“French hockey takes place in Grenoble and Grenoble is writing a page of history“, estimates this Thursday, April 14 on France Bleu Isère the president of the Brûleurs de Loups, Jacques Reboh. After the great victory of the Grenoble hockey players yesterday against Angers, allowing them to obtain an 8th title of champions of France, the president of the club gives an update on the next objectives.
France Bleu Isère – The night was short I imagine after this victory, and the intense party in Grenoble?
Jacques Reboh – Yes, the night was short, a lot of emotion so we didn’t want to let go, take advantage of every minute, every moment.
This is the second title won under your presidency. And this time, it’s won at home, unlike 2019, when you were crowned away. I guess celebrating at home makes all the difference?
Yes, a lot of emotion because the last two years have been marked by the Covid, the last two finals could not be played. So for us it’s almost a second consecutive title. After yes, it’s a special flavor to win here. Even if winning away is also very special, the victory remains intimate, it is shared between the players and the staff.
At home, this victory is shared immediately, from the first second, with the public, family, friends, with them, and it escapes us very quickly. But it’s so much happiness to be able to share this with those we love. So they are different flavors. And indeed, I agree with you, the flavor of winning at home is much more important.
And at the same time, we can say that it’s a logical victory: Grenoble has dominated all season, it’s the biggest budget in the championship. Basically, it’s almost normal that you win, isn’t it?
You know, sport isn’t always normal and logical. Talk to other teams that are in the news like in football, some teams would like the result to be based on budget only. It is the fruit of the work of our partners and our supporters who make the budget, there is nothing automatic.
And then, hockey, like sport in general, has this particularity that the accumulation or the addition of individualities does not mechanically create victory. It’s a set of factors that makes the victory, such as cohesion, the group, values, work, self-sacrifice and a small pinch of individualities.
This season was the first of a new cycle in Grenoble, with a new coach and many young people from training. Is this good news for the future of the Burners of Wolves?
Yes quite. Grenoble hockey players have been titled champions of France in the under 17s, under 20s and therefore today, the pros. I think that French hockey takes place in Grenoble and that Grenoble is writing a page of history. It may be a lack of humility, but when you see so many trophies in the same territory, it shows that there is DNA here to draw history.
Now let’s look to next season. What will be the objective? I imagine keeping the title and then, why not, winning the Coupe de France? Going to Bercy would be a big goal?
Yes quite. We will continue to write the story we started with our Finnish culture. Yes the objective will be to go for the trophies, especially in the European Cup. And then, of course, Bercy, which is an exceptional moment, and which is perhaps the black point of this season. So there are plenty of great things that still have to happen in Grenoble and around ice hockey.