Patrice Garande is the last coach to have raised the SM Caen in Ligue 1. It was in May 2014 and it is one of his most memorable memories of his career. He returned to this highlight and to the Norman football club on Monday in Hello Malherbe.
The last rise of the SMC in Ligue 1
“It’s one of my best memories. Already, there was an expectation in relation to that. When you’re a coach, you live your passion vicariously through what the players do. When you know what Malherbe represents and given the expectation that there was that season. It was both a deliverance and a great happiness. The year before, we had missed it by a bit, but there was a certain continuity. That’s what was the hallmark of Stade Malherbe. The coaches didn’t change often. I note that there is a certain continuity now too. I hope that will bode well for a final like the one which we knew because it is a club that not only deserves to be in Ligue 1 but which must be in Ligue 1. It is still I find an important place in French football.
The end of his collaboration with Dijon
“I had made the decision to leave Dijon at Christmas but the objective was not achieved since when I arrived, the team was 19th and had taken a pt in five games I believe. It was a little bit The goal was to finish in the best possible place and save the club to stay in Ligue 2. And when that was acquired, I told my president that I did not want to stay for reasons personal. Without going into too much detail, in order to express yourself when you are a coach, you need to find all the necessary parameters to be able to play the climb the following season. And I couldn’t find it. By mutual agreement we have decided to communicate with the president for this amicable separation a month before the end. It allowed the president to work on a new coach. It was also to be honest with the players.
His future
“It’s already difficult to find clubs. There are twenty clubs in Ligue 1, twenty clubs in Ligue 2. Next year there will be eighteen places in Ligue 1, eighteen in Ligue 2. Then there will be there is the National with professional teams and others not. We do such an exciting job that it is better to do it being happy in the morning when we get up to go train the players. I am waiting for a project. I’m going to be 62. I know what I want and I know what I don’t want anymore. I’m going to see if I can find something to further develop myself in this profession and in football. my passion. We’ll see. I think it’s still a bit early. There will be a period when I think positions will become vacant. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the law of our profession. We’ll see .”
SM Caen this season
“They have a team to be in the top five quietly. I attended two games and in particular that of Guingamp (4-1). I find that it is a fairly efficient team which perhaps lacks an attacker to really apply for the top two places but they’re going to have a great season.”