AS Saint-Etienne will receive the Chamois Niortais, Ligue 2 red lantern, who have just won at home against Laval. A result synonymous with hope for the Niortais.
Mikaël Hanouna, Managing Director of Niort, presented himself at a press conference. The opportunity to propose a speech advocating general unity in the ranks of Niort. The chamois want to do everything to save their place in Ligue 2. Extracts.
“We are anticipating the National but our ambition is above all to stay in Ligue 2. And in Ligue 2, we are alive! The sporting hazard exists, especially in a season where four descents are scheduled. It’s one in five clubs that goes down, 20% of the clubs in the championship! This hazard is part of the project, we always plan the two hypotheses: Ligue 2 and National 1. I would like to reassure here all the people who love the Chamois Niortais: the club, even in National 1, continue.
It happened in Guingamp, Troyes, Brest… That didn’t prevent them from existing! Today, we are above all motivated and focused on maintaining the team. We will all work together and try to fight until the last moment to keep this club in Ligue 2. We have the firm intention of achieving our objective. »
A propos du plan social : “Even if the training center closed, that does not mean that the teams stop. The young people dismissed at the club will be able to continue at the club, for those who have contracts, they will unfortunately stop but that does not mean that they cannot stay if they want to stay.
We will continue on the form that existed at the time when the club was down to National 2, perhaps with an accommodation center that will accommodate some kids. We will continue the educational project with the high school.
Today, we don’t have the structure of a Ligue 2 club at all. We are structured like an N2 – N1 club. We would have liked to keep our best players (Sissoko at Sochaux) but we are considered a springboard club. We are faced with an economic reality. I tend to say that we are at the bottom of the food chain.
I remain optimistic. It’s my role. If I don’t believe it, no one will believe it. Against Rodez, we should have won. We had the chances to win it. The matches against Le Havre or Saint-Etienne we lose in the last moments. Unfortunately it happens. But if only by beating Rodez, we would be 2 points from maintaining. So today, we believe in it because we are able to do it.
We have talent. But we can only achieve this if all the components of the club are together to achieve this objective. But I believe in it. We will get there.
We want to keep moving forward, win games to keep us going.”
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