of the relatively wealthy Rouen. The football club are a focal point for an otherwise forgotten community and involve themselves in a lot of community projects, including ones involving integration, something which is necessary with the high migrant population in Clichy-sous-Bois (as evidenced by the Odonelec brothers coming through the club's academy).

Clichy are seen as a working class club and have a vibrant history of championing left-wing ideas on the terraces of the Stade Dimitri Julien. Things are relatively tight financially for Clichy, although they are keeping themselves above water at the moment, that may not always be the case. There had been hope of a big sponsorship deal with a company owned by a former resident of one of Clichy's many HLM's, a local boy done good, but that didn't happen and they could do with it happening long-term so the club have a stable base to push on from. They compete in the Derby du Rouen against Espérance and this is an extremely fiery encounter - particularly for Clichy who do not like the fact that Espérance consider their rivalry with Marianne to be bigger than the Derby du Rouen.

Fanbase: Clichy-sous-Bois is an extremely tough place, with families often living on the breadline and struggling from paycheck to paycheck. This has created a very strong 'us versus them' attitude between Clichy residents and almost everybody else and this can be seen in the football club's fans. They are a raucous bunch and make quite a din within the Stade Dimitri Julien and it can create an intimidating atmosphere for opposition sides. They are left-wing, anti-racist supporters and their ultras group Ultras Alerta often have 'immigrants welcome here' flags dotted around their tribune. Life is hard in the banlieue and supporting the football club is often a welcome escape for locals, allowing them to forget about their problems for a little while. The club also do a lot for these individuals, occasionally going as far as providing them with jobs, but also holding food drives and helping migrants with residency applications etc. This creates a strong bond between the football club and its local community.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Local
Finances: Poor

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Average
Pitch Condition: Poor
Training Facilities: Good
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Poor
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Coulommiers sportifs
Location: Coulommiers, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: L'Arsenal (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Phil Mossé, 49, prefers the 4-2-3-1 formation. He is a good man-manager and is said to be thrifty in the transfer market. Gained a bit of a reputation of a problem solver, being able to quickly identify deficiencies and fix them. However, others believe he has relied on the talents of Calixte Morel for a couple of years - we'll see how well he can do without Morel this season though.
Previous season: An extremely comfortable 10th place finish where they were never really troubled with the threat of relegation but never really looked like they'd challenge higher up the table either - although that is no bad thing for a slightly provincial club like Coulommiers. They didn't do too much in the Coupe Prahecqoise, but were eliminated in the Coupe de Championnat quarter final in an absolute thriller against Olympique Orthez.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Well, their star man Calixte Morel has finally left L'Arsenal and in truth it could be seen from his performances last season that he had had his head turned. He'll play for Marianne this season and Phil Mossé will have to find other ways to win games with this team. It could prove to be very difficult. The money brought in from the Morel sale will help the club's finances, but it also allowed them to spend some money to bring in Urbain Leandres from the relegated Epinal and to finalise a deal to get Matthieu Le Sueur - on loan from Racing Club last season - in on a permanent deal. Both will be important in making sure Coulommiers do not completely collapse this year. Denis Laux is a clever addition on loan from Douanes whilst exchanging Ab Dupond for Julien Tolbert may be a bit of a downgrade, it is not as bad as it could have been. Tolbert is experienced and it is thought Dupond had given an ultimatum to the club and his position was therefore untenable. Other than that Coulommiers' supporers will be heartened by the sight of Samir Oufkir and Zaim Partyka in the club's starting line-up, they're both from Coulommiers (both of Maghrebi heritage, too, and therefore able to represent the IMA at international level), and are both seemingly very promising players. Oufkir could be an excellent goalkeeper and Partyka has the unenviable job of trying to fill Calixte Morel's boots in the number ten position. Many would have thought the loss of Morel would mean a serious regression for Coulommiers, but we think they've done alright in the transfer market and in bringing through some young talent. We're predicting them to finish in 9th..”

Pos.  Name               Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Samir Oufkir       19   PRH     4*/10*  Also eligible for Ittihad al-Maghrib al-Arabi
DL    Côme Boucher       22   PRH     3*/6*
DC    Julien Tolbert     28   PRH     4*
DC    Antonin Charron    27   PRH     4*
DR    Vivien Olivier     31   PRH     4*
DMC   Yvon Desrochers    35   PRH     6*      Captain
DMC   Denis Laux         21   PRH     4*/8*   On loan from Douanes
AML   Jeannot D'Aramitz  23   PRH     8*/10*
AMC   Zaim Partyka       20   PRH     5*/10*  Also eligible for Ittihad al-Maghrib al-Arabi
AMR   Urbain Leandres    20   PRH     4*/9*
ST    Matthieu Le Sueur  20   PRH     5*/10*

GK    Severin Porcher    28   PRH     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Julien Tolbert from Champex du Lac to Coulommiers, exchange for Ab Dupond
• Denis Laux from Douanes to Coulommiers, loan
• Urbain Leandres from Epinal to Coulommiers, FR 3 million
• Matthieu Le Sueur from Racing Club to Coulommiers, FR 2,5 million

Out.
• Ab Dupond from Coulommiers to Champex du Lac, FR 1 million plus Julien Tolbert
• Calixte Morel from Coulommiers to Marianne, FR 17,5 million
• Pierre Bonheur from Coulommiers to Union, FR 1,5 million

Retirements.
• Emmanuel Langlois (DMC), 39, captain

Club information: A somewhat unfashionable side from the second city in the capital region. Coulommiers traditionally suffers from being in Yvelines' shadow, but people often forget that it is a proud city in its own right and historically was the backbone of the Armée prahecqoise, housing the soldiers and being the location of major munitions factories etc. A major barracks is maintained in the city and there are still plenty of factories in the city, where the blue-collar population ply their trade. The club plays in an all-orange home kit accented with white trim; their away kit is a white shirt, accented with orange trim, black shorts and white socks. The club has no definite rivalries, but games with Yvelines clubs are often prickly. They tend to struggle slightly financially and are traditionally a club that have to stave off relegation from Le Championnat but they can occasionally punch above their weight.

Fanbase: They draw their support purely from their hometown, but they are at least just about the most popular team within their hometown's populace, their following tends to be dominated by the working class. Racing Club naturally compete for support, as do the other Yvelines' clubs due to their geographic proximity to Coulommiers. The people who do support the team are vociferous in their support for them and follow them home and away. They have a small ultras group in the form of Soldats.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Local
Finances: Poor

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Abysmal
Pitch Condition: Abysmal
Training Facilities: Average
Youth Academy: Poor

Recruitment.
Scouting: Average
Youth Recruitment: Average
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Club sportif douanier
Location: Vieux-Port, Orthez, Côte Sud
Stadium: Stade Velodrome (Capacity: 67,000)
Manager: Lauri Mordelet, 40, prefers a 4-3-3 formation and is starting to build a reputation as a coach who can develop young talent. He was assistant manager for Perros-Guirec last season in their first campaign in the top-flight and enjoyed a surprising amount of success as he was part of the management team that masterminded a shock 4th place finish with a team made-up of players largely under the age of 23. Douanes' patience with Remy Béliveau had worn thin so Mordelet has been brought to the Velodrome to try and take Douanes back to where everybody expects them to be, near the top of the table.
Previous season: A 5th place finish doesn't look too bad on the face of it, but a club of Douanes size should be finishing comfortably in the top three. They are known as one of the three biggest Prahecqois clubs, even despite their performances in the opening two seasons of professional football not quite living up to such lofty billing. They got to the first knockout round of the Coupe Prahecqoise where they were absolutely schooled over two legs by Racing Club - losing 7-1 on aggregate. That was a result that was particularly hard to take given the off-field tension between the two clubs. Their Coupe de Championnat campaign ended at the first hurdle to the same club, Racing Club defeating them once again, although the 4-3 scoreline over two legs was a little more palatable. Douanes must be sick of the sight of Racing Club, which has to be something Lauri Mordelet must be desperate to change.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “The past couple of seasons have been dire for Douanes - a club that expects to be challenging right at the top of Prahecqois football. They finally did what they have needed to do for a long time and got rid of Remy Béliveau and they have brought in Lauri Mordelet as a replacement. Some supporters were slightly sceptical of his appointment but the way he has conducted himself since coming in and the transfer dealings he has made have surrounded the club with a positive atmosphere and there is a feeling that this may finally be a turning point for the club. It was three in and three out for them over the summer. Manu Bethuna has returned from his season-long loan up at Espérance and will slot straight into a position on the right of the front three, Adrien Poisson has been added from Jeunesse to provide some stability at the base of midfield and Damien Jeannin has been part-exchanged for Thomas Lanteigne and some additional cash to add extra firepower on the left-side of the Douanes' front three. Denis Laux went out on loan and Gabriel Huot-Bonnet was sold to Espérance as Douanes recouped some of the money spent on Poisson. The team now has a younger feel and it looks like they may be ready to challenge for a title. If Mordelet can get them playing like this team should play, they will be a force to be reckoned with, especially when going forward. Their pacy attack will frighten defenders no end and they have Lamarre and Soucy behind to create opportunities for those forwards to really thrive. Look out for young Othilean midfielder Nikos Tsitsipas to make a few appearances off the bench this season. All in all, Douanes could finally be the team many have thought they should have been for a few years. We think they will finish 3rd, but that they will finally make the fight for the title a three-horse race..”

Pos.  Name               Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Normand Boisvert   23   PRH     5*/7*
DL    Hugo Croquetaigne  27   PRH     8*
DC    Manu Leroux        29   PRH     8*
DC    Loïc Hennequin     22   PRH     6*/9*
DR    Paul Boivin        33   PRH     6*      Captain
DMC   Adrien Poisson     25   PRH     6*
MC    Christian Lamarre  25   PRH     7*
MC    Jérôme Soucy       26   PRH     8*
ST    Damien Jeannin     24   PRH     7*/8*
ST    Matthieu Goddu     25   PRH     10*
ST    Manu Bethuna       24   KET     7*/8*   AML/AMR/ST

MC    Nikos Tsitsipas    16   OTH     5*/10*  MC/AMC

Transfer Market.
In.
• Manu Bethuna from Espérance to Douanes, loan return
• Adrien Poisson from Jeunesse to Douanes, FR 5 million
• Damien Jeannin from Perros-Guirec to Douanes, FR 7,5 million plus Thomas Lanteigne

Out.
• Denis Laux from Douanes to Coulommiers, loan
• Gabriel Huot-Bonnet from Douanes to Espérance, FR 4 million
• Thomas Lanteigne from Douanes to Perros-Guirec, exchange for Damien Jeannin

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: The basis of the club's foundation was as the team of the customs and shipping workers of the Port of Orthez with their logo paying homage to one of said workers. They have grown into the biggest club from the multicultural city of Orthez in Le Championnat. They are wildly popular in the south of Prahecq, particularly in their native Côte Sud region, but also in Alpes Côtières and Cherolles - they are one of three teams (along with Marianne and Racing Club), that can truly claim to have nationwide support.

They have a green home strip, the shirt is accented with yellow, all-green shorts and hooped green and yellow socks. Their away kit consists of a white shirt, accented with green, black shorts and yellow socks.

Douanes compete in the Derby du Orthez against Olympique Orthez, but also in La Lutte (which translates as 'the Struggle' in English, which perhaps gives you a sense of the scale of the rivalry), against Racing Club. La Lutte represents the fractious relationship between the historically richer and more industrial north of the country and the poorer, less industrialised south with Orthez being the most important major city in the south.

Their financial resources are average, although their large stadium does allow them to just about keep up with the other big clubs. This slight disparity reflects itself in Douanes only being able to make a couple of big transfers every summer compared to Marianne and Racing Club who can more or less make as many as they please. Douanes are known as one of the 'big three' teams in Prahecq along with Marianne and Racing Club - they are regarded as the club of the south and should regularly challenge for the title.

Fanbase: They have a huge fanbase, with supporters based all over Prahecq supporting the team from the south coast and they draw fans from across social classes and ethnic groups. They are a loud bunch as well, both in their support on the tribunes, but also in voicing their opinion on how the club is doing away from the stadium. They aren't the most patient bunch, which can lead to pressure on the manager and the board if the team are not doing that well. That's not even mentioning the way the ultras dress down the players if they have been deemed to have underperformed. The Virage Nord are the biggest ultras group and they are traditionally a left-wing bunch which is hardly surprising given Orthez' status as a city of immigrants with a rich multicultural tradition. They have a big hooligan problem on the south coast and Douanes are often the victim of the biggest crackdowns on hooliganism which perhaps goes some way to explaining the scale of their hooligan issues. Often regarded as one of the most passionate fanbase's in Prahecq.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: National
Finances: Good

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: State of the art
Pitch Condition: Good
Training Facilities: State of the art
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Exceptional
Youth Recruitment: Exceptional
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Espérance rouennais
Location: Quai Aigle, Rouen, Nord-Est
Stadium: Parc D'Espoir (Capacity: 35,000)
Manager: Clément Battier, aged 61, usually sets his teams out in a 4-4-1-1 formation. He is known to be a bit of a wheeler dealer in the transfer market and usually employs long ball build-up play. Battier managed the club to its first ever trophy last season as they won the Coupe Prahecqoise, a success which they weren't really ever expected to have a chance of achieving. Their 2-1 victory over Champex du Lac in the final will live long in the memory. This success did perhaps mask the club's patchy league form and that is something Battier will hope to correct this season.
Previous season: A 12th place finish in the league was respectable, but many feel that the club are dicing with death ever so slightly as they haven't really invested in the playing staff properly for a few seasons. The fans feel as if they're slowly slipping down the table and Battier will hope to right that. Their Coupe Prahecqoise success was an exciting journey and demonstrated how any team can win the national cup competition. Their Coupe de Championnat ended in the quarter final against Oxocelhaya, so there would be no cup double for the side from Rouen. However, the Coupe Prahecqoise was a fitting way to see off inspirational club captain Gauthier Lamontagne, who won the trophy in his final season at the club and has now slotted into the coaching staff as Battier's assistant.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Espérance supporters' biggest worry this season is that their hated rivals Clichy manage to finish ahead of them in the league table. They will at least be able to lord their Coupe Prahecqoise victory from last season over their local neighbours if nothing else, but there certainly isn't too much to choose between the two sides - so they may have a point about finishing below them. Espérance wanted to keep Manu Bethuna for another season or try and sign him permanently, but Douanes' new manager Lauri Mordelet did not like that idea as he wanted to keep Bethuna. In the end Espérance went for Gabriel Huot-Bonnet who was being replaced in the Douanes' starting line-up by Bethuna - all very confusing, we know. FR 4 million represents a fairly sizeable outlay for a club that is renowned for being spendthrift - but they do have exceptionally good finances so this money is there to be spent, Espérance fans have been crying out for it to be spent for years, after all. Whether Huot-Bonnet gives them the same cutting edge that Bethuna provided remains to be seen, but perhaps the key thing for Espérance was that they didn't lose any other players. Talented youngsters, Houdin, Sesay, Esaba, Bourbeau, Pelisier and Poulin have all been retained. Esaba in particular is an enormous talent and will be starting for the first time this season following Gauthier Lamontagne - the club captain - retiring following the club lifting the Coupe Prahecqoise at the end of last season. All in all, very promising for Espérance but they lack sorely in a few areas - goalkeeper and central midfield standing out - and they need their promising youngsters to continue their development. This year, we think they'll be comfortably mid-table, but not too far ahead of Clichy, 11th..”

Pos.  Name                 Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Albert Gardinier     29   PRH     4*
DL    Benoit Marion        23   PRH     4*/6*
DC    Ludo Houdin          21   PRH     3*/7*
DC    Baboucar Sesay       19   PRH     3*/9*   Also eligible for Ketiou
DR    Sebastien Esaba      17   PRH     3*/10*  Also eligible for Ketiou
MC    Florian Bourbeau     20   PRH     5*/10*
MC    Jordan Champf        26   PRH     4*
AML   Dominic Pelissier    23   PRH     5*/7*
AMC   Verrill Doucet       25   PRH     5*      Captain
AMR   Gabriel Huot-Bonnet  28   KET     6*      AMR/ST
ST    Julien Poulin        20   PRH     4*/9*

DC    Felicien Dionne      31   PRH     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Gabriel Huot-Bonnet from Douanes to Espérance, FR 4 million

Out.
• Manu Bethuna from Espérance to Douanes, loan return

Retirements.
• Gauthier Lamontagne (DR), 38, captain

Club information: The biggest club from the northern industrial city of Rouen. Historically the north of the country is much richer than the south and that can be seen clearly in Rouen, with industry booming and the huge port there being important in shipping. Rouen's port rivals the biggest southern one at Orthez in size and the club is very proud of its relationship with industry and the port in their home city.

Espérance play in a blue home shirt with white trim, white shorts and blue socks. Their away kit is a yellow shirt with black shorts and yellow socks. They compete in the Derby du Rouen against local rivals Clichy-sous-Bois who represent one of Rouen's banlieues, it is a rivalry that is growing, especially with the clubs both being in Le Championnat now. There is also the Derby du Nord with Marianne, an inter-regional rivalry between the two biggest northern teams.

They are financially well-run, but the city is often regarded as spendthrift and that does carry over to the football club - they're unlikely to make high profile moves in the transfer market. Espérance are known as a middling club that that can occasionally surprise the bigger teams, although their fans are often frustrated by the club selling their best players, seen as a lack of ambition from the club's board.

Fanbase: Their support is generally quite well-off, related to the wealth of Rouen as a city, but they do draw their support from across social classes due to the fact they are the biggest club within Rouen and in Nord-Est. They are also followed by many from Doigt to the south due to the lack of good football clubs from their region. They do have to compete for support with Marianne given their size as a club, but Espérance are popular within their region and do pick up some fans from across the border between the Nord and Nord-Est regions. Espérance's supporters often see the rivalry with Marianne as bigger than the one with Clichy-sous-Bois, a sentiment not shared by Clichy-sous-Bois fans. They have a large right-leaning ultras group Fierté du Nord-Est that is known to have fearsome clashes with Marianne's ultras whenever the two meet, but is not notably violent otherwise.

Trophies won: 1 x Coupe Prahecqoise (23/24)

General.
Club Reputation: Regional
Finances: Exceptional

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: State of the art
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: State of the art
Youth Academy: State of the art

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Good

Full name: Étoile Rouge
Location: Balzac, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Serge Ouvrard (Capacity: 17,000)
Manager: Sacha Marchand, 65, usually sends his teams out in a 3-4-2-1 formation but is known to be tactically flexible. He is a notoriously out-spoken manager, regularly making comments in the media about opposing teams and occasionally his own players. He is also known to be incredibly intense, involved in his job to an extent that could perhaps even be said to be bad for his health. Despite his eccentricities, gaining a reputation for having the know how and tactical flexibility to keep a team in the top division. The Étoile Rouge faithful love him, too.
Previous season: Despite being a favourite for relegation before the season, Étoile Rouge finished in 11th, comfortably outside the relegation zone (6 points clear!) and Sacha Marchand's eccentric management style was vindicated for another season. He has a knack for ensuring his teams just don't lose, they turn losses into draws and that was the difference for them last year. Their Coupe Prahecqoise campaign was fairly short-lived, going out in the tough Île-de-Prahecq regional group, they'll be pleased that the format is changing this season as it will likely give them a better chance of getting to the latter stages. They were also eliminated in the opening round of the Coupe de Championnat, 2-1 over the two legs against Oxocelhaya. They weren't too bothered, the focus for Étoile Rouge continues to be staying in Le Championnat.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “You can say what you like about Sacha Marchand, but he knows how to keep his team in Le Championnat. For a couple of years now, the media (including us!), have written Étoile Rouge off as a ragtag bunch of players that don't have the slightest chance in hell of staying up, yet season-after-season they manage to stay up and even sometimes look impressive whilst doing it. Having said this, Étoile Rouge's team is not that great, they have a lot of young players that are quite inexperienced and then some old-timers that just don't have the requisite quality at this level. Marchand has done exceptionally in the transfer market, bringing in Bernard Bussière on a cut-price FR 1 million deal from Racing Club. Bussière could prove to be an excellent foil to the likes of Viens and Cinq-Mars, he's a strong forward and will hold the ball up and bring those creative players into the game which could be useful when they're on the attack. Mickael Gilson being brought in on a free to fill the right wing-back slot is also an intelligent signing, he brings experience and a bit of a higher level of quality into the team. Managing to keep Percy Gamelin has to be the biggest surprise, but the kid is a supporter of the club and he has said that he wants to leave them in the best position possible if he were ever to leave and that would indicate a desire to stay until the club are far removed from the relegation battles they often find themselves in. We've said it for years now, but we think this could finally be the year they go down, a lack of quality in some areas and some inexperience in the team will cause them issues: 15th. Don't be surprised if Sacha Marchand proves us wrong for another year, though..”

Pos.  Name                   Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Marc-Antoine Lefeuvre  21   PRH     2*/6*
DC    Frank Barnier          32   PRH     2*
DC    Maxi Dumont            19   PRH     3*/9*   Also eligible for Ketiou
DC    Julien Lebatelier      33   PRH     2*      Captain
WBL   Théo Talon             29   PRH     2*
MC    Maslin Duhame          25   PRH     5*
MC    Percy Gamelin          21   PRH     6*/10*
WBR   Mickael Gilson         33   PRH     4*      DR/WBR
AMC   Armand Viens           25   PRH     5*
AMC   Yvon Cinq-Mars         21   PRH     5*/9*
ST    Bernard Bussière       32   KET     6*

WBR   Hardouin Frappier      23   IMA     2*/4*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Mickael Gilson from Olympique Orthez to Étoile Rouge, free transfer
• Bernard Bussière from Racing Club to Étoile Rouge, FR 1 million

Out.
• Anthony Lesage from Étoile Rouge to Union, FR 0,5 million

Retirements.
• Michel Barre (DC), 37

Club information: Founded as a team to represent the Red Quarter of Yvelines, an area renowned for playing host to students, left-wing intellectuals and political thinkers. It's also a historically poor area that relied upon heavy industry for jobs which have since been outsourced in order to increase profitability for the corporations that operated there, leading to widespread unemployment in the area. The football team are on of the few sources of pride for the area.

Their home kit is a white shirt with a broad vertical matte green section down both the front and back, with red shorts and white socks with a single matte green hoop near the top. Their away kit is a red shirt, with black shorts and matte green socks. They aren't the richest of clubs, often struggling financially in fact, but they have a way of scraping by. They boast quite a few high profile fans (often well-known actors, comedians and musicians who sympathise with the club's purported political views), who have a habit of bailing the club out when it needs help. Traditionally they are a mid-table side.

Fanbase: They have an above average sized fanbase due to their location within the capital in the densely populated Red Quarter, but also because of the politics related to their name. Étoile Rouge's support is drawn largely from the working classes and students - it is also very multicultural - and all of this is reflected on the terraces. Their biggest ultras group is Ultras Serge Ouvrard, a large left-wing group that are politically active within their community as well as in the stadium. They follow their team around the country, but don't tend to be violent. All games against fellow Yvelines clubs can boil over, both on and off the pitch. As mentioned they do have some celebrity fans, but their fanbase generally isn't well off and can be known to occasionally be quite impatient with managers if results aren't going their way.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Regional
Finances: Abysmal

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Abysmal
Pitch Condition: Abysmal
Training Facilities: Average
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Exceptional
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Poor

Full name: Société sportive de la jeunesse
Location: Houellebecq, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Kevin Morin (Capacity: 24,000)
Manager: Camille Loupe, is a 48 year old who prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. People know him for his thrifty abilities in the transfer market along with the fact that he regularly trusts youth players to go out and make performances. Has been a victim of a board unwilling to invest to actually give him reasonable youth prospects to work with, as the club's production line has seemingly fallen flat over the last couple of seasons. A lack of investment this season could finally cause the club and Loupe the problems that he has thus far been able to steer them away from.
Previous season: They only just stayed up last season, by a solitary point and the club's fans are pointing to the board's willingness to save money and cut corners by not investing in the playing staff as the main reason behind this. Jeunesse should probably be a comfortably mid-table club, but selling their best players season-on-season has prevented them from remaining in that position and it's beginning to look like it could cause them serious problems. They didn't qualify out of the Île-de-Prahecq region in the Coupe Prahecqoise and their Coupe de Championnat stopped before it even really got started, losing to Coulommiers in the first round.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “If you speak to Jeunesse supporters there's a real fear around the club that this could finally be the year that they go down. They don't really blame the manager, Camille Loupe, who they feel has his hands tied given the board's lack of willingness to invest in the playing staff and believe that Loupe is essentially being forced to look at cheaper targets due to this policy. They lost Adrien Poisson over the summer as the defensive midfielder was sold to Douanes, the FR 5 million raised from the sale was partially invested in his replacement Erne Celice. Celice was signed from relegated Olympique Orthez for FR 2,5 million and is a 'very Jeunesse' signing in the sense that he is relatively young (still only 22), with some room to develop and also being a cheap option. The club always try to find value in the transfer market, they try to sign younger players that they can sell-on for profit, but this policy may be their undoing this year as the club does look increasingly lightweight in key positions. They will need Thomas Bondy to have a good season, along with centre-half Franck Bonnel. Captain Manville Ayot's contributions will also be vital. The fans feel sorry for Camille Loupe, who has increasingly cut a forlorn figure on the sidelines, especially towards the tail-end of last season when the club looked like they were going to be relegated at times. The board have not seen fit to invest more money on the field, though, and this could be the year they pay for it. Their finances are average at best, so there has to be some understanding as to why the board will not sanction some moves, but they have to at least try and keep the club in Le Championnat and that is why the Yvelines' based club's fans are so angry. We think they will have enough to retain their top-flight status this season, 13th, but it could be a real slog for them. If they do go down, don't be surprised to see some unsavoury scenes at the Stade Kevin Morin. Their ultras group, Ultras Jean-Loup Roatta, have protested against the club's board for years and it could all boil over if they do sleepwalk to relegation as it has looked like they might in previous years..”

