The Racing Club de Lens who faces the Rennais Stadium, this Saturday at Bollaert, is the revelation of this Ligue 1 season. The promoted flirts with the top of the standings. Thanks to enthusiasm, “Sparkling players”, according to Julien Stéphan, but also a certain idea of the game, specific to his coach Franck Haise. Interview.
Franck, what is the secret of Lens’s success this season, where does this enthusiasm come from?
Humanly, we have a group of men, whatever their ages or backgrounds, who want to do things together. Between the players, then between the players and the staff. It is first and foremost a question of men who want to share. It also comes from the idea that the group is always on top. It is my role to remind people. And since the relays share this, it’s even easier.
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Who are these relays?
I have many. When I do a player council, there are 6-7 players. The first relays are the captain and vice-captain Yannick Cahuzac and Jean-Louis Leca. But there is also Steven Fortes, Gaël Kakuta. They are different personalities. There is also Seko Fofana, Flo Sotoca. Zack Diallo, who hasn’t played a minute since the start of the season, is one of the people who come when we have to trade.
Is this management Franck Haise’s paw?
The place of management is important in our profession, but we need room for training, ideas, which I share with my staff, which brings me a lot of skills and to whom I can delegate. Which frees me up on things to read a bit of the signals the band sends.
What’s your big guiding idea in the game?
The idea of being a team that likes to play, that likes to project itself forward, that is also able to adapt, because you have to be able to be fair on placed defenses. We have to be multifaceted.
Are you surprised by the rapid adaptation of your group to Ligue 1?
Pleasantly surprised yes. We kept and recruited the players we wanted, but when I look at the 20 players who have the most playing time and on whom I rely, 15 come or from Ligue 2 last year, from the National 2 for reserve youth or U19 for Kalimuendo, however talented he may be. Five have played in Ligue 1 in France or abroad. Obviously, it’s rather a great collective success to be at 35 points today, even if the season is far from over.
The maintenance almost acquired, do you have a fear of decompression or are you aiming even higher?
I don’t have the fear of decompression, because I have an ambitious group, full of humility, because nobody forgets where we come from. We are not going to set a limit, but our first mission remains maintenance. We will not set a limit when we have reached it.
The objectives are not reassessed upwards?
No, we are very happy to be where we are, to play matches that please our supporters and the club environment. I only think of the Rennes match. I know the weaknesses that can happen.
Gaël Kakuta is your X factor, a rather rare talent in the organization of the game, a sort of old-fashioned number 10 …
It is a number 10 who has a lot of latitude to move around, which through our animation is not always fixed in the same place. It’s more than an old-fashioned 10, it’s a very complete attacking midfielder who works a lot for the team.
How do you manage the competition in attack where the players are all present, despite the rotations?
Already, we are playing with two attackers and sometimes even three as against Marseille in the second half. I often make changes during matches, so that the newcomers can add something. They are concerned, they live it quite well. I have five boys who send to training and give me a lot of satisfaction. The choices are not always easy to make.
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