France Bleu Berry: Since Saturday, have you always had a smile on your face or, that’s it, have you already turned to the future?
Agnès Saint-Gès: “I’m still smiling and we’re still enjoying the end of the season and these two titles, including the last one which was memorable. These two trophies have a special flavor for me, because they are the first since I arrived at the head of the club in 2019.
A title of champion of France this year, a Eurocup against Venicea Coupe de France final… What was the secret of this success?
I want to say the collective, the desire. We actually see what is on the ground, the image and rendering of this team by the results. But we don’t see all the difficulty, the work, the injuries and the absences… I think this team knew how to want to show the best. The collective and the mind made it possible to achieve these objectives. And then, I think that the players who left were especially keen to finish with this title for the club.
We are in Bourges: we want to continue writing and pursue this fine track record
You mention the players on the start. Some of the Prado darlings will leave the club: MVP Iliana Rupert, Isabelle Yacoubou in particular. Will the summer be hectic in Bourges?
Of course, but it’s like all seasons. Last year, indeed, we had a workforce that was not renewed, with only two more players. But it’s part of the life of the club. Of course we would have liked Iliana to stay. But we also understand, and I understand perfectly, his professional and personal project. So it’s to his credit and respect. Now, the coach has worked to reconstitute a team that will allow us to continue to achieve the objectives that we set for ourselves, which are always very high. We’re staying in Bourges, we’re in Bourges and we want to continue writing and pursuing this fine track record.
We will never have the means that ASVEL can have. The girls know why they come to Bourges: to win titles
So does that mean your recruitment is complete for next season?
Yes.
Who will wear the colors of Tango?
If you don’t mind, we’ll continue to enjoy (laughs). We really want to thank the girls who leave and we want to give ourselves a little time to be able to announce new recruits. We will have a very good team.
Tango Bourges Basket is today at the top of French basketball. But around you, the competition is becoming more and more pressing, like ASVEL Women, which you faced in the final, and which has been putting a lot of resources on the table for several seasons. How do we manage this growing competition?
Competition must be healthy. It is indeed a pressure. We know that we will never have the means that ASVEL can have, but we are working on other subjects. Our collective has shown great qualities and has demonstrated it all this season, the desire, the culture of winning. And the girls know why they come to Bourges: to win titles.
The Euroleague? It’s up to us to find a title
You talk about a club culture, does it also go with the Prado room and its atmosphere which still carried your players, especially during these playoffs?
Our public is our sixth player. We see the importance it can have on our team and we are also lucky to have this exceptional tool at the Prado which allows us to be able to welcome our public in the best conditions and to make each match an event for us. And it’s also this pride, it’s a whole thing.
What are your goals for next season, with your return to the EuroLeague?
We know that the Russian clubs will not be present. It’s up to us to seize this opportunity and go for a title. Our objectives remain on the three tables (Championship, French Cup and EuroLeague, editor’s note).
The interview with Agnès Saint-Gès can be listened to in full below, or by clicking here: