Rarely, if ever, has a player generated so much excitement in recent ACA history. A true darling of the public, Xavier Becas left his mark on a 2001-2002 season concluded with a rise in the elite and a title of champion of France.
Summer 2001. Among the wave of arrivals in the acéiste workforce, in addition to a certain Rolland Courbis, we can list names like Trevisan, Terrier Where Darbelet. And a young 22-year-old player, who comes from Then, then in League 1, but whose name is unknown to many: Xavier Scholarships. Small winger pocket wisp dribbler and finisher, the new number 6 of the ACA does not take long to be adopted by the public of Timizzolu, and even beyond.
READ ALSO: Football – Interview. Rolland Courbis turns up the volume
His performances on the field speak for him (he will end the season as the club’s top scorer with 8 goals) and the native of Tarbes goes very quickly from the status of unknown to that of whooping cough, and even of youth idol: flocked jerseys of his name flourish everywhere in town and we can no longer count the kids with blond locks on their heads, “à la Becas”.
To top it off, the young player is crowned French Ligue 2 champion.
Everything went very quickly, probably too much for him. If his arrival at the top was extremely fast, so was the return to anonymity. After six months in the top flight, he loses the confidence of his trainer, goes on loan and no longer manages to find the top level.
So much so that in terms of his qualities, we can speak of a disappointing career. ” Completely, frankly recognizes the person concerned. In fact, I stuck to my skills and that killed me. When we do not make the effort, it falls on us. “
From there to experiencing regrets today? “When you have a season like that in L2 by finishing champion and top scorer of the club, there is bound to be. I lacked a bit of maturity, then it is very difficult to come back. One thing is certain, if I have to go back, I change a little trick. “
Today installed in his native South-West, Xavier Becas has not lost any of his communicative good humor and it is with undisguised pleasure that he accepts to dive back into his Ajaccian years, the best of his career.
What happened to your life after your playing career ended?
My end with the professionals dates from the 2007 season and my stint at Istres. I then played in Pau in CFA until 2013 and I reconverted myself as a driving school instructor. A former driving school instructor footballer isn’t very common, right?
How did this transition take place?
There was a driving school downstairs from my parents when I was little. Subsequently, the boss offered me to take the diploma so I enrolled in the training and I liked it. So here I am, a driving and road safety teacher after losing my license three times. But that should not be said. I had a life that was a bit upside down, then you have to bounce back and work.
What place for football today?
I quit completely two years ago because I’m a self-entrepreneur and if I get hurt, it means no job and no money, so I’m not taking that risk. I ended up regionally with a small club near Tarbes. There was a very good group. We went up twice, we had a good laugh, it was very nice.
Can you tell us about the conditions of your arrival at the ACA?
The first contacts go back to the period when I was evolving in Pau in the National. I had a very good second half of the season, scored a lot of goals and at that time, poor Michel Moretti often called me to sign me for Ajaccio. But I had contacts with L1 clubs, especially Bordeaux. So I gave my priority to the elite, even if it meant going down one step again in case it didn’t work. Finally, my president calls me one day and says ‘Xavier, you are going to Sedan’. There, I make a few appearances for my first season and then we decide together on a loan the following year. At that point, my agent immediately calls Ajaccio. The late president agreed, so I joined the club in the summer of 2001, at the same time as Rolland Courbis.
Tell us about your beginnings …
My first appearance was in a friendly match against Sporting, for the Stouvenot challenge that we won on penalties. I was still a stranger and had a great second half. This is where I started to make myself known in the city. I also remember the first league game, we hosted Nancy. I was supposed to be a substitute but a player arrived late for the pre-match speech in the morning. So I find myself starting right away. We won 4-2, I had a very good match and won my place.
“ACA, these are my fondest football memories”
You quickly became an idol in Ajaccio. Did you realize that?
I saw it but I didn’t necessarily realize it. Now, I tell people when I hear about it: all the young people with blond locks and Becas flocked swimsuits… I even had several children’s birthdays that I didn’t even know. The little ones saw me and jumped on me, it was great.
READ ALSO: Grégory Ursule: “The course of AC Ajaccio is an example”
What do you remember from your time at ACA?
These are my fondest football memories! It was fantastic. Everything came together and everything went very quickly. We find ourselves in a team that is doing extremely well, we have Rolland Courbis as coach… There were great players and an extremely tight-knit group. When we see the Squillaci, with the career he subsequently achieved, Garcia, Darbelet, Abou, Ndiaye, Regragui, Terrier, Trévisan in the goals… There was also Eric Colling whom I took for a leader when I saw his physique for the first time, but on the pitch, in his role as a libero, what talent and what class!
Is it this notion of group that was the strength of the team at that time?
Yes completely. There were some very good players who made a huge team. And when you have such a team, inevitably, it pulls up. Personally, I really enjoyed myself: I had good balls, space on my side, I was going fast… It was great. The installations were however complicated, we trained on sand. But despite that, we had an exceptional season, with a championship title.
What was your best memory at ACA?
I would say the farandole when celebrating the title, when we leave in an open-air bus with all the supporters who followed us. We had toured the city passing the bar I frequented, the Calao. Seeing that, with maybe 2,000 or 3,000 people behind chanting your name, it’s really fabulous.
Conversely, your worst memory?
When amateurs walked past me to play in L1 when I was a pro. But hey, I could only blame myself. I hadn’t done the right thing.
If we ask you to tell us an anecdote, which one comes to mind?
I remember that before a match, Rolland said to me ‘Xavier, you play on the right. If your side goes up, especially not. You stay in front ‘. I found it incredible. In all my life, never had a coach given me such an instruction. Finally, my side never went up that day. But it shows how sure Courbis was in our strength and defensive solidity.
Still on the subject of Rolland, he had written down on a board at the start of the season the number of points we needed to climb. This board followed us all year round and every time we took points it took them away and the number went down. Except that when it got to 0, we still had 5 or 6 games to play. This is to say once again the fantastic season that we had achieved.
Did you continue to monitor ACA results after you left?
I prefer the Spanish championship which I really like. But I still have always looked at ACA benefits and how it has evolved. I also look at the squad and staff every season, to see if I still know some players or staff. Olivier Pantaloni was also Rolland Courbis’ assistant when I was at the club.
How do you judge the development of the club since your departure?
I think he has become a lot more professional. You just have to see the facilities. In our time, they still looked like those of an amateur club. Today, the ACA has evolved a lot and has been very well established in this Ligue 2 championship for quite a few years. He even almost went up while playing this dam against Toulouse.
Finally, a word that you would like to pass on to the supporters?
I would just like to tell them that it is thanks to them that I have so many beautiful memories in my head.
