Brest (AFP)
In Brest, it is almost part of the furniture: Gaëtan Belaud starts his sixth season in Finistère, but his first in the elite, while at 32, he had almost begun to cross over.
After several missed Ligue 1 accessions since his arrival in Brittany in 2014, the right-back finally enjoyed the joy of a climb on May 10 after a 3-0 victory against Niort during the penultimate day.
Brest will return to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2013, hoping above all to maintain it in view of its limited budget (30 million euros), one of the lowest in the elite.
Gaëtan Belaud, he will discover the big leagues late, having almost taste it a little earlier, maybe in another jersey. During his second season in Finistère, in 2015-2016, this native of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Béarn, had seduced the world in Ligue 1, while he was at the end of the contract. But the opportunity did not finally come.
"I had some touches, but in the end, Ligue 1 clubs came close to me without telling me that I was a priority.Brest had already proposed an extension, I did not want to wait, lose offer Brest and risk to find me in Ligue 2 in a less upscale club ".
- "What fun" -
Gaëtan Belaud says he spent in Brest his best years as a professional footballer. And approached the Ligue 1 with appetite and enthusiasm: "It's just fun, I'm looking forward to it, even though I've never played in Ligue 1, I know the professional level, I do not think there is a big difference between the top of Ligue 2 and the bottom of Ligue 1, "he explains.
And promised, the Breton club will not play the modest early in the season, with a first home game against Toulouse on August 10 for the reunion with the elite. "We showed we were up in Ligue 2 last year and we kept a good part of the team, there is no reason not to do it this season. small clubs of the championship, but we will not have to blush in front of other little ones, we will play our luck thoroughly. "
Gaëtan Belaud will be competing this season with Julien Faussurier, who can play in the middle or right side.
The experienced defender knows that with the coach Olivier Dall'Oglio, as with Jean-Marc Furlan last year, Brest will try to produce the game, even in Ligue 1. "We may not have the opportunity to impose our game every time, but we will not deny our identity by putting all in defense, even if it will adapt, especially when we will be more at risk against the big teams of the championship ", believes Belaud.
First tests on Sunday, August 18th during the second day against Saint-Etienne, in the "cauldron" of Geoffroy-Guichard, and at home against Lyon during the 7th day end of September.
© 2019 AFP