Pos.  Name                Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Ernest Jolicoeur    36   PRH     4*
DL    Manville Ayot       32   PRH     6*      Captain
DC    Franck Bonnel       21   PRH     5*/9*   Also eligible for Ketiou
DC    Langley Charpie     24   PRH     3*/4*
DR    Marien Ancel        26   PRH     2*
DMC   Erne Celice         22   PRH     3*/6*
DMC   Isaac Roussel       29   KET     4*
AML   Guerin Marseau      33   PRH     4*
AMC   Roger Bisaillon     28   PRH     4*
AMR   Manuel Legrand      27   PRH     4*      ML/MR/AML
ST    Thomas Bondy        21   PRH     5*/9*

DC    Georges Labossière  28   PRH     2*
AMR   Avent Saindon       28   IMA     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Erne Celice from Olympique Orthez to Jeunesse, FR 2,5 million

Out.
• Adrien Poisson from Jeunesse to Douanes, FR 5 million

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: A club from one of the newer districts of the capital, although new in Yvelines still means enriched with centuries of history. Houellebecq is a very multicultural neighbourhood, with people of all races and religions creating a real melting pot atmosphere. Jeunesse are a proud representative of their district, they were originally founded as a sports society for the youth of the area who had nothing to do, but they have grown into a fully fledged sports team that compete at all age groups. They play in teal and grey halved home shirts, with black shorts and teal socks; their away kit is a white shirt, black shorts and white socks.

They do not have any explicitly named derby games or rivalries, but all games against other teams from Yvelines are full of passion. Their finances are fairly middling within the top division with plenty of clubs having better resources and a few that are a bit worse. They won't be in many high-profile deals, anyway. Generally they're a mid-table team, struggling against relegation when their current crop of players isn't so good.

Fanbase: Their fanbase is fairly standard for an Yvelines club, above average sized and passionate. They enjoy seeing young players local to the club getting a chance on the pitch, so they should build an excellent relationship with Camille Loupe and they are known to be pretty patient as well - which is definitely a bonus for the man at the helm. Their fans are drawn from all social classes and as such there is a real range of fans in the ground, with all kinds of people united in support of Jeunesse. They have an apolitical ultras group in the form of Ultras Jean-Loup Roatta, named after an old capo who sadly died from terminal cancer - but who is now remembered forever on the tribunes of the Stade Kevin Morin.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Local
Finances: Average

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Average
Pitch Condition: Average
Training Facilities: Average
Youth Academy: Average

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Abysmal

[Republique Prahecqoise]

24/25 Season Preview - Part 2.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

The 24/25 season is about to get underway, so this is a preview of what to expect from the teams that are involved in Le Championnat this season. Can Racing Club defend their title or will Marianne wrest it back from them? Will Douanes finally perform how everybody thinks they should? Will there be a surprise package winning the league or will a supposedly mid-table club get relegated? This preview will look to provide all the information you want to know and make some predictions about how the upcoming season will pan out.

In this preview we look at the second set of eight teams in this season's Championnat:

Full name: Club sportif maccabi Yvelines
Location: Nemirovsky, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Isac Levitsky Arena (Capacity: 9,000)
Manager: Phil Gagnon, 52, plays a pretty unusual 5-3-2 formation. He isn't afraid to park-the-bus, being known with Prahecq as a defensive manager who attempts to minimise goals conceded. He utilises counter-attacking football in order to score up the other end. He has built a reputation as being able to get average players to play above themselves, especially with his system which is known to be defensive but efficient. His teams won't score a lot of goals, but they concede less than teams that win the league and they grind out results in this way. He is a legend with Maccabi, the fans here absolutely adore him and even if the club were to finally get relegated, it'd be a shock to see the board ever sack him.
Previous season: They did it again last season, keeping themselves safe from relegation, with Gagnon's tactics being vindicated once again. Nobody likes to watch Maccabi play football, it's likely even Maccabi fans find the football atrocious viewing, but it is effective - they only conceded 31 goals last season, the 4th best defence in the league. It's not going to get you out of your seat but it keeps the club up. In the Coupe Prahecqoise, they qualified from the tough Île-de-Prahecq region in 2nd place but were eliminated by Aubaix in the first knockout round. In the Coupe du Championnat they were eliminated in the first round by SS Plumelec.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Phil Gagnon's merry men are back for another season of backs against the wall defensive action and everybody knows what to expect from them at this point. They are indisputably the worst team to watch in Le Championnat but they are effective, even if they don't score too many goals or get the fans on their feet. The effectiveness of their set-up, with 5 at the back and the ever impressive Gaston Petrie in holding midfield is based on hours and hours of training and Gagnon's ability to get a team to defend so exceptionally is undeniable. This year the challenge is for them to score a few more up the other end and they have added Ketioulais striker Sammy Trembel from relegated Epinal in order to help them do so with FR 2,5 million and Quincy Dufresne going the other way. If Trembel can form a good partnership with the young Crelaander Saber Mailloux, this Maccabi team could be a real force to be reckoned with because they already possess defensive solidity, its just goals that evade them. A lot will depend on how they react to the sale of Yannic Charbonneau, with the goalkeeper leaving the club for Racing Club after two exceptional seasons - the experienced Emeric Abel has the unenviable task of trying to replace him. Long term the aim for Gagnon has to be to try and move the team up the league, further away from the relegation zone and some fans have criticised him for his reliance on older players - especially in defence - but he has stuck to his guns, claiming that they have the experience that is so vital in defence. This season, we think they'll be completely safe from relegation and aren't really even a contender for the drop, the challenge is how high they can finish. We're predicting 10th..”

Pos.  Name                   Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Emeric Abel            36   PRH     4*
DL    Antoine Asselin        27   PRH     4*
DC    Beltane Chesnay        36   PRH     4*
DC    Milo Nicollier         21   PRH     2*/6*
DC    Onfroi Briard          36   PRH     4*
DR    Gavriel Shimshelewitz  18   PRH     5*/10*
DMC   Gaston Petrie          33   PRH     8*      Captain
MC    Charl Souquet          30   PRH     4*
MC    Wyatt Binet            25   PRH     4*
ST    Saber Mailloux         21   CRE     4*/8*
ST    Sammy Trembel          25   KET     6*

MC    Latimer Babin          29   PRH     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Emeric Abel from Epinal to Maccabi, free transfer
• Sammy Trembel from Epinal to Maccabi, FR 2,5 million plus Quincy Dufresne

Out.
• Quincy Dufresne from Maccabi to Epinal, exchange for Sammy Trembel
• Yannic Charbonneau from Maccabi to Racing Club, FR 5 million

Retirements.
• Hugh Avard (DR), 37

Club information: Maccabi were founded as the Jewish club of Yvelines, hailing from the famous Jewish Quarter of the city where the Jews of the capital grouped together in the past - something that has created a rich history and the area remains a hive of Jewish culture and intelligentsia to this day. They do, of course, employ players of any religion nowadays but they do still bring a lot of Prahecqois Jews through their youth system. They play in a sky blue home shirt, dark blue shorts and sky blue socks; their away kit is a black and white striped shirt, white shorts and sky blue socks. Their finances are rocky to say the least at the minute, with the club struggling from month to month due to some financial mismanagement at the club, they will hope to sort that out as soon as possible. Maccabi are a side usually expected to yo-yo between Le Championnat and the second tier, but have enjoyed a period of stability in the top-flight over the past couple of years.

Fanbase: Maccabi have one of the smaller fanbases among the Yvelinois clubs, but it is still of average size when considered on a national scale. Their supporters are, perhaps unsurprisingly, traditionally Jewish (or of Jewish heritage, or just simply from the Jewish Quarter of Yvelines), but they do reach out beyond just the religion they were founded to represent. Their supporters tend to be of above average affluence, which is unfortunate given their current financial issues - a takeover would be ideal for the team right now. They do also have a passionate ultras group in Les Indésirables, a group that reserve membership for just those that are Jews, of Jewish heritage or born in the Jewish Quarter - outsiders need not apply! They are known to be violent right-wing zionists and it'd be a brave man trying to enter their section of the stadium, that's for sure.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Regional
Finances: Poor

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Abysmal
Pitch Condition: Poor
Training Facilities: Poor
Youth Academy: Poor

Recruitment.
Scouting: Average
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Exceptional

Full name: Club de sport marianne de Jonzac
Location: Jonzac, Nord
Stadium: Stade Marianne (Capacity: 60,000)
Manager: Abel D'Aboville, 60, likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. He's getting on a bit in age now, but he's as sharp as ever, his intensity levels have never and probably will never drop. His teams are known for relentless offensive football. The most successful manager in Prahecqois football up until this point, he has an excellent reputation and will be looking to add more trophies to his collection as he begins the final chapter of his football-involved career.
Previous season: 2nd place last season behind Racing Club will have hurt Marianne, that's for certain. Seeing the club you hate the most win the title ahead of you must be heart-wrenching, but it will at least give them additional motivation - if they even needed it - ahead of this year. They were shockingly poor in the Coupe Prahecqoise, not even qualifying out of their region and they had to watch their other big rival Espérance eventually lift that trophy too. They didn't finish the season empty handed though, winning the Coupe du Championnat with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Oxocelhaya in the final.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “The big story this summer was the transfer of Serge Bolduc from Marianne to Racing Club, the big question for Marianne this season is whether they will be able to cope without their former captain. The transfer is one of the most controversial in Prahecqois football, moving from Marianne to Racing Club or vice-versa is not something that happens and it especially doesn't happen if you're the captain of one of the two clubs. Bolduc has done this and the vitriolic response from Marianne fans tells you all you need to know about what they think of the move. His replacement is Calixte Morel and the former Coulommiers' number ten has an enormous amount of pressure on him to be a success straight away, from Marianne, the media and from himself too. He's an excellent player, but Bolduc's are big shoes to fill. Marianne also brought in the extremely promising Yvon Kel-Fetr, the midfielder - of Maghrebi descent - had a fantastic season with Perros-Guirec last year and his performances in the middle have earned him this move. Many believe he is more than capable of making the step up. Losing Bolduc is bad, but Marianne have replaced him with the next best thing in the form of Calixte Morel and the addition of Kel-Fetr in the middle is undoubtedly an improvement. If D'Aboville's men play as expected then they should wrest their title back from Racing Club this year: 1st..”

Pos.  Name               Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Huon Lavallée      26   PRH     8*
DL    Adrien David       26   PRH     6*
DC    Peverell Tétrault  25   PRH     9*
DC    Didier Lanoie      27   KET     6*
DR    Gauthier St-Jean   29   PRH     6*
DMC   Yvon Kel-Fetr      22   PRH     7*/10*  Also eligible for Ittihad al-Maghrib al-Arabi
DMC   Gilles Dubé        24   PRH     6*/7*
AML   Romain Ménard      26   PRH     10*
AMC   Calixte Morel      25   PRH     10*
AMR   Alexis Ruel        30   PRH     6*
ST    Germain Hétu       28   PRH     10*     Captain

Transfer Market.
In.
• Calixte Morel from Coulommiers to Marianne, FR 17,5 million
• Yvon Kel-Fetr from Perros-Guirec to Marianne, FR 12,5 million

Out.
• Serge Bolduc from Marianne to Racing Club, FR 20 million
• Javier Rousseau from Marianne to Union, FR 2,5 million

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Marianne are one of the historic big clubs of Prahecq, they have a truly nationwide fanbase and are a team that should regularly challenge for Le Championnat titles. They're from Jonzac, a proud industrial and multicultural city, that is arguably where modern Socialisme prahecqois was born. They have built-up a fierce sense of pride and an 'us versus them' attitude, particularly directed at Yvelines, showing that they can do it too in Jonzac. Marianne is a national symbol of La République Prahecqoise, the embodiment of liberty and reason and the club from Jonzac have chosen her to embody them as well.

They play in the colours of the flag of Prahecq: their shirt is the blue, trimmed with red and white, the shorts are white and the socks are blue; their away kit is all white. Marianne compete in two huge games in particular, the Derby du Nord against Espérance - a fierce battle between the two big northern city's main teams (indeed, Marianne are the only team from the whole of their region, showing the sheer size of the club). That is often an intense encounter but it shrinks in comparison to the biggest game in Prahecqois club football: Le Classique, versus Racing Club. It's the game between the two single biggest teams in the country and they are essentially polar opposites. Marianne are seen as the club of the people, traditionally left-wing and from a hard-working northern city. Racing Club are the club of the establishment in Yvelines, traditionally representing the middle and upper classes. It's an enormous game and it leads to a real pressure-cooker atmosphere when the two teams meet. Marianne are a financially strong club due to their size, fanbase, sponsorship agreements and large stadium. They will almost always be challenging for Le Championnat title and they're one of the three biggest clubs in Prahecq.

Fanbase: They have a nationwide fanbase and their popularity generally transcends social classes and levels of affluence. However, they are traditionally seen as the club of the people and this is a fact their fans play on and never fail to mention. They are also a hugely left-wing club, with the roots of socialism running deep within their city and region and the football team definitely do not escape that. That is a something they're hugely proud of, though. They have a few ultras groups, all being on the left of the political scale, a few having violent tendencies as well. The biggest is Brigade Bleue, they are proponents of Socialisme prahecqois and are known to be violent. There's also Tribune du Sud, a Marxist group, who are not as violent and Jungle Boys 67, who are left-wing liberals that aren't afraid of a scrap. Their fanbase is known to be one of the most passionate in the country.

