Cyril Domoraud: "Ivorian players suffer, clubs too"

Text by: Annie Gasnier Follow

The association of Ivorian footballers (AFI) is mobilizing to help its members in financial difficulty while the championships have been stopped for two months. Interview with its president, ex-defender Cyril Domoraud.

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Containment is not complete in Côte d'Ivoire, the curfew has recently been lifted, but strict sanitary measures are applied to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. All sports are prohibited until May 31, football has stopped, plunging professional players into a sometimes worrying situation. Because the clubs have for the most part stopped paying their salaries. AFI chaired by the former captain of the “Elephants” Cyril Domoraud, tries to support them. Interview with this former defender who passed through Olympique de Marseille, Monaco or Inter Milan.

“  The players need help because the clubs were unable to pay them their dues. We perceived their distress, and thanks to a donor who supports AFI, Idriss Yacine Diallo, we collected 10 million FCFA (15,000 euros) to offer them vouchers of 13,000 FCFA (20 euros). Vouchers distributed through the 38 Ligue 1 & 2 clubs, so that they can buy essential foodstuffs. This concerns nearly 1,200 players.  "

RFI: Cyril Domoraud, why don't the clubs pay their salaries to their players ? TV rights had already been paid !

Cyril Domoraud : Because most of them are in great difficulty. We have met with the Professional Football League (LFP) to try to get salaries paid. The clubs offered only half of the monthly payments for March and April. However, here, the players of our championships do not receive a lot of money. An average of 150 to 200,000 CFA francs. We, AFI, have therefore mobilized a chain of solidarity. Now the LFP is hoping for help from the Ministry of Sports and the Ivorian Federation (FIF) thanks to FIFA.

Are all clubs in trouble ?

The players suffer, the clubs too. The situation is not the same for everyone. An institution like ASEC pays its players, but Africa Sports is going through a difficult time. However, we have a new generation emerging at the helm of clubs, but everything is still very fragile. Everything should be reorganized, that the state support the clubs.

In a long video " talk ", the Burkinabé Aristide Bancé, former ASEC Mimosas, pleads the cause of Ivorian players who, according to him, are badly paid and badly regarded by club presidents, who accumulate the back wages. Is this true ?

He is right to defend the players, but I believe that this does not concern the clubs of the League because they are obliged to pay at least the SMIG (60,000 FCFA). And at AFI we had no complaints.

The championship stopped 6 days before the end. Should he resume, even behind closed doors ?

Better to end the season, because our players have been arrested for two months and it will take at least a month of re-athletics to play six days. There is too much risk of injury. RC Abidjan will logically be crowned champion in front of San Pedro and ASEC.

The election of a new FIF president will soon take place, with three candidates: who is yours ?

We will decide at the appropriate time. We have already met Sory Diabaté, current president of the LFP, and Idriss Yacine Diallo. We will soon see Mr. Drogba. Then we will decide ... You will know soon!

You the former OM defender (1997-1999), how do you see the current situation of the club ?

OM is my heart club, the one that revealed me, and I am sorry to hear that Marseille still has problems. The players are fighting for the qualification in the Champions League, but the team will lose executives to replenish the boxes. What will it give in European match? Separating from the best before is dramatic. It would be nice if OM could really compete with PSG!

If by magic you could replay next season, which coach and which club would you choose ?

I would like to have Laurent Blanc because for three years together, when we shared the same room, I saw him after each training, taking notes, getting ready. For me, he is the best coach in France, thanks to his intelligence and his vision of the game. So it would be OM coached by Laurent Blanc! One day perhaps we will see him selecting “Elephants”!

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