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Oswald Tanchot, what state of mind are you in before hosting Rennes on Tuesday evening in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France?
Oswald Tanchot. : The pressure eased a little after the round of 32 won against Reims (2-2, 5-4 on the tabs). We are happy to offer a third Ligue 1 team (Lorient was eliminated at Bonal in the thirty-second finals) to our public. It is a reward for all the people in the region who made efforts to save the club last summer. Being able to host three L1 teams in almost a month is pretty incredible.
What are your chances for this meeting?
OT: It’s hard to say. There is no longer any element of surprise and there will be a quality opponent up front. Above all, there will be playing conditions which are those of a Ligue 1 team. Generally, you can level the difference between two teams by the context of the match. There, in Bonal, it’s a pitch that could be in the Top 5 of Ligue 1. Not to mention the stadium. In the logic of things, there is no match, but after that it remains the Coupe de France, where there can be inexplicable things. If we lose, that’s normal, if we catch them it’s very good and if we beat them, it’s triple an achievement. When Julien Stéphan presents Sochaux to his players, he will recall our two results against Lorient and Reims. Obviously, they will be on their guard. Afterwards, Rennes remains an incredibly talented team.
If we had told you, when FC Sochaux was on the verge of filing for bankruptcy in July, that the club would be 4th in National (five points from second place) at the beginning of February and qualified for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, would you have believed it?
OT: At the time, we were really in the survival operation. This was not our concern at the time. In July, we could never have thought that Sochaux would experience this kind of event.
How did you find this energy last summer to stay focused on the sport when the short-term future of FC Sochaux was threatened?
OT: The welcome received here and the incredible daily support from the fans gave me a lot of energy. I had a duty to repay the trust that had been given to me and above all to supervise these young people who were also experiencing the situation. Then I was so lacking in terrain last season that I had a lot of energy to transmit. In relation to the context, I put myself in a bubble. The only time I felt good was two o’clock in the morning and two o’clock in the afternoon on the field. I completely ignored the “are we going to play or are we not going to play?” In each session, I followed my training plan with my game plan. In front of me, I had very receptive players who were having fun. It might seem like I was in denial but that’s because I was completely into my own thing. Then when I left the field, I was reminded of the context. We went through some very tough times last summer but it allowed us to have a very strong bond. Between Sochaux and me, it goes beyond a coach-club relationship.
Oswald Tanchot, the coach of Sochaux.
Credit: Getty Images
In this stadium, there is incredible energy
Does the fact of having gone through such a difficult period last summer push you to enjoy more what is happening to you today?
OT: We experienced an emotional slide. We were really down. But five months later, we managed to get FC Sochaux talked about again for its sporting performances. Afterwards, experiencing it with this group and in this club is exceptional. For a National club, it is already an achievement to beat two Ligue 1 teams. For us, with what we have experienced, the achievement is even greater.
How did you feel on your sidelines after these two exploits against Lorient and Reims?
OT: When you’re on the bench, you don’t experience things the same way. We prepared so much for the match. For the round of 16, we had the impression of having eaten and slept in Reims for a week. Finally, when it happens, we are there but almost next to the event. We see that everyone is happy. It’s more the next day when we realize that we really gave the supporters a lot of pleasure and that we rank the match among the best memories. I wish every coach to experience this atmosphere. In this stadium, there is incredible energy. It is thanks to the players that we created this energy and this alchemy with the public. I still remember this noise, these colors, these songs. It was crazy.
What is the excitement at Sochaux today compared to the start of the season?
OT: According to some people who have worked at the club for 25 years, even during Sochaux’s great period in the European Cup (2003-04) the ticket office had not been stormed as quickly as for this match against reindeer. The current of sympathy for the current team is very strong. The supporters became attached to this team which was put together at the last minute with players who arrived from everywhere.
FC Sochaux players merging with Stade Bonal.
Credit: Getty Images
On a personal level, how do you judge this 2023-2024 season?
OT: I’m not the type to make interim assessments, but we must recognize that our first part of the season is very good. We started with two defeats in the league and with a group without preparation. We didn’t start on the same line as the other clubs. Today, seeing Sochaux in the first third of the championship is a great satisfaction. But beyond the results, it is the offensive play produced by the team that pleases me. This team, which manages to surpass itself, has succeeded in creating a bond with its audience. As for the Coupe de France, it’s even more than the icing on the cake. We remain competitors, but our journey is already successful.
You mention the start of the championship which was complicated for your team in National. What element allowed you to get back on track?
OT: When we played our first championship match at Red Star (2-0, August 25, 2023), the group had a week of training together. When we received Goal FC (0-3, September 1), we had two. At that time, the other teams had already been playing together for eight weeks. But, we didn’t complain because we were so happy to be there. We took these first results with a lot of philosophy and hindsight. Time just had to take its toll through the repetition of training sessions and videos. It was necessary to create automation. The trigger is just time and work. Once the dynamic was a little more positive, we were able to ride it. We still have to realize that we didn’t do any preparation matches or training. People forget that what we experience and what we do is completely abnormal. Normally, we should be a little lower in the ranking given the events. It’s just crazy. But fortunately, things fell into place.
Is a return to Ligue 2 a goal for the end of the season?
OT: No, I stick to what has always been said. Obviously, the club’s ambition remains to regain professionalism. Now, we must first validate the maintenance (six clubs will go down at the end of the season). Once this is validated, we will see what remains to be done. Today, we are in too much immediacy. Things must be built with time and work.
What goes beyond money is that the club is talked about positively again, for sporting reasons and that it restores pride to the supporters
Did you have the impression of having returned the favor to Jean-Claude Plessis who worked extremely hard to save Sochaux last summer?
OT: On the pitch (editor’s note: against Reims), spontaneously, he told me that it was even more beautiful than the victory in the Coupe de France in 2007. He knows the circumstances and the context. We all want to give back to the people who saved this club. Between the supporters, the managers, the shareholders and the staff, there is a real alchemy. Jean-Claude Plessis is a great football man. He is always very positive thanks to his experience and his words.
This course in the Coupe de France should also do good financially…
OT: Personally, I don’t really worry about that and I avoid getting too much into financial considerations. When I arrived here, I was told that there was no problem and then in the end, there was a hole of I don’t know how many millions. In any case, I think it can’t hurt to fill the stadium and go through several rounds in the Coupe de France. All that is more. What goes beyond money is that the club is talked about positively again, for sporting reasons and that it restores pride to the supporters.
2024-02-06 17:33:00
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