Rough week. The women’s section of the Girondins de Bordeaux has had a turbulent last few days, as probably never before since this team reached D1 in the summer of 2016. A week which began on Saturday with a double or nothing against Dijon, first no relegated, then six points ahead of Bordeaux…
Rough week. The women’s section of the Girondins de Bordeaux has had a turbulent last few days, as probably never before since this team reached D1 in the summer of 2016. A week which began on Saturday with a double or nothing against Dijon, first no relegated, then six points ahead of Bordeaux. A match which turned into a nightmare with a defeat (0-2) which more than compromised the future of the Girondines among the elite.
Then, as soon as the final whistle blew, supporters turning to Thomas Jacquemier, the club’s general director, chanted the slogan “Thank you Gérard (Lopez), thank you. » A palpable tension, before Patrice Lair, the Bordeaux coach, pointed an angry finger at the manager by also giving him a “thank you” as he returned to the locker room. A gesture which did not go through with the club since on Tuesday morning, the 62-year-old Breton coach was notified of his dismissal as a precautionary measure while his assistant Hakim Elouaari led the session at the same time. A layoff which should put an end to a collaboration of almost three seasons with the former technician of Montpellier, Lyon and Paris SG, among others, with a track record as long as his arm with two Champions Leagues and four French championship titles .
Dauba on the bench
Patrice Lair had already suffered the wrath of his leaders in January 2022, less than six months after his arrival at the club. But his then sidelining ended very quickly following the unprecedented support from the locker room with an almost unanimous group who lobbied for the return of the coach at the head of the team. This time, the marriage between Patrice Lair, who signed a two-year contract extension last summer, and the Girondins, seems well and truly broken. The club in a press release reproaching its bench man for “his critical attitude in public towards the management of the club and its strategy following the match against Dijon. »
The Girondins de Bordeaux announced in the same press release that Jérôme Dauba “would act as interim during the disciplinary procedure”. The coach is far from being unknown to the Girondines. It was he who was at the head of the team during the first three years in D1 of Bordelaises, managing in the first season to maintain a hold which seemed very improbable a few weeks before before making Bordeaux climb to 7th and 4th places both following seasons, a success which was accompanied for him by a title of best D1 coach in 2018 and 2019.
Then leaving to join the French youth teams, Jérôme Dauba returned to the Girondins where he has held the position of director of the training center since the start of the season, a strategic role with regard to club policy, focused on the training of young people brought in to strengthen the first team. A coach who will combine both hats with an entry into the deep end in Saint-Etienne for a crucial match in order to preserve the very thin thread of hope of maintenance.
The game
Saint-Etienne (7th/19 pts) – Bordeaux (12th/7 pts), this Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
