That’s it, we’re there! After six weeks of preparation, Stade Lavallois begins its Ligue 2 season, the thirty-second in its history. The menu is copious at the start with a trip to the island of beauty opposite SC Bastia, in the legendary Armand-Cesari stadium. After an incredible 2021-2022 fiscal year in National, crowned with a championship title, Stade Lavallois is starting its new journey in all humility.
Maxime Hautbois in the cage
Several men will play their first game in the professional world, such as striker Geoffray Durbant. 28 national goals over the last two seasons. This Saturday evening, the march will be a little higher with even more seasoned defenders in front of him. “Everything changes at the technical level, at the tactical level, at the physical level. You have to adapt. _If you’re not ready, you’ll get eaten_. And the goal is to get the defenders to fear you. I really want to prove that what I’ve done in the past is not just luck, it’s hard work” asserts the Mayenne striker.
In the absence of goalkeeper Alexis Sauvage, it is the eternal Maxime Hautbois who will hold the Mayenne cage. In 2017, he lived the last Tango Ligue 2 season. The 31-year-old goalkeeper expects to be challenged more in his goal. “In this championship, the attackers are smarter. It goes faster. _We have automatisms compared to last year_the game system hasn’t changed so it’s easier too“he believes.
15 players have already tasted Ligue 2
The most capped player in Ligue 2 at Stade Lavallois is Anthony Gonçalves (294 games), just ahead of Jimmy Roye (248 games). Their experiences will be invaluable in the boiling Corsican stadium. Olivier Frapolli the coach, can’t wait to be there. “With the leaders from last season, we made sure that in our team building, we have players who know this division so we will necessarily also rely on these players. And then for the others, it’s great. For some, it was a dream and we have players who will discover Ligue 2 at 30 or 31. So our degree of motivation will be at its highest. Afterwards, motivation is only part of performance. There are also many other aspects: mental, technical, tactical, physical“explains the coach. 15 players in the Stade Lavallois squad have already played in Ligue 2 in the past.
The group
►► SC Bastia – Stade Lavallois, this is a match to follow in full and live from the stadium on France Bleu Mayenne.