The Essentials After a historic last season, many of the blood and gold heroes are no longer there. And their successors will have a lot to do to compete.
It was to be expected. And undoubtedly predicted by the Rafiste areopagus. But after a 2023-24 season that the club had never known, which ended, let us remember, in a pre-playoff match towards Ligue 1, the artisans of this success, shared moreover with more and more supporters, have left, obviously in part, for other climes. And it is probably not over, the summer transfer window only ending at the end of the month, in a context of strong financial pressure, notably due to a late renegotiation of television rights and far from the hoped-for thresholds.
The conductor did not change his score
A real shake-up of the blood and gold squad took place this summer, revealing a recruitment of very young elements. With also a dispersion of the ex-executives (read below) quite significant. A page was also turned with the departure to VAFC (National), while he was still under contract, of Lucas Buades. The right piston contributed a lot on the field. But it is, in spite of himself, off it that he had an unprecedented impact on the club and its trajectory. From his aggression in Bordeaux on June 2, 2023 was born, certainly a mess on social networks, but above all a common momentum in Rodez and Aveyron. Creating an osmosis of all the blood and gold people, united under the slogan then well felt by the club’s communicators, “Together, that’s everything”. A “together” that it is up to this Raf version 2024-25 to nourish in order to perpetuate it. Although the controversy over the move of matches to Fridays is impacting the Piton, there have never been so many season ticket holders. What’s more, the stadium is still under construction but has been expanded by some 1,800 seats. Above all, the group can count on its conductor, coach Didier Santini, who, along with his staff, does not intend to change the score. So, bis repetita?