Trophies won: 1 x Le Championnat (22/23); 1 x Coupe Prahecqoise (22/23); 1 x Coupe du Championnat (23/24)

General.
Club Reputation: National
Finances: Exceptional

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: State of the art
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: State of the art
Youth Academy: State of the art

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Exceptional
Transfer Market Skill: Good

Full name: Club de sport Oxocelhaya (Prahecqois French)/Kirol Kluba Otsozelaiako (Euskal)
Location: Oxocelhaya, Gurelurra
Stadium: San Ignazio Loiolakoa (Capacity: 50,000)
Manager: Anko Azcarraga, 56 years of age, prefers to send his teams out in a 4-3-3 formation. As demonstrated with the formation, Azcarraga is an extremely offensive-minded coach, he's also known for being able to really develop young players and help them reach their potential. Has had a couple of mixed seasons with the club, although the fans understand the difficulties he faces in only being able to select players of Euskal heritage. The big challenge for Azcarraga is converting the great potential of his team into tangible success.
Previous season: A 9th place finish in the league was pretty disappointing for Oxocelhaya last season, they had potential to finish much higher, although losing star striker Ekaitz Ybarra undoubtedly played a part. They know they aren't that far away from breaking into the top four, though, and that has to be the aim ahead of this season. Their Coupe Prahecqoise campaign was pretty dismal, finishing 4th in a weak Sud Ouest region but they did go on an impressive run in the Coupe du Championnat, going all the way to the final - they were unlucky to meet Marianne there as the Jonzac club crushed them 3-0.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “It’s always difficult for Oxocelhaya in the transfer market, their cantera policy makes it hard to find players to improve their squad as they have to be eligible under the cantera requirements and there’s not too many players that do that within Prahecq. This means they have to rely on their youth system and – whilst productive – it hasn’t produced too many top-level talents for a couple of years. Fabrice Icazatea does look like he could be a star though and he will be crucial to this team when they attack this season. It could be Eguzki Garrastazu’s last season, he’s 35 now and although he hasn’t shown too much in the way of decline, he is getting older and it can’t be easy trying to keep up with the pace of play at 35. The club have relaxed the cantera policy in recent years to include any player with a Euskal parent, which could indicate a willingness to sign players from Hatzlerdena’s Taldea A and that could include star players from the likes of Antiguoko, Abetxuko and Ekialdeko Ibaia. That could really improve Oxocelhaya’s fortunes, but for this season we see them improving on last year, but still not having that little bit extra needed for a top four spot: 5th, but look out for them to go on a cup run this season..”

Pos.  Name                  Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Ignace Chaput         27   PRH     6*
DL    Bizkargi Echechiquia  23   EHH     5*/7*
DC    Sendoa Iturburua      28   EHH     4*
DC    Etxauz Agorria        21   EHH     2*/6*
DR    Eguzki Garrastazu     35   PRH     6*      Captain
MC    Sixte (Delacroix)     26   PRH     6*
MC    Beñat (Bengoechea)    29   EHH     6*
AMC   Fabrice Icazatea      17   PRH     5*/10*
ST    Koldobika Zabala      21   PRH     4*/8*   Also eligible for Hatzlerdena
ST    Fabrice Echeverri     29   PRH     8*
ST    Checo                 17   PRH     4*/10*  Sabin Checonenea; also eligible for Hatzlerdena

MC    Paco Zarra            17   PRH     3*/10*  DMC/MC; also eligible for Hatzlerdena
DMC   Désiré Géroux         27   PRH     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
N/a

Out.
• Aloin Caouette from OXOCELHAYA to CLICHY - FR 2 million

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Oxocelhaya hail from the largest city of the region of Gurelurra in the far south-west of Prahecq. Gurelurra borders the nation of Hatzlerdena and shares most of its cultural and historic identity with their fellow Euskal from Hatzlerdena. Many in Gurelurra would prefer to see the region separate from Prahecq and become a part of Hatzlerdena. In Gurelurra (and therefore Oxocelhaya), they speak Euskal instead of French and the football club make this clear on their badge, using the initials of the club's name in Euskal rather than in French. Similarly, the club's badge also features the flag of Euskal people, which can also be seen on the flag of Hatzlerdena. This can be a sore topic for many Prahecqois who feel Gurelurra belong to Prahecq, but the Euskal people there feel very differently.

The club play in an all-red home kit and their away kit is a green and white striped shirt, white shorts and white socks. They compete in their local derby the Euskal Derbia against Isturitz, a fellow Euskal team. That game will not take place this season, however, due to Isturitz' presence in 2ème classification and the club have no other derby games or rivalries, although many around Prahecq do not like Gurelurra due to the separatist movement there and this can cause tension for Oxocelhaya at their games.

The club are financially below-par, often struggling with the management of the business side of the club. They have managed to construct a modern new stadium, though, which should benefit the club no end. They may need to sell a few of their better players in the coming few seasons to just get over the hill, but there is a light on the other side of the financial issues for the club. The club employ a cantera policy, whereby they can only play players who have been born in or have had their 'football education' in Gurelurra - this policy has been relaxed slightly in recent years to generally mean all players with one Euskal parent (whether from Gurelurra or Hatzlerdena), are eligible to play for the club too.

The cantera policy does mean they have a limited pool of players to choose from, but it's a policy they're enormously proud of and stick to no matter what. It does mean they often rely on their youth system and don't make too many transfers and avoid spending money that way. Oxocelhaya are a team who will consistently challenge the big three clubs, particularly in cup competitions but also in Le Championnat from time-to-time.

Fanbase: They have a large, passionate fanbase that follow their club around the country and they also draw a significant following from Hatzlerdena and that is why they're the only club that can truthfully say they have an 'international' reputation, despite Oxocelhaya not being anywhere near as big a club as say, Marianne, for example. Many say that for people from the city, attending the football at the weekend is on a par with attending Church (with Gurelurra being highly religious, this demonstrates the importance of the sport in the city), and they often compare the stadium, the San Ignazio Loiolakoa, to a cathedral. Their fanbase is obviously somewhat limited to the region they hail from, but they do also draw fans from the Euskal diaspora around the country. Their main ultras group is called Haserrea and they're a left-wing Euskal nationalist group, although they do have fan friendships with other left-wing ultras groups round Prahecq. They're known to have fiercely violent clashes with most of the right-wing groups around the country when they meet on match days.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: International
Finances: Poor

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: State of the art
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: Good
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Club de football Perros-Guirec
Location: Perros-Guirec, Breizh
Stadium: Stade Guivarc'h (Capacity: 16,000)
Manager: Ewen Tiercelin is the 41 year old manager of Perros-Guirec. He uses an unusual 4-3-2-1 formation and is lauded for his trust in young players and skills in developing them to their full potential. He achieved promotion with Perros-Guirec in the 22/23 season, with an exceptionally young squad, showing exactly why he is thought to be the next thing in management within Prahecq. In his first season with Perros-Guirec in Le Championnat, he took the club to an astonishing 4th place as they comfortably mixed it with the likes of Marianne and Champex du Lac in the international competitions spots. An incredible first season in the top-flight for the Breton club.
Previous season: As mentioned, an exceptional first season in Le Championnat for Perros-Guirec as they finish 4th. They were never in the race for the title but that was never their aim, they performed way above expectations and can only be credited for that. It will be interesting to see how they cope without Lauri Mordelet, the assistant manager was important to them last season. Their performances in the cup competitions were nowhere near as impressive, falling at the first hurdle in both as they finished 3rd in the Nord regional in the Coupe Prahecqoise and fell to a 1-0 aggregate defeat against Olympique Orthez in the Coupe du Championnat.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Perros-Guirec had an astonishingly good season last year and it will be extremely difficult for them to replicate that performance this season, but they will be pleased if they can just get near the level they did. It will be difficult for them, Lauri Mordelet has left the club and the former assistant manager was a key part of Ewen Tiercelin’s coaching staff – it will be interesting to see exactly how big a hole he has left this season. Along with that, they have lost two of their better players, Yvon Kel-Fetr left to play for Marianne and Damien Jeannin for the south coast and Douanes. They did at least replace each player, Thomas Lanteigne, the big Crelaander forward came in as part-exchange for Jeannin and Perros-Guirec made a really ambitious signing in signing Ketioulais midfielder Sennet Béland from Racing Club. He doesn’t have quite as high a ceiling as Kel-Fetr, but Béland is a player who has won Le Championnat at the age of 24 and he has that bit of quality that can really help this young side. A few of the youngsters that starred in last season’s 4th place finish are rumoured to have stalled in their development slightly, so the task for Tiercelin is trying to coax the players to show their true potential. They won’t repeat last season, but nobody is expecting them to do that, we think they’ll stay up though: 14th. There’s a cluster of teams around that area of the table that are all very similar in terms of quality, so don’t be too shocked if Perros-Guirec do finish a little further removed from the relegation zone than we have predicted...”

Pos.  Name                 Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Ivi Lagadeuc         19   PRH     5*/10*
DL    Bakar Ochoa          29   EHH     4*
DC    Francois Berthelot   33   PRH     4*      Captain
DC    Maodez Touellec      21   PRH     5*/9*
DR    Gaetan Malet         20   PRH     3*/8*
DMC   Sennet Béland        24   KET     6*/7*
MC    Pascal Vandame       20   PRH     2*/7*
MC    Goeuznou Talbourdet  23   PRH     5*/7*
AMC   Milo Bozonnet        19   PRH     2*/8*
AMC   Jake Le Goaziou      21   PRH     3*/7*
ST    Thomas Lanteigne     27   CRE     6*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Thomas Lanteigne from Douanes to Perros-Guirec, exchange for Damien Jeannin
• Sennet Béland from Racing Club to Perros-Guirec, FR 7,5 million

Out.
• Damien Jeannin from Perros-Guirec to Douanes, FR 7,5 million plus Thomas Lanteigne
• Yvon Kel-Fetr from Perros-Guirec to Marianne, FR 12,5 million

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Perros-Guirec are the second-biggest club within Breizh, the region that speaks Breton and asks for a little more autonomy from the Prahecqois government without going to the extent of full seperation like the Euskal of Gurelurra. The team represents that regional identity on the football pitch as well, including in their kit. Their home kit has the ubiquitously Breton colours of black and white; with a shirt with black and white hoops, white shorts and blacks socks with a single red hoop near the top. The away kit is a red shirt with two yellow stripes down the middle, black shorts and white socks.

The club's biggest rivalry is with fellow Breton team SS Plumelec and games between the two clubs are a particularly fiery affair, the game is known as the Derby du Breizh. Perros-Guirec are team with well-known links to left-wing politics, with the red flag forming a part of their badge. The club were set-up by the city's trade unions to give the working people of the city something to do in their spare time and that link has prevailed until the present day, with left-wing flags waved on the terraces and left-wing songs sung too. The club's finances are average, but Perros-Guirec are well-run, they are just unlikely to be able to pay big transfer fees with any regularity.

Fanbase: Very well supported within Perros-Guirec and Breizh more widely too, they regularly pack out their stadium and its often very difficult to find a ticket for their games. They draw fans of all social and economic backgrounds, but with their left-wing trade union history they do tend to be linked more with politically left-wing people. Their supporters are normally well-behaved, although they do have a small hooligan element and their large ultras group are named after the area of the ground the inhabit: SEKTOR 11, often stylised with a couple of backwards letters in a homage to famous Mytanar ultra groups.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Local
Finances: Average

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Poor
Pitch Condition: Abysmal
Training Facilities: Good
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Good
Youth Recruitment: Exceptional
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Racing Club
Location: Hugo, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Colisée de Yvelines (Capacity: 53,000)
Manager: Jasmin Calvet, aged 67, prefers to send his teams out in the 4-3-3 formation. He isn't afraid to spend money to improve his teams, known as a bit of a chequebook manager and he's also very out-spoken in the media, letting everybody know just what he thinks. He's also the oldest manager in Le championnat this season. Took Racing Club to the league title last season, his biggest success as a manager.
Previous season: They won the league title with a new record points total and that is something the club's fans shall lord over Marianne and Douanes until somebody else manages to improve upon that record. They were impressive in the league, their stout defence being the foundation for them to go on and win Le Championnat. In the Coupe Prahecqoise they qualified handily out of the Île-de-Prahecq region and then smashed Douanes in the first round before looking mysteriously off-colour in their semi-final loss to Champex. Their Coupe du Championnat performance was less mysterious as they were tactically out-classed by SS Plumelec over two legs, the Breton side's counter-attacking approach causing Racing Club in both legs of the tie, their poor finishing restricted it to a 1-0 aggregate scoreline.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Well, Racing Club won the title last season and they have not been messing about as they’ve looked to improve their squad over the summer in order to retain it. Adding Serge Bolduc – pretty much the consensus best player in Prahecq – to the starting line-up seemed impossible before the summer, but now he’s here in Yvelines after crossing the divide between Marianne and Racing Club. Some Racing Club fans are pleased, goading their great rivals from the north about how their best player didn’t even want to stay despite their famous history and atmosphere; other Racing Club supporters are slightly confused about the signing and don’t know how to feel, Bolduc is a former Marianne player after all. Beyond the Bolduc signing, Racing Club also added Yannic Charbonneau, the young Maccabi goalkeeper has had a couple of great seasons with that club and this step up seems to have come at the perfect time in his young career. Finally, the addition of Erwann-Gaétan Géroux provides them with yet more pace in attack and Racing Club look exceptionally dangerous when going forwards. Even more dangerous than before, which is perhaps saying something. The three new signings will benefit them no end in their quest to retain the title, but we feel that Marianne are just ever so slightly the better side this season – Racing Club will be disappointed with 2nd..”

