2024-01-17 18:14:42
Par Aline Chatel
Published on Jan 17, 24 at 7:14 p.m. See my news Follow Sport in Caen
Sébastien Bannier was soaked to the skin, Wednesday January 17, 2024, at the end of his morning session. An icy rain accompanied the two hours of training spent with the reserve team at Stade Malherbe Caen, to which were added the National U19s. The former director of the club’s training center had returned two days earlier from Draguignan, where this father of three had settled with his family.
Sébastien Bannier, 24 years of service in Caen until his departure in 2014, takes over from Nicolas Seube at the head of the reserve, in National 3. He comes out of a decade marked by numerous experiences in Ajaccio, Bordeaux, Guingamp, but also Qatar and Morocco as assistant to another man who passed through Malherbe, Aziz Ben Askar. The forty-year-old did not take the time to warm up before opening up regarding an unexpected signing.
Sébastien, was there any particular emotion on Monday when you returned to the club?
Yes, definitely. It was very, very special. Since 2014, I have returned only once, last year, before signing up for Guingamp. I came to see the reserve. I never came back to the offices. There was obviously a lot of emotion. It’s nice to see familiar faces once more and find our bearings, even if the club has evolved a lot. Coming back to your family environment – whether it’s your personal family or your professional family – is always very special.
Under what conditions did your return take place?
The club contacted me around ten days ago. We quickly came to an agreement, the main thing being the desire to work together. The return to training was not planned like this, but of course, for Malherbe, it is completely different. I was rather waiting for a possible other project to continue with Aziz Ben Askar. When Caen called me back, I didn’t even think. It happened naturally.
” I have no regrets “
Had you imagined returning to Caen one day?
Imagined, I don’t think so. Hoped for, surely. If this were to happen, it had to be done in a simple, clear manner, in a spirit of working in the service of the club with men who wanted to work with me, and with whom I wanted to work. I hadn’t imagined it at this timing. It was the right time, obviously. We are always happy to be recalled by a club where we worked. This means that we left a positive image.
You were not retained in 2014, but you say you were not bitter regarding it.
The period was very difficult. Fortunately, I bounced back right away, but with a total life change. Of course, it’s difficult to leave your family, your landmarks, the club that gave you everything and discover another life, or life. Today, I have no regrets. I have always been very grateful to the leaders, who trained me, who gave me all their confidence.
The adventure ended, but when I take stock of that period, I say to myself that it wasn’t too bad in terms of the number of players who became professionals, the number of graduated players, the number of players sold. It was the end of a cycle and endings are rarely happy. She wasn’t. But I was never bitter, I never had bitterness, I never spoke. I was lucky to then have a career that fulfilled me.
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You were deputy to Aziz Ben Askar during your last experiences in Qatar and Morocco. Were you waiting for him to find a project to support him?
Yes, that’s what I expected. I hope he finds a club quickly. When Caen called me, I asked the Stade to call Aziz. I called Aziz myself and told him: “since it’s Caen, I will complete my commitment”. If it hadn’t been Caen, I don’t know if I would have arrived like this, during the season.
“The desire is always to last”
Why did you commit to Stade Malherbe for such a short period – six months?
This is the final agreement we reached. It’s good for everyone. The club had a bit, I had a possibility. They know I’m going to be completely invested. I know, I quickly get my bearings. It’s good for the players, it’s good for the staff. If it goes well and if everyone wants to continue, so much the better.
Are you planning for the long term despite these six months of contract?
When you arrive at a club, you never imagine the end. It will be the will of men, it will be the project of the moment. Obviously, the longer, the better. There is desire and there is reality. The desire is always to last. There’s everything you need here, I know it, that’s why I’m here. It’s a real choice to be there. I will bring positive energy. If I can add a little experience to it, all the better.
A lot of things have changed at Stade Malherbe, the president, the owners…
This has evolved a lot. The benchmarks are above all the environment. I was made to revisit the stadium, the facilities… It’s up to me to adapt to how it works. It goes very quickly because I know the frameworks. I’m discovering the president but I know Yohan Eudeline, Nico Seube, Eddy Costil, Matthieu Ballon, Stéphane Pilard… When you arrive somewhere, it’s often the extra-sporting aspect that’s complicated. Here it’s simple. I have my car, I have my apartment, I have my friends, I find my father, my in-laws… I am not lost.
“I know it’s a luxury”
The reserve team is at the top of the National 3 table. This is not the club’s objective, but do you want to get involved in the fight for promotion?
The team is in the middle of the table, because there are games late (fifth, editor’s note). I was not given any particular goal in terms of ranking. The objective is to learn to win, develop knowledge of the game, situations, strong times, weak times. It’s very young, but we play every match to win it. This is what I will try to instill in the group. Senior football is brought closer to the codes that Nico (Seube) wants. Nico is alert on the evolution of the players, but to create interest, you have to win. I know the quality of the work that has been done before.
Is the fact that Nicolas Seube went from training to the pros a comfort for the reserve team coach?
I am lucky to know Nicolas well. He happened to come into the reserve a few times when I was training him, although this happened rarely given his great career. The fact that Nico is very attentive, and that the club’s philosophy goes in this direction, is a real plus. We are in direct contact. Success happens there. When I arrived, the first idea was that we would be well connected. As long as there is 100% connection, we come easily. I’m here to reassure him and let him know that underneath, we’re doing everything for him. We are lucky to know that he is very attentive to what happens in training. Having been to several clubs, I know that it is a luxury.
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