Does the trainer Christian Gourcuff really have the soul of a trainer?

Christian Gourcuff.

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• Last week, Stéphane Ziani, coach of the FCN U19s, criticized Christian Gourcuff, coach of the pros, for not being interested in the young people of the training center.

• Does Christian Gourcuff really have the soul of a trainer?

  20 Minutes

  contacted people who worked with him in Rennes or Angers.

Ten days ago, Stéphane Ziani, coach of the FC Nantes U19s, loudly pointed out the disinterest of Christian Gourcuff for the young people of the training center.

A reproach at the antipodes of what many observers imagined when the Breton arrived at La Jonelière in the summer of 2019. It must be admitted that the technician from Nantes, who has never been at the head of youth teams , has always been backed by a reputation as an unparalleled builder and trainer.

What is this fame based on?

Has it really been verified in the past in Lorient (1982-1986 then 2003-2014) and Rennes (2001-2002 then 2016-2017), where Gourcuff trained?

"All the young talents that there was in the center, he made them play, first considers the former director of the Rennes training center, Patrick Rampillon, little talkative on the subject.

I don't remember a coach who neglected young people.

"Alain Le Roch, former president of FC Lorient, has a clear opinion:" Christian is one of those coaches who are feverish with young people because they lack experience.

He knows how to recognize their talent but he will go very carefully towards them.

Very gradually.

He knows he's taking a risk by integrating a youngster.

It's almost sickly.

"

Last season, Gourcuff did not hesitate to make Imran Louza, who had hardly played as a pro, an essential link in his eleven type.

Same observation for Mario Lémina in Lorient in 2013. The latter's departure for Marseille during the last hours of the transfer window had been a source of conflict with its president Loïc Féry.

"He's a good coach, but players who are already very mature"

Pierrick Le Bert, ex-player of Gourcuff and ex-coach of the 18 years of FCL, also has in mind the example of Jérémy Morel, "a pure product from home".

“Christian has always been to promote young people, with his idea of ​​the game in mind.

I remember a coach, who was responsible for the creation of the training center in Lorient, who looked at what was happening below.

He has always known how to inject local young people and I am one of them.

"The opinions of Régis Le Bris, Benjamin Genton and Arnaud Le Lan, all FCL educators and former Gourcuff colleagues or players, could have been enlightening, but the FCL press service informed us that" no one will speak ".

"Sorry, I don't want to talk about Gourcuff", also politely replied Hervé Guégan, who was director of the FCL training center when the Breton was a professional trainer.

"He is a good coach, but already very mature players", observes a great connoisseur of Breton football.

"He's better on post-training," nods another, wishing to remain anonymous.

Koscielny, Gignac, Jallet, who all came from experiences one or two steps below Ligue 1, illustrate this.

“Gignac, trained at home, he had a lot of trouble integrating, remembers Alain Le Roch.

Christian was suspicious of this young player.

APG will then be loaned to the National in 2005-2006 before coming back and exploding with Gourcuff at the Merlus.

“Afterwards, it's true that Christian is always very focused on his group, often very small, adds Pierrick Le Bert.

But if a youngster is very good, he will not hesitate to make him play.

“We lend him an appetite for styles of players his own.

“He needs elements that feel the game, his game,” says an observer.

“He needs players who adhere to his idea of ​​football.

Its device is a real puzzle, explains Alain Le Roch.

If a piece does not stick, its game is destroyed.

It is therefore not surprising that he does not pick up on training… ”Often with elements with whom you have to be indulgent and to whom you have to give time.

"He's not a great communicator"

"Its difficulty in communicating is also a brake with young people," continues the former president of Lorient.

He is not a great communicator when young people need to be listened to… ”A close friend of the Lorient club even speaks of“ psychorigid functioning with young people ”.

Another remembers the juvenile Lorient Fabien Robert whom Christian Gourcuff valued during training, but who almost always took place on the bench in matches.

The player demanded to be loaned, but the coach obviously did not want to hear anything ...

“Christian is a good trainer, whom I am very happy to have had, concludes Alain Le Roch.

But, he is a team trainer, a style of play, but no players, let alone young people.

"

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