Pos.  Name                  Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Yannic Charbonneau    22   PRH     5*/8*
DL    Gabriel Beaudoin      23   PRH     6*/8*
DC    Fiacre Boisclair      26   PRH     6*
DC    Olivier Leclair       32   PRH     4*
DR    Antoine Guédry        28   PRH     8*      Captain
MC    Leverett Guernon      20   PRH     7*/10*
MC    Sidney Allai          23   PRH     9*/10*
AMC   Serge Bolduc          28   PRH     10*
ST    Somer St-Pierre       25   PRH     10*
ST    Ekaitz Ybarra         26   EHH     10*
ST    Erwann-Gaétan Géroux  23   PRH     7*/9*

MC    Ange Doisneau         22   PRH     2*/5*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Yannic Charbonneau from Maccabi to Racing Club, FR 5 million
• Serge Bolduc from Marianne to Racing Club, FR 20 million
• Erwann-Gaétan Géroux from SS Plumelec to Racing Club, FR 10 million

Out.
• Gill Lamarre from Racing Club to Clichy-sous-Bois, FR 1 million
• Matthieu Le Sueur from Racing Club to Coulommiers, FR 2,5 million
• Bernard Bussière from Racing Club to Étoile Rouge, FR 1 million
• Sennet Béland from Racing Club to Perros-Guirec, FR 7,5 million

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Racing Club are the last of the three real big clubs in Le Championnat that we have yet to preview ahead of this season. Racing Club are often seen as the club of the establishment of the capital city, Yvelines. They historically represented the middle and upper classes of their city, being a club that required a membership fee when they were first founded. They play in a matte black home strip with blue trim and their away kit being the reverse. The club's mythology is that they are the heir to the famous Roman chariot racers who competed at the Circus Maximus and that is ostensibly the reasoning behind their badge as well.

They have a few big games that they compete in, the biggest of which is undoubtedly Le Classique against Marianne. The battle between the two biggest clubs of Prahecq and one that is based on more than just the size of the clubs, with it being Yvelines vs. the nation; the establishment vs. the people etc. Racing Club also contest La Lutte against Douanes, a game which is often seen as a battle between the richer and more industrialised north and the poorer, more agricultural, rural south (not entirely true given Douanes are from an important port city, but the romanticism adds to the occasion). Finally there is the big local derby for Racing Club against Stade Yvelines in the Derby de Capitaux, this is a game that did simply come about by virtue of the two teams being the biggest from the capital city. Games against other Yvelinois clubs are always fiery too.

Racing Club are financially incredibly strong, being able to purchase nearly any Prahecqois player they want, with the only stumbling block being the player's desire - because they can always afford the player. Racing Club will always compete for titles and will spend money to make sure they are competitive, too.

Fanbase: Their fanbase is truly nationwide, similar to Douanes and Marianne in that sense. Again, it does transend social classes and levels of affluence, but it is traditionally the club of the middle and upper classes and indeed the establishment and this perception has stuck with the club - with it often being a point of derision for rival clubs. Racing Club fans often put it down to jealousy, given their exceptional financial situation and position as one of the biggest clubs in the country.

They're known as a team of a centre-right political persuasion due to their links with the establishment. Their best known ultras group Tempête de la Capitale, are known to be right-wing, often displaying fascist symbols in their flags and tifos - something the commercial side of the club attempt to dissociate themsleves with. They are also violent and clashes with Douanes and Marianne are the stuff of legend. There are other groups of course, including the apolitical CCD'A and the obviously left-leaning Racing Club Left Side, but they aren't as big as Tempête de la Capitale and often struggle for space on the terraces against them.

Trophies won: 1 x Le Championnat (23/24)

General.
Club Reputation: National
Finances: Exceptional

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Good
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: State of the art
Youth Academy: State of the art

Recruitment.
Scouting: Exceptional
Youth Recruitment: Exceptional
Transfer Market Skill: Good

Full name: Société sportive de Plumelec
Location: Plumelec, Breizh
Stadium: Breizh Park (Capacity: 36,000)
Manager: Arzhael Miossec, 43, is a promising young manager who usually utilises a simple 4-4-2 formation. He is already building a burgeoning reputation for being something of a youth expert, trusting his young charges and developing their ability at the same time. Has taken his team to repeatedly solid finishes, although the challenge is now to move forward from that and try to break into those international competitions spots, although this could be difficult for SS Plumelec.
Previous season: They finished exactly where we predicted them to finish in 7th last year. That area of the table was extremely congested, though, and they must feel like they can move up a couple of places with some intelligent signings (more on that later, but it's disappointing news for SS Plumelec fans). In the Coupe Prahecqoise they finished top of the Nord region after a great run of form, but they faltered in the first round of the closing stage, losing to Champex over two games. The Coupe du Championnat saw them get all the way to the semi-finals, only to lose to Oxocelhaya. Cup competitions could be where SS Plumelec find their joy this season.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “The question for SS Plumelec is, perennially, when are they going to step up and consistently stake a claim for a top four spot? It hasn’t happened yet and many are beginning to wonder if they are content to finish just outside the top four with solid performances but never really challenging any higher up the table, content with the odd cup run here or there. The fans in Plumelec are loyal and patient and this perhaps gives the club’s board licence to do this, at other clubs it would not be accepted. The sale of Géroux perhaps represents a lack of ambition, they haven’t replaced the forward either with manager Arzhael Miossec preferring to change formation and introduce the majestically named Joann-Loick Kerguehennec (try saying that after a few beers!), to the starting line-up. Kerguehennec has quality too and this formation change will give opponents something different to think about. SS Plumelec have the issue of an extremely inexperienced goalkeeper this season, Klaud Thoraval is rumoured to have a lot of potential, but he’s been thrust into the starting job due to Vincent Reyer’s retirement at the end of last season. It could be difficult for the young goalkeeper. With a few clever additions SS Plumelec could try to break the big three’s stranglehold on the league, but that’s not going to happen this season – they’ll finish around their regular spot in the table, we’re predicting 6th and perhaps a cup run, as always. Any other prediction would mean the board had changed their outlook and had perhaps tried to improve the playing squad to a level where they might challenge the established order in Le Championnat, it’s not going to be this year, however..”

Pos.  Name                      Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Klaud Thoraval            17   PRH     2*/10*
DL    Sezny Le Menn             21   PRH     2*/6*
DC    Jérôme Babin              34   PRH     6*
DC    Levan Rouault             18   PRH     5*/10*  Also eligible for Pobreznicara
DR    Fabrice Savatier          30   PRH     4*
ML    Rosaire Martel            28   PRH     4*      Brother of Valéry Martel
MC    Valéry Martel             26   PRH     6*      Captain; brother of Rosaire Martel
MC    Dan Gagnon                24   PRH     7*/8*
MR    Jud Sauvageau             22   CRE     6*/9*
AMC   Joann-Loick Kerguehennec  19   PRH     7*/10*  MC/AMC
ST    Léonard Faure             21   PRH     7*/10*

DC    Jason Bonheur             32   CRE     2*
ML    Bleizou Kerrien           17   PRH     3*/10*

Transfer Market.
In.
N/a

Out.
• Erwann-Gaétan Géroux from SS Plumelec to Racing Club, FR 10 million

Retirements.
• Vincent Reyer (GK), 36

Club information: They're the biggest club from the north-western region of Breizh. Breizh is an odd region in that it speaks a different language to the rest of the country in the form of Breton (similarly to Gurelurra and its Euskal language), however, it does not want to proactively separate from the rest of Prahecq in the same way Gurelurra wants to join Hatzlerdena. They just want a bit more autonomy within the current system, most of the time. It has a different heritage to the rest of Prahecq, with distinctly Celtic influences.

SS Plumelec play in a brick red and black hooped home shirt, black socks and hooped socks with the same colours. Their away kit is a yellow shirt with white trim, black shorts and yellow socks. They have a local derby within their region in the feisty Derby du Breizh in which they compete against Perros-Guirec. It is a rivalry that has been violently renewed in Le Championnat in recent years. SS Plumelec run their finances impeccably, they never have an issue with them and have been able to develop their facilities and stadium as a result.

Fanbase: Their fans are loyal and loud, they draw a strong fanbase from their home region and are popular in neighbouring Ariege also due to the relative lack of strength of the clubs from there. Their fans are known as some of the best at travelling in Prahecq and they're generally well-behaved and unaggressive as well, which is a bonus for the police that welcome them to their towns when SS Plumelec are in town. Their largest ultras group is Plumelec Celtic Kop, they're a noisy bunch and well known for making some of the best choreographies, too. They're left-leaning economically, often bringing attention to political issues in the stands. Their fans are generally quite affluent, but their support does cut across social classes within the region due to their nature as a representative of Breizh.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Interregional
Finances: Good

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Good
Pitch Condition: State of the art
Training Facilities: Good
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Average
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Good

Full name: Stade Yvelines
Location: Camus, Yvelines, Île-de-Prahecq
Stadium: Stade Yvelines (Capacity: 20,000)
Manager: Auguste Marchal, 47, usually sets his team out in a 4-4-2 formation. He has gained a reputation for playing counter-attacking football and trusting young players with responsibility. Marchal has garnered a reputation for being a very intelligent manager, especially when it comes to organised defensive players and coaching his team's transitions. They often win the ball back with ferocious vigour before speedily counter-attacking and it is an extremely dangerous proposition for opponents to deal with.
Previous season: Finished 6th and they will be slightly disappointed to have not quite scraped their way into an international competitions spot, they were only three points off one. They also had the best defence in the league, which is certainly something to shout about. They were knocked out at the regional stage in the Coupe Prahecqoise and by Aubaix in the first round of the Coupe du Championnat. Cup competitions didn't treat Stade Yvelines too well last season.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Stade Yvelines are always an interesting team to analyse, Auguste Marchal is an intelligent manager whose counter-attacking style often melds well with the young players that the club is able to bring through. They have improved their squad in various ways this summer, Aaron Riqueti and Raphael Corriveau have been brought in from relegated Olympique Orthez – a club Stade Yvelines were happy to pillage for their better players following their demotion to the second tier. Valérien Béringer was signed on a free from Champex too. There doesn’t seem to be the same aura around Stade this season, they don’t seem to be quite as threatening as they were last year. It’s strange because they haven’t really lost any of their better players, but it may be more a case of teams starting to work their tactics out towards the end of last season. If that’s the case, Marchal will have a tough job on his hands to change the tactics and try to get the best from his players. They have a reasonable team here though and we think they’ll finish comfortably mid-table in 7th. The progress of young players like Artois, Gigot and Ajanovic will perhaps be the most interesting thing about the club this season..”

Pos.  Name               Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Turner Artois      21   PRH     5*/9*   Captain
DL    Loann Fandeau      24   PRH     5*/6*
DC    Alphonse Panetier  25   PRH     4*
DC    Gaetan Labbé       27   PRH     6*
DR    Jean-Louis Gigot   21   PRH     3*/7*
ML    Raphael Corriveau  30   PRH     6*      ML/AML
MC    Guerin Primeau     26   PRH     6*
MC    Sefir Ajanovic     16   PRH     3*/10*  Also eligible for Mytanija
MR    Valérien Béringer  31   PRH     4*      ML/MR/AML
ST    Aaron Riqueti      23   PRH     5*/7*
ST    D'Arcy Clavet      26   PRH     8*

MR    Edgar Jauffret     21   PRH     2*/6*
ST    Talbot Larivière   30   PRH     2*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Valérien Béringer from Champex du Lac to Stade Yvelines, free transfer
• Raphael Corriveau from Olympique Orthez to Stade Yvelines, FR 2,5 million
• Aaron Riqueti from Olympique Orthez to Stade Yvelines, FR 2,5 million

Out.
• Soren Sansouci from Stade Yvelines to Jeanne d'Arc, FR 1 million

Retirements.
• Hugo Renaud (MR), 35

Club information: Stade Yvelines are a medium-sized club from the capital city of Prahecq. They play at their eponymous stadium in red and white striped home shirts, white shorts and red socks. Their away kit is a black shirt accented with red, black shorts and black socks. Whilst all games between Yvelinois clubs are fiercely competitive and often have a tendency to boil over, causing referees to dish out cards like there's no tomorrow, Stade Yvelines have one particular rivalry with a fellow Yvelinois club and that is with Racing Club. This is because the two clubs are historically the two biggest from the city, usually being the ones who are most successful (although Stade have historically been in Racing Club's shadow - along with all the other Yvelinois teams). The Derby de Capitaux is usually a pretty good game, along with the passion and atmosphere that comes with a local derby. Their finances are usually pretty good, but they often have to sell their best players to make that the case. They are known as a fairly mid-table side that produce some good young players

Fanbase: Stade Yvelines are often seen as the second club of Yvelines, but it's difficult to pit them against their rivals Racing Club in the same way you can pit Marianne against Racing Club, i.e. two clubs that are diametrically opposed to one another, polar opposites, the complete antithesis of each other. Stade Yvelines draw their fans from all social classes, all races, religions, cultures etc. Their fanbase is just smaller than Racing Club's. Having said that, it is still one of the larger ones in the country and arguably the second biggest fanbase from Yvelines. They do have an ultras group - Pyro 13, but they're apolitical and don't tend to be that violent.

