Union Bordeaux-Bègles is preparing its Top 14 semi-final against Montpellier in a particular context.
After turning on his players last week and seeing their response to Racing, Christophe Urios is trying to calm things down a bit.
It remains to be seen in the medium term, if this episode will have consequences for this UBB team.
This is also how we recognize the expert in management and communication that is Christophe Urios.
While his club is going through a very big crisis of turbulence due to tensions between him and some of his players, the Bordeaux manager did not take the risk of adding fuel to the fire as he had done on Sunday evening after qualifying for the semi-finals of the Top 14 Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
The Bordeaux manager first sent two foreign players to a press conference.
And no locker room executives facing journalists and even less Matthieu Jalibert or Cameron Woki, his two internationals whom he particularly singled out last week.
How does the UBB try to remobilize for its play-off against Racing?
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Suddenly, between "the group is doing very well" of the shy Argentinian winger Santiago Cordero and the confusing banalities of the Tongan pillar Ben Tameifuna, he has won his bet.
That is to say, control this outbreak of fire.
Besides, he “doesn't see any, it's you [the journalists] who are creating this fire!
»
“I have nothing to wax about this situation, I have passed the age, he continues.
I just know what to do and what not to do.
And then I have to stop talking.
»
It was out of the question for him to put a coin back in the machine even if it itched him several times.
It's time to focus on Saturday's semi-final (9 p.m.) in Nice against Montpellier.
The very risky closed fist
Yes, except that everything cannot be erased overnight.
Above all, listening to Christophe Urios, there will be medium and long-term consequences for next season.
In the meantime, today, the question is whether there is a real divide or not with these players?
"He's with us, we've had meetings, it's fine...", assures Santiago Cordero about the one who had left his group in self-management last week.
It remains to be seen how everyone will patch things up.
Denis Troch, former football coach turned mental trainer, takes an image to illustrate what is happening at the moment and why the Bordeaux manager acted in this way: "A team is like a closed fist that goes into the same direction.
But sometimes it opens and the fingers start to go each in their own direction and there if we can't find the solutions to close it, there is only one.
Tap very hard on this hand on the table so that it closes suddenly!
»
And there everyone tightens against the one who struck this hand.
This is the strategy and besides Christophe Urios does not hide it with "players who are at war against him".
The problem in these cases is that you “have to very quickly withdraw your hand” continues Denis Troch so as not to be caught and above all to hope for a reaction on the ground in the next match.
This was the case against Racing.
On the other hand, in the longer term, it is a bit of an unknown for the former coach of Troyes or Amiens.
A title of champion of France will erase all that but if not what will happen?
Watch out for the hamburger effect...
One thing is certain, in the short term, the objective is to find a little calm by Saturday.
And for that Denis Troch has another image: avoid the hamburger effect!
That is to say, avoid adding a layer as soon as you can so that it does not become indigestible.
To date, we have three layers: Urios' anger last week, Jalibert's responses (very cold handshake with his manager and the "we're not playing for Christophe") and Woki (the finger in front of his mouth to tell his coach to shut up) during the match against Racing and the new development of Urios ("the boss, it's me") after the victory against the Ile-de-France.
This Tuesday, there was therefore no fourth layer.
The UBB manager is too smart to know that you shouldn't play with fire too much, especially when you're two games away from a title.
He was very careful even on technical issues such as the positioning of young Bastien Vergnes in the third line: “It's not a number 8 as I like them.
That doesn't mean I don't like it, be careful what you write because it's hot right now huh!
Don't start pissing off all the guys, I already have a lot of them (laughs).
Meanwhile, Christophe Urios has also seen its president, the very diplomatic Laurent Marti, try to flatten the hamburger as much as possible.
A real balancing act.
A surely salutary speech where the boss of the club showed solidarity with his manager while affirming that one does not become champion with smooth players… All this in the hope of seeing everyone sign the armistice on June 24th. on the Shield of Brennus.
Top 14: UBB defeats Racing and joins Montpellier in the semi-finals... Relive the Bordeaux victory with us
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Top 14: “Stop lowering your head”… How is the UBB trying to regroup for its play-off against Racing?
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