The calendar does things well. The derby, between Gravelines-Dunkerque and Le Portel, on Easter Sunday, combines the sporting resurrection of two outsiders. One, the BCM, is not saved but is on the way; the other, the ESSM of the diehards Portelois, the smallest budget of the elite, with Saint-Quentin (3.6 million euros), has once again ensured its maintenance.
Promised for hell every year, the Pas-de-Calais club always defies predictions. He is even in a position (7th) to play for the top 8 and qualify for Europe. Starting almost from scratch, Le Portel stalled at the start (5 setbacks) before recovering. “However, the gap has widened financially with the rest of the Championship. I am lucky to have leaders who do not give in to panic like others after a series of defeats, who understand that it takes time to establish a team in its collective quality. We know how to manage crises,” notes coach Éric Girard (59), in place since 2012, survivor of three cancers in recent years and expert coach for improving a squad.
So much so that its president Yann Rivoal considers it almost miraculous to have preserved it for so long. “French basketball was wrong about him. It’s not normal that he’s been with us for twelve years, even if it’s good for us,” he told La Voix du Nord a few days ago.
“I give priority to this club which returned the favor and I will not forget that”
Éric Girard, Portel coach
At the end of the contract, Girard must decide on his future in the coming week. Le Portel wants to do that again. But the druid would like more mistletoe to prepare his magic potion. “Should we start with the smallest budget when there will be two fewer clubs, which will further widen the gap with the others and at the risk of overextending the year? Will the miracles continue with a budget that will not change? I’m a little disappointed to see that we can’t go up to four million (euros). »
To the point of studying other proposals? “I give priority to this club which returned the favor to me and I will not forget that. I would like to replay finals, final phases and have a manager at my side to free me from certain tasks,” he says with gusto.