Trophies won: None

General.
Club Reputation: Regional
Finances: Average

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Poor
Pitch Condition: Average
Training Facilities: Good
Youth Academy: Good

Recruitment.
Scouting: Exceptional
Youth Recruitment: Good
Transfer Market Skill: Average

Full name: Club sportif de l'union des travailleurs agricoles
Location: Vesoul, Cherolles
Stadium: Stade Union (Capacity: 15,000)
Manager: Étienne Loup is the 47 year old manager of Union. He usually plays in a 4-4-2 formation and is known to use long-ball build-up player. He is also known as a wheeler dealer in the transfer market. He was manager when they got relegated down to the second tier, but he's now brought them back up and will be hoping to improve on the showing his team offered last time they were in Le Championnat. Loup is a well-respected individual within the Prahecqois game.
Previous season: They won the 2ème Classification and returned to the top-flight. It is arguable that Union weren't the best team in the second tier last season, but that didn't matter as they accumulated the most points. They simply outlasted Clichy-sous-Bois in the title race and that meant they return to Le Championnat as champions. They finished a distant 5th in the Sud Ouest regional in the Coupe Prahecqoise, a disappointing showing, but they were concentrated on their major goal - promotion - and they achieved it which was the most important thing for the Cherolais club.

Season Preview.

L'Action: “Trying to stay in Le Championnat as a promoted side is always difficult, it’s especially difficult when your finances are not the greatest and that is the situation Union find themselves in this season. They have spent FR 6 million on four players in an attempt to improve their squad to a point where they will be able to stay up, but many are doubtful it will be enough. Rousseau is probably the pick of the signings, having won all three cup competitions at some point in his time at Marianne. He’ll add experience and creativity in the middle of the pitch. Anthony Lesage, the Nieuw Crelaand forward, will have to strike up a good partnership with Pierre, goals are so important to teams embroiled in relegation scraps and they truly do come at a premium. Union are a fairly big club in the sense that they have a decently-sized fanbase that is one of the most loyal in Prahecq, they created plenty of noise at home games and always fill out the ground. The issue is just that they don’t have the personnel nor the money to ever place much higher than the lower end of Le Championnat. If they can stay up this season and begin to establish themselves in the top-flight once again, they may be able to break the cycle they’re stuck in. It would also mean they’d have a chance at trying to keep the promising full-back Francois Sardou. We don’t think they’ve got the quality required to stay up this year though, it’ll be sad to see them return to the second tier though: 16th..”

Pos.  Name                  Age  Nation  CA/PA   Notes
GK    Raymond L'Angelier    38   PRH     4*
DL    Francois Sardou       18   PRH     4*/10*  Also eligible for Ketiou
DC    Christophe Pelletier  34   PRH     4*      Captain
DC    Emmanuel Sailhot      32   KET     1*
DR    Floris Dubois         30   PRH     2*
ML    Ignace Landry         34   PRH     4*
MC    Javier Rousseau       29   PRH     4*
MR    Pierre Bonheur        27   PRH     4*
ST    Anthony Lesage        29   CRE     4*
ST    Hervé Pierre          25   PRH     5*

Transfer Market.
In.
• Pierre Bonheur from Coulommiers to Union, FR 1,5 million
• Anthony Lesage from Étoile Rouge to Union, FR 0,5 million
• Ignace Landry from Isturitz to Union, FR 1,5 million
• Javier Rousseau from Marianne to Union, FR 2,5 million

Out.
N/a

Retirements.
N/a

Club information: Union were founded as the club that represented the agricultural union of the town of Vesoul. They are obviously beyond that now, but it makes for a nice story and it certainly makes sense when you consider the rural nature of the region they are from. Cherolles as a region is mostly expanses of countryside with only two cities, Vesoul and Epinal. Epinal is the place from which Union's biggest local rivals come from and the two clubs compete in the Derby du Cherolles, which is often a bad-tempered clash. Union usually play in their home kit, a white shirt accented with gold, gold shorts and black socks. Their away kit is red and blue stripes, blue shorts and socks. They often struggle financially, similarly to their local rivals Epinal.

Fanbase: They have a reasonably big fanbase, which is why it is quite sad to see them struggling. Their fans are often seen as stupid oafs from the countryside, but that doesn't last long when they quickly turn over anybody near them. With that being said, their hooligan problem is one of the worst in Prahecq. Their fans are notorious for violence, so much so that their ultras group are known as Les Fossoyeurs which translates in English as 'The Gravediggers', perhaps demonstrating just how brutal they are. Union's fans tend to be fairly poor, but they are known to be loyal.

Trophies won: 1 x 2ème Classification (23/24)

General.
Club Reputation: Regional
Finances: Abysmal

Facilities.
Stadium Condition: Poor
Pitch Condition: Abysmal
Training Facilities: Poor
Youth Academy: Abysmal

Recruitment.
Scouting: Average
Youth Recruitment: Average
Transfer Market Skill: Abysmal

[Republique Prahecqoise]

24/25 Season Review.

by Loïc Bardin and Mathieu Frère

The third season of Prahecqois football is complete and in the books and that means we have another season of action to review across Le Championnat and 2ème Classification, along with in the cup competitions. Last season was interesting, with Racing Club firing back at their great rivals Marianne by winning the league for the first time themselves. Douanes were nowhere to be seen and replaced their manager over the summer. We had a surprise winner in the Coupe Prahecqoise, in the form of Espérance and Marianne did what they do best when they lifted another trophy: this time the Coupe du Championnat. This season, the interesting thing could well be the battle at the top of the table. Racing Club won the title last time out but Marianne will surely be resurgent despite losing the league's consensus best player Serge Bolduc (the replacement? Calixte Morel of course), and this season could be the first that we really see Douanes make a go of it with manager Lauri Mordelet taking on his first job as the main man and it couldn't really get much bigger. The supporters in Orthez are expectant. Let's see what happened:

Le Championnat Review.

## Le Championnat        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Marianne               30   20   6   4    66   32  +34    66  C, UICA CC, AFFE CC
02 Douanes                30   19   4   7    49   28  +21    61  UICA GC, AFFE CC
03 Racing Club            30   17   8   5    45   30  +15    59  UICA GC, AFFE CC
04 Oxocelhaya             30   14   9   7    68   58  +10    51  UICA GC
05 Aubaix                 30   14   7   9    35   27   +8    49
06 Champex du Lac         30   12   6  12    47   36  +11    42
07 Clichy-sous-Bois       30   11   7  12    36   44   −8    40
08 SS Plumelec            30   10   8  12    43   47   −4    38
09 Coulommiers            30   10   8  12    42   50   −8    38
10 Maccabi                30    9  10  11    21   21    0    37
11 Stade Yvelines         30   10   7  13    28   31   −3    37
12 Espérance              30   10   4  16    37   51  −14    34
13 Étoile Rouge           30    8   9  13    36   47  −11    33
14 Perros-Guirec          30    7   9  14    31   44  −13    30
15 Jeunesse               30    5  10  15    22   38  −16    25  R
16 Union                  30    4   8  18    31   53  −22    20  R

Marianne throw their counter punch against Racing Club's title from last season by taking what they perceive to be their league crown back, setting a new record points total as they did it (also matching the record winning margin of 5 points set last season too).

Marianne were imperious this season and their football was excellent throughout, only outscored by the all-out-attack Euskals Oxocelhaya. Marianne's reputation as the 'club of the people' will probably only increase if they continue to entertain in such a fashion in future seasons, especially if they keep winning trophies whilst doing so. Calixte Morel made the step-up from Coulommiers to the Jonzac club almost seamlessly, replacing Serge Bolduc and driving his new side towards the league title. He scored 10 goals, assisting 18 and was instrumental in everything good that Marianne did this year. Germain Hétu also led the league in goal scoring with 19 and he truly captained the side from the front, relentlessly pressing opponents and making them make mistakes. Defensively, Marianne weren't quite as impressive as they were in attack, possessing only the 6th meanest defence in Le Championnat. That could perhaps be an area for improvement for D'Aboville's men, although it is worth noting that due to the performances of Yvon Kel-Fetr, they did not need to be perfect defensively every game as the midfielder was everywhere for them - breaking up the play and the opposition's rhythm. There is also interest in an improvement down the right too, with many at the club believing Alexis Ruel's time at the club has come to an end. The 30 year old has been an invaluable asset for the club, but there are signs of decline there now. There have been noises about interest in a move for Mytanar national team winger Sinisa Nikic, who is of course a Top League winner with Ararat. Whether he can be persuaded to make a move to the Estanian Union and more specifically Prahecq remains to be seen.

Douanes finally made it into a title race, Lauri Mordelet bringing stability to the Orthez club's defence after years of them being picked off by teams and it showed as they were well and truly in a title fight for much of the season. The question for him now has to be how do they go that one step further and bring the title to the south coast? They weren't quite as impressive going forwards this year and that perhaps could be as a result of the increased focus on keeping it tight at the back. Another season with Mordelet in charge could see that remedied, though, with the players knowing exactly how to carry out his instructions and perhaps being more comfortable with the more balanced game he brings to the table. It will be interesting to see if they add anyone over the summer as their team is fairly solid across the board and it could be difficult to make improvements that represent good value for money - the club's board has indicated that they would be interested in scouting out some of the lesser leagues within the Estanian Union for transfer targets as they do not want to pay over the odds for minor improvements. This could mean a few interesting signings for Douanes, with rumours emerging that they have had scouts at games in locations as widely scattered as Ketiou to Nua Fodhla and from Aztlano to Ramieska.

Racing Club will be enormously disappointed that they ceded their title to their greatest rivals Marianne and made it so easy for them. The gap of 7 points may not seem like too much but it meant that Racing Club were out of the title race quite early, they just were not efficient enough when compared to Marianne. It's worth noting that their total of 59 points would have been good enough for 2nd last year, demonstrating an uptick in performance at the top of the table as it was only good enough for 3rd this season. They were still solid defensively, only conceding two more goals when compared to last year - but they continue to have problems when going the other way. They were worse than last season going forwards and it showed as teams around them (notably Marianne and Oxocelhaya), found the net for fun at times. Something isn't quite gelling with their strike force, St-Pierre and Ybarra have had two seasons playing together now and the addition of Géroux alongside them and Bolduc behind them to create chances was meant to increase their potency. So far it has not. It will be interesting to see what they do over the summer, but one thing is for sure, Jasmin Calvet must win the league title next season. The board have issued an ultimatum regarding that and that is the bare minimum for him to retain his job, the pressure is well and truly on the 67 year old.

Oxocelhaya had an outstanding season, scoring the most goals in Le Championnat whilst simultaneously conceding the most, the result being that they finished in the top four and qualified to the UICA Globe Cup. It's always difficult for Oxocelhaya given their cantera policy, but they seem to consistently produce talented players and place well in the league. The slight relaxation of the policy - announced at the beginning of the season - could see an influx of the most talented Euskal players from Hatzlerdena. They could do with a few defenders, so that could be a promising avenue for them to explore. The truth is that Oxocelhaya could mount a serious push for the title if they can shore up their leaky defence, 15 points behind Marianne may seem like an insurmountable gap but a more consistent defensive unit could go some way to bridging that gap. They have some talented young players and an experienced main man up front in the form of Fabrice Echeverri. Manager Anko Azcarraga plays an exciting brand of football. They have the pieces for something seriously exciting at the San Ignazio Loiolakoa, it's just whether they can make the next step - similarly to Douanes.

Aubaix are another team that performed above expectations this year and a lot of that was down to Jonathan Dufort in net, the goalkeeper continues to impress for his boyhood club and it's beginning to look like he may not leave in the future after all. He is well loved at the club and people have started to ask why would he want to leave? If the club can consistently challenge in this area of the table, the question may become moot. Alexandre St-Martin also enjoyed a good first season with the club, scoring 15 goals in his 30 games, a fine return for the young forward who is expected to be one of the best in Prahecq one day. Look for Adver Simselevic to begin to play a bigger role next season, the 18 year old played mainly off the bench this year but the young Mytanar (who is also eligible for Prahecq), looks ready for bigger responsibility and it is believed Jean-Joël Granet is prepared to give him some serious playing time next season. Granet is a really good manager and is starting to demonstrate it more regularly now, the fact his team were a win away from Globe Cup football showing his talent. The club's board would do well to show some ambition in the transfer market over the summer to try and keep Granet before someone decides to poach their manager from under their noses (Racing Club have been mentioned, naturellement).

Champex du Lac will be particularly sore at finishing 6th because their greatest rivals Aubaix managed to finish above them! Gilles Plessis is starting to feel the pressure in the Haute-Alpes and it is easy to see why. The club's board expect them to be in the top four and this under performance is particularly galling given Aubaix's presence a whole 7 points ahead of them. Gigi Vaillancour's 17 league goals were impressive, but the team were not quite as impressive defensively as they were last season and just generally more inconsistent, too. The lack of silverware is also beginning to concern the club's board, they believe they should probably have lifted a trophy at this point in Plessis' tenure at the club, but they still have nothing to show for it. Similarly to Jasmin Calvet at Racing Club, next season could be Plessis' last. The club are also wary of backing him in the transfer market and are rumoured to have told Plessis that they will only make one transfer over the summer, instructing him in no uncertain terms to work with what he has.

