Jocelyn Gourvennec is not one to smash her guitar on stage. Neither literally nor figuratively. Admittedly a great fan of British rock, he is not a musician and, in his profession – coach of a football team – he is not one of those volcanic technicians, whose eruptions enliven meetings.
“You never make the right decisions in anger”blows the man who has led the Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC) since the summer of 2021 and defines himself as a “false calm”. The Breton technician should not deviate from his guideline, Tuesday, February 22, in London, when his troops will face, in the first leg of the knockout stages of the Champions League, Chelsea, the defending champion.
“On paper, there is a big gaprecognizes Jocelyn Gourvennec. They are the defending champions, and we are not used to being invited into the big leagues. » It is only the second time in its history that the Lille club has reached this level of the premier competition in Europe (after the 2006-2007 season). As for the coach, at 49, he is showing off his stripes this year in the competition.
In Lille, after a two-year break, the former coach of Guingamp and the Girondins de Bordeaux is pursuing his dream. “Since I started my coaching career, I have always had in mind to relive with another costume what I had experienced as a player. » Namely the joys of European epics with Nantes and Marseille.
Laborious transition
When Jocelyn Gourvennec put down his luggage in the north of France, the welcome was nevertheless chilly. He found himself at the helm of a team that had just been crowned French champions under the nose and beard of Paris-Saint-Germain and whose previous coach, Christophe Galtier, had chosen to leave, believing he had ” made [son] time “after leading LOSC to their fourth title in history.
“There was a change of sail at the economic level, but a continuity to be ensured on the sporting level”, with a team amputated by a few executives. resulted “a balancing act” :
“I had to both not shake up the group too much in its work habits, and at the same time bring my vision of things. »
In the league, the transition has been laborious – LOSC are currently 11and of Ligue 1 -, and the newcomer suffered the wrath of the supporters. Before he played a single match, petitions demanded the departure of this coach without a great track record. He found this “harsh and very unfair”. He rolled up his sleeves, taking refuge ” in [sa] bubble”.
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