Clichy-sous-Bois were impressive in their debut season in the top-flight, defying expectations by finishing all the way up in 7th. Jasno Odonelec was - unsurprisingly - impressive as ever, creative as ever in his number ten role and also being a combative presence. The only blot on his copybook was a red card in the derby against Espérance, a second bookable offence after he had hit a late winner, tore his top off and jumped into the Clichy ultras section. He didn't seem to mind one bit, though, as they won the game that was considered to be the most important game of their season. Something that will have carried a similar level of important for the Odonelec brothers and the rest of the team, Clichy also finished 5 places higher in the league table. There is certainly no love lost between the two clubs in Rouen and Odonelec's celebrations will have done nothing to soothe that situation. In terms of Clichy's season, despite their solid placement in the league table, their defence clearly needs some work and that could result in some moves that could lead to some unsavoury reactions from the club's fans. The likes of Youssef Hamou and Abdoulaye Keita are club icons, but if they want to really move up the table, they need some better options in defence (Richelieu at right-back and Genin in central midfield could also be candidates to be replaced).

SS Plumelec will be disappointed to finish 8th, but Arzhael Miossec is building for the long-term in Breizh and the sale of Géroux undoubtedly hurt them a little bit. They will have taken some heart from the performances of youngster Joann-Loick Kerguehennec and if they can keep producing young players of his calibre they will return to a position a little higher up the table fairly quickly. It's sometimes unclear exactly how Miossec wants his side to play and whilst his ability in developing young players is inarguable, he could do with some improvement in the tactical side of his management. SS Plumelec are outmatched tactically a little too often and it's something Miossec has acknowledged, so he will be working hard on that over the summer. There is perhaps a need to refresh the squad ever so slightly too with a couple of experienced heads to complement the talented youngsters, for too often have the club been reliant on Valéry Martel to drag the side forward and the captain cannot do it all by himself. SS Plumelec have the resources to make some solid additions, it's just whether the club's board have the ambition.

Coulommiers were without their star man for the first time ever this season, Calixte Morel moving on to pastures anew and winning the league title. C'est la vie. They didn't have too many issues without him, though, Zaim Partyka stepped up admirably and was a menace for defences as he got in between the lines and regularly unleashed vicious shots from outside the box. His most impressive goal of the season was scored in this manner, a curled effort from all of 23 metres. Defensively they were rather poor, though, and that is definitely an area for Phil Mossé to work on over the summer. Young goalkeeper Samir Oufkir made some outstanding saves, but the players in front of him aren't really up to scratch and that is the issue for Coulommiers.

Maccabi continue to do the remarkable and stay in Le Championnat with their ragtag band of has-beens and never-will-bes. Phil Gagnon is a genius at coaching defensive football, his side only conceded 21 goals in 30 games and it was this incredible defence that has allowed them to stay so completely safe from relegation. Their tactic of signing experienced players on free transfers and signing the better players from relegated sides really is bearing fruit. This season is the furthest away from the relegation zone they have ever been and Gagnon is now being tasked with making sure the club don't get involved in relegation battles. Maccabi don't have too much money but the club believe Gagnon can continue to deliver and they're happy enough to endure his specific style of anti-football in order to reap the benefits of a solid position within the league table. The club's supporters also believe the manager can do no wrong, but surely at some point they must insist that they start to at least try and play some better football? Gavriel Shimshelewitz had another outstanding season and Marianne have shown interest in the full-back, keeping hold of him may be Maccabi's main job over the summer.

Stade Yvelines had a very poor season and if Auguste Marchal hadn't earned so much credit with the club's hierarchy, he'd likely be out on his ear for finishing in the bottom half of the table. The club were as solid as ever defensively, possessing the 5th best defence (although they were way less tight at the back than last season when they only conceded 19 goals!). They were actually better going forwards than last season, but it is clear that they perhaps ride their luck a little too much and despite their decent defence they need a more consistent attack. Marchal may need to rejig things tactically to match the players he has if he is to return the club to a place in the top-half of the table. They retained their better players last season and that was a show of ambition from the club's board, but opposing teams have worked out the 4-4-2 formation they play in and have identified the weak points (basically their right-hand side and Alphonse Panetier at centre-half). Sefir Ajanovic was a tidy creative presence in the middle and it will be a wonder if the kid is not called-up to one of the Mytanar age-group squads soon enough - another Prahecq born talent lost to the Mytanars will perhaps wake our own federation up to get involved in international competitions themselves!

Espérance mimicked their performance from last season and they will be disappointed with that, particularly given Clichy's success in their first season in Le Championnat. The club's board were unhappy with this and in an attempt to quell their supporters' displeasure, they swung the axe down on manager Clément Battier as he was fired - held culpable for the club's lack of improvement in the league despite delivering them their first taste of silverware only last season. Gauthier Lamontagne, former captain and the assistant manager this season will be the main man to take them into next season. He could have a difficult job of retaining some of their better young players, with a few rumoured to have had their heads turned by offers from sides such as Aubaix and Coulommiers. Captain Verrill Doucet - the man known as « le hibou » (translates as "the owl" given Doucet figuratively having the owl-like ability to see everything around him on the pitch),
gave a vote of confidence to Lamontagne and stated that his old team mate was the best candidate available given his great knowledge of the club.

Sacha Marchand and his Étoile Rouge team continue to defy expectations by staying in Le Championnat season-after-season and it's beginning to look like they will never go down, no matter how many times us media-types tip them for relegation. Marchand gave some tactical masterclasses this season with his team playing much superior opposition off the pitch at times, the club's victory over Douanes being a particular highlight. Percy Gamelin and Yvon Cinq-Mars were again the stars of the show for the Balzac based side. Their little area of the capital was joyous when the team confirmed their stay in the top-flight with a well-earned point away at Clichy-sous-Bois. Seemingly the perpetual question for Marchand and his team: can they do it all over again next season? Keep Gamelin and Cinq-Mars and they have half a chance.

Perros-Guirec were always destined to have a poor season compared to their last showing, given they surpassed all expectations and finished in the top four, but nobody quite thought they would finish as low as this. It was a disappointing season for Ewen Tiercelin, but the main thing is that the club remained in Le Championnat. There is no doubt that they missed Yvon Kel-Fetr, his all-action approach at the base of midfield being the basis for much of their consistency last season. Sennet Béland is a good player, but of a slightly different style to Kel-Fetr. Ketioulais midfielder Béland gives a little more creativity and poise in possession and if Perros-Guirec can combine that with a destroyer similar to Kel-Fetr, they could be onto a winner (although the title of 'destroyer' doesn't really do Kel-Fetr justice!). Perros-Guirec ended up 5 points clear of relegation, fairly comfortable in the end for the Breton side and they will be pleased to get another season of top-level football under their belts, they can build on this.

Now, to the relegated sides and for a couple of years people have spoke of Jeunesse 'sleepwalking' towards relegation and this year finally was the year it occurred. They were toothless going forwards and the sale of Adrien Poisson really caused them issues as they had problems in controlling the midfield. Erne Celice found it difficult, being dropped in at the deep end somewhat. Poor Thomas Bondy up front did fairly well, scoring 8 goals, but the service to the young forward just was not good enough. He and the likes of Franck Bonnel will likely look to leave the club as quick as they can over the summer, as they clearly have the capability to play at a higher level. Bonnel has been linked with Clichy-sous-Bois, which is actually where he was born, so don't be too surprised to see the centre-half return home if the club can raise the funds necessary.

And finally, it was always going to be an uphill task for Union, their squad was severely below the standard necessary to compete in Le Championnat and it was clear from the opening day that they were going to struggle. In the end, they recorded the joint-lowest points total in Le Championnat history - and only saved from being the worst team the top-flight has seen by their better goal difference (-22), compared to Jeanne d'Arc's horror show in the 22/23 season (20 points, -27 goal difference). It's a shame for Union, as they're a reasonably big club in terms of fan base, with the loyalty of their supporters and the noise they create in their stadium being admirable. Those things don't guarantee on-field success though and it could be a difficult task for them to come back up, they don't really have the financial conditions to be able to buy their way back into the top division like some clubs can.

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2ème Classification Review.

## 2ème Classification      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Olympique Orthez          30   18   8   4    52   27  +25    62  C, P
02 Epinal                    30   17   6   7    46   30  +16    57  P
03 Stade Brioudais           30   14  13   3    45   21  +24    55
04 Olympique Louhannais      30   16   6   8    36   27   +9    54
05 Isturitz                  30   15   9   6    62   37  +25    54
06 US Treignac               30   16   5   9    56   34  +22    53
07 Nieul-le-Virouil          30   14   4  12    39   39    0    46
08 Jeanne d'Arc              30   12   9   9    43   37   +6    45
09 Culoz                     30   12   8  10    38   39   −1    44
10 Étudiants                 30   10   9  11    36   39   −3    39
11 Brassempouy               30    9  12   9    39   31   +8    39
12 Deviat                    30    8   4  18    30   64  −34    28
13 Sainte-Eulalie            30    6   8  16    39   54  −15    26
14 International             30    6   7  17    30   51  −21    25
15 Gérardmer                 30    6   4  20    30   59  −29    22
16 Stade Mohonois            30    1   8  21    16   48  −32    11

It was a case of those that go down must go back up in the second tier, as the two sides that were relegated from Le Championnat last season were promoted back into the top-level of Prahecqois football at the first attempt. Olympique Orthez, the bottom feeders who propped up the entire Championnat table at the end of last year won the league by 5 points with an impressive team that conceded a mere 27 goals (only Stade Brioudais were better - they must really be getting annoyed at their inability to earn promotion each season as they always find themselves at the top end but just can't get over the line). Theo Gainsbourg, L'OO's goalkeeper was arguably the player of the season, making incredible reflex saves at times and generally being reliable despite not being tested all too often. Olympique Orthez as a club will relish the opportunity to have another go at staying in Le Championnat and of course, another go at their local rivals Douanes as they renew the Derby du Orthez.

Epinal were relegated as the second worst team from Le Championnat and go back up as the second-best team in the 2ème Classification. Théo Leon was a regular thorn in the side of second tier defences down the left flank and Ketioulais forward Salomon Thayer invariably finished up the chances the diminutive winger created. Epinal are particularly pleased at their promotion because their local rivals Union are going the other way. The two clubs hate each other and the sight of the other being in a lower division is enough to fill their fans with happiness. It will be a tough job for Epinal to stay up given their below-average financial resources, but manager Aubin Allaire is determined to give it a good go with his young squad.

Isturitz forward Auru Urrujulegui was the story of the season in the second tier, though, scoring a magnificent 32 goals in 30 games for his club and surely drawing envious eyes from numerous Championnat sides. Oxocelhaya will be particularly interested given the player being a native of Gurelurra and therefore qualifying under their cantera policy - something Isturitz also operate by. Bizkargi Echechiquia has shown the path from Isturitz to Oxocelhaya is a viable one and given his propensity for scoring goals it would be very strange if Urrujulegui didn't follow the same path. The rivalry between the two clubs is not all that great given their lack of playing each other, with the two clubs enjoying cordial relations and meetings between the sides generally being celebrations of all things Euskal and of Gurelurra more generally.

Things are not all rosy for teams in the second tier, though, as from next season they can be relegated to the newly created 3ème Classification. Stade Mohonois must be particularly worried given their dismal showing this season. Unfortunately for the second tier sides, the proposed extension of the Coupe du Championnat to include them is not going to happen as the Fédération Prahecqoise de Football reneged on another promise. Third tier sides such as Malakoff and Olympique Briochin are unsurprisingly extremely pleased about the development and are likely to be among the front runners in that league next season.

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Coupe Prahecqoise Review.

Last season we had a slightly surprising winner in the Coupe Prahecqoise as Espérance took the trophy home after a 2-1 victory over Champex du Lac in the final. It was an exciting cup run and it also marked the last time we would see the opening stage and closing stage format in the cup, as the FPF decided to switch to a straight knockout format. Would this add to the supposed 'magic of the cup'? Well, decide for yourselves:

Coupe Prahecqoise first round
         US Treignac    4–3    Epinal            1-0  3-3
      Stade Yvelines    2–1    Deviat            1-0  1-1
      Stade Mohonois    1–7    Isturitz          1-6  0-1
Olympique Louhannais  a 2–2    Gérardmer         0-0  2-2
       International    3–2    Nieul-le-Virouil  3-1  0-1
           Étudiants    1–5    Stade Brioudais   1-1  0-4
         Racing Club    1–2    Jeanne d'Arc      0-1  1-1  (aet)
      Sainte-Eulalie    0–5    Espérance         0-1  0-4
        Étoile Rouge    0–2    Aubaix            0-1  0-1
         Brassempouy    1–5    Maccabi           0-2  1-3
               Culoz    1–3    Clichy-sous-Bois  1-2  0-1
         Coulommiers    3–1    Jeunesse          2-1  1-0
            Marianne    1–3    Oxocelhaya        1-3  0-0
      Champex du Lac    4–3    SS Plumelec       2-0  2-3
               Union    2–4    Douanes           1-2  1-2
       Perros-Guirec  a 1–1    Olympique Orthez  0-0  1-1

Espérance made a good start to their defence of the Coupe Prahecqoise as they simply dominated Sainte-Eulalie over the two legs, a 1-0 away win and then a 4-0 crushing at home to see them safely through the opening round. The match above them is perhaps the most interesting result of the round, though. Racing Club faced off against second-tier Jeanne d'Arc - a side in Le Championnat not too long ago - and they fell to a shock defeat at home as the away side managed a dogged 1-0 win. The second leg saw Racing Club win 1-0 in normal time in the Haute-Alpes, forcing the game to extra time and Jeanne d'Arc managed a goal to equalise in the game and put them ahead in the tie. They hung on and knocked out Racing Club, the first giant-killing of the 02/03 Coupe Prahecqoise. Aubaix professionally saw off an Étoile Rouge side more focused on staying in Le Championnat, whilst Coulommiers ran out 3-1 winners in another all-Championnat tie. Two games arguably caught the eye when the draw was made: Marianne vs. Oxocelhaya and Champex du Lac vs. SS Plumelec and they both proved to be exciting ties. Oxocelhaya travelled to Jonzac and caught Marianne seemingly unawares with 3 goals in the opening 20 minutes, leaving the Jonzac side shell-shocked. Marianne did manage a consolation goal from Calixte Morel but they couldn't find a goal in the second leg in Gurelurra and were therefore eliminated in the first round - not something many would have predicted! Champex won their first leg against SS Plumelec 2-0 and seemed well on course to qualify comfortably for the next round following that opening leg, but SS Plumelec had other ideas and similarly to Oxocelhaya, scored 3 goals in the opening 20 minutes - this time in the second leg - which turned the tie on its head. Champex did manage to find a way back though, Vaillancour's double putting them back on-top and seeing them safely through to the second round with a 4-3 aggregate win.

Coupe Prahecqoise second round
     Coulommiers    3–1    US Treignac           3-1  0-0
    Jeanne d'Arc    3–2    Stade Yvelines        3-1  0-1
          Aubaix    4–9    Oxocelhaya            1-4  3-5
   International    0–1    Maccabi               0-0  0-1
  Champex du Lac    2–1    Douanes               1-0  1-1
Clichy-sous-Bois    3–1    Olympique Louhannais  1-1  2-0
       Espérance    7–3    Stade Brioudais       3-3  4-0
   Perros-Guirec    4–1    Isturitz              1-0  3-1

Jeanne d'Arc played another side from the capital after eliminated Racing Club and they looked to keep their cup run alive against Stade Yvelines. They started incredibly well, a 3-1 win in the Haute-Alpes standing them in good stead, but an early goal for Stade Yvelines in the second leg ensured a nervous 85 minutes or so in the capital. Jeanne d'Arc held on and progressed 3-2 on aggregate. Oxocelhaya and Aubaix played out a 13-goal tie in the second round, unfortunately for Aubaix, nine of the goals went the way of the Euskal side. Koldobika Zabala's hat-trick in the second leg giving them an unassailable lead on aggregate. Maccabi had a nervous encounter with second tier International, a 0-0 draw just across Yvelines meant International felt optimistic as they went to the Isac Levitsky Arena, but a Gaston Petrie goal late in the second half saw Maccabi through. Champex and Douanes met in the second round in the tie of the round and it was a cagey encounter as many expected, a 1-0 win for Champex in the first leg was well-earned, but Lauri Mordelet's Douanes side came out with a point to prove in the second leg and were well on top when Soucy put them ahead. Itzhar Yvjoev produced a moment of magic to put the tie beyond the Orthez side, though, a bicycle kick putting the ball beyond Boisvert and Champex through to the next round. Espérance continued their defence of the Coupe Prahecqoise with a 7-3 aggregate victory over Stade Brioudais, they drew 3-3 at home which gave Stade Brioudais some hope but Espérance put in a thoroughly professional performance away from home, crushing the 2ème Classification side 4-0.

Coupe Prahecqoise quarter final
Champex du Lac    0–1    Perros-Guirec     0-1  0-0
     Espérance    2–0    Jeanne d'Arc      1-0  1-0
       Maccabi    2–0    Clichy-sous-Bois  1-0  1-0
    Oxocelhaya    6–2    Coulommiers       5-2  1-0

The quarter final, the business end of the tournament and without any of the traditional 'big three' there was the sense that it could be anyone's year. Champex were dealt a blow in the first leg of their quarter final tie, with Perros-Guirec's Milo Bozonnet rifling home a volley. Perros-Guirec held on in Breizh, a famous victory seeing them through to the semi final. Espérance took on the last second tier side in the cup this season, Jeanne d'Arc, who were also the real giant-killers of the 02/03 Coupe Prahecqoise. A pair of 1-0 wins saw Espérance safely through to the semis, with the belief that they might defend their title growing even further. Maccabi ended Clichy's run with their own set of 1-0 victories and Oxocelhaya's 5-2 win in the first leg of their quarter final against Coulommiers gave them a solid lead to take into the second leg and a Fabrice Echeverri goal made sure the tie finished in their favour.

Coupe Prahecqoise semi final
Espérance    4–5    Perros-Guirec  4-3  0-2
  Maccabi    2–5    Oxocelhaya     0-1  2-4

People were starting to believe that Espérance were going to defend their title prior to their 4-3 win in the first leg of their semi against Perros-Guirec, so you can imagine the scenes once that 4-3 thriller had finished in their favour. Julien Poulin turned home from Gabriel Huot-Bonnet's cross in injury time to give them a lead to take to Breizh. Perros-Guirec put in a shift in the second leg, though, with a masterclass from Ewen Tiercelin as his side soaked up Espérance's pressure as the Rouen side looked to put the tie beyond Perros-Guirec, only to counter-attack efficiently and score 2 goals on the break to turn the tie around and put Perros-Guirec into the Coupe Prahecqoise final for the first time ever. Oxocelhaya took on Maccabi, with both teams looking to progress to what would be their first Coupe Prahecqoise final. Icazatea put Oxocelhaya on their way with the only goal in the first leg, with a 4-2 victory in the second leg ensuring their passage through to the final. It would be Oxocelhaya vs. Perros-Guirec and we would have a new name on the famous trophy.

Coupe Prahecqoise final
Venue: Stade de Prahecq (Attendance: 78,093)
Weather: Overcast (18°C)
Referee: Florian Melleveau
Oxocelhaya 1–0 Perros-Guirec

It was a tight and cagey cup final as both sides showed their nervousness, Zabala fluffed his lines early on in front of goal, the pressure seemingly getting to the young forward. Perros-Guirec didn't manage to take control of the ball too often and it began to cause them problems as Oxocelhaya started to rain shot-after-shot on Ivi Lagadeuc's goal. Finally, one found its way through, with Sixte Delacroix's effort on the hour mark putting the Euskal side 1-0 up, with Sixte putting himself well and truly in the club's history books with the goal. From there, it was a lesson in possession football as Oxocelhaya kept the ball and rarely allowed Perros-Guirec a sniff of goal. Club captain (and club legend), Eguzki Garrastazu lifted the famous trophy as the club's fans celebrated raucously. A Euskal victory in the competition known as the Coupe Prahecqoise. Delicious irony.

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Coupe du Championnat Review.

The Coupe du Championnat is the first chance of silverware for the top-flight clubs each year, given its final being played in early March each year. Marianne won it last year, with it being a mere consolation in their season given the fact their main rivals Racing Club won Le Championnat itself. For many clubs, they see it as an opportunity to win something, with the bigger teams often considered to see it as a bit of an inconvenience. The big clubs see it as a bit of a warm-up competition, to sharpen them up for the run-in in the league at the end of the season. As such, they try and get as far as they can and reach the stages of the tournament that mean something. Marianne won it last year and didn't win the league, though, so take from that what you will... Results!

Coupe du Championnat first round
    Espérance    1–2    Clichy-sous-Bois  1-1  0-1
  Coulommiers    3–5    Champex du Lac    2-5  1-0
Perros-Guirec  p 1–1    Racing Club       0-1  1-0  (Perros-Guirec win 2-1 on penalties)
        Union    1–3    Maccabi           1-2  0-1
      Douanes  a 4–4    Oxocelhaya        1-1  3-3
     Jeunesse    4–2    Étoile Rouge      3-1  1-1
  SS Plumelec    2–0    Aubaix            1-0  1-0
     Marianne    2–0    Stade Yvelines    1-0  1-0

The Derby du Rouen was a fitting opening fixture in the Coupe du Championnat and a 1-1 draw at the Parc d'Espoir left it all to play for in the second leg, where a Jasno Odonelec (who else?) goal saw them through to the next round, 4 meetings between the Rouen clubs caused significant issues this season, with the Police Nationale pleased that they didn't draw each other in the Coupe Prahecqoise to complete the clean sweep of domestic competitions. Champex saw off Coulommiers with a 5-3 aggregate win, a 1-0 win away from home for Coulommiers did make the second leg slightly more nervous than it needed to be for Champex. Racing Club completed a dire season with a loss on penalties to Perros-Guirec, it was an utterly awful penalty shootout with the Breton side finally winning 2-1 after the two clubs shared 1-0 away wins. Maccabi eased past Union over the two legs, whilst Douanes sneaked through on away goals after an engaging encounter against Oxocelhaya, a late equaliser by Matthieu Goddu finally seeing the Orthez side through. Jeunesse beat Étoile Rouge 4-2 on aggregate whilst SS Plumelec and Marianne beat Aubaix and Stade Yvelines respectively - with 1-0 victories in each leg.

Coupe du Championnat quarter final
         Maccabi    1–3    SS Plumelec    0-1  1-2
  Champex du Lac    4–1    Perros-Guirec  2-1  2-0
Clichy-sous-Bois    5–4    Marianne       4-4  1-0
         Douanes    3–1    Jeunesse       1-1  2-0

SS Plumelec were up against Maccabi and took a 1-0 lead into the second leg at home and from there went 2-0 up to effectively kill the tie off, Saber Mailloux got a late consolation for Maccabi. Champex du Lac were very good against Perros-Guirec over the two legs, a 2-1 win at home was followed up by a solid performance in Breizh - a tough place to go - and Champex were really starting to think that they might win a cup competition after being fairly consistent in reaching the latter stages over the past few years. Clichy-sous-Bois completed the upset of the round with a 1-0 away win at Marianne, following an exciting 4-4 draw in Rouen. Odonelec - as always - made the difference with the winner in Jonzac. Douanes were the biggest team remaining at this point in the competition and beat Jeunesse fairly professionally after a fashion, Mordelet was livid at his side's inability to finish the game off in the first leg and Jeunesse made them pay with Thomas Bondy grabbing a late equaliser. In the second leg Douanes were much better, goals from Bethuna and Jeannin seeing the Orthez side through to the semis.

Coupe du Championnat semi final
         Douanes    6–3    SS Plumelec     5-2  1-1
Clichy-sous-Bois    2–3    Champex du Lac  1-1  1-2

A 5-2 victory in the first leg at the Velodrome saw Douanes well on their way to the Coupe du Championnat final, a Goddu hat-trick along with goals from Lamarre and Hennequin were interspersed with goals from SS Plumelec's Kerguehennec and Faure. A 1-1 draw in the second leg meant Douanes would have a chance at winning their first trophy in the professional era, with many being surprised it had taken them this long to earn that opportunity. Clichy-sous-Bois' dream was cruelly ended late on against Champex, a 1-1 draw in the first leg gave the Rouen side hope, but an early Vaillancour goal in the second game brought them back down to earth. They were back in it on the hour mark though, with Jasno Odonelec crossing in to find big Abdoulaye Keita who headed home from the corner. A late penalty caused controversy though, with Usten Odonelec being adjudged to have brought down Itzhar Yvjoev (another Prahecq-born Mytanar of course!). Replays would later show it was a dive by the winger, with the scenes that followed being particularly unsavoury as the Odonelec brothers squared up to their fellow Mytanar and caused a mass brawl on the field, with Usten Odonelec being sent off whilst Jasno Odonelec and Itzhar Yvjoev received yellow cards. Vaillancour scored the penalty and Champex went to the final whilst Clichy went home.

Coupe du Championnat final
Venue: Stade de Prahecq (Attendance: 81,000)
Weather: Snowy (1°C)
Referee: Frederic Dionné
Champex du Lac 0–1 Douanes  (aet)

The two sides were looking to win their first trophy in the professional era and some believed it was overdue for both of them, the capital was under a blanket of snow in early March and temperatures were hovering just above freezing and it made for interesting conditions for the two sides. Douanes started the better of the two teams as their fast-flowing football caused problems for Champex, particularly at the join between their wing-backs and outside centre-halves, as Bethuna and Jeannin exploited the gaps between those players. It was Champex that actually had the best chance of the first half though, with captain Hugo Beaudry finding himself through on goal and only managing to rattle the post rather than find the corner of the net. Beaudry has been an outstanding servant for the club and it could have been a case of the occasion getting to him as he had the chance to get his side ahead. The conditions didn't really make it easy to play the ball along the ground and chances were hard to come by for the two teams, so much so that the game eventually went to extra time! Given the snow, it was fitting that the game's only goal would come in the air, a cross from Manu Bethuna found Goddu at the near post and the striker could only contrive to flick the ball on rather than direct it on goal. Luckily for him the flick on worked perfectly, beating the Champex centre-backs and falling to Jérôme Soucy. Soucy nodded the ball past Courtemanche and celebrated wildly in front of the enormous Douanes contingent behind the goal, with the club lifting the Coupe du Championnat and taking it back to Orthez.