If there’s one for whom this Brest – Rodez arouses intense emotions, it’s Valentin Henry. A local of Finistère, he spent 20 years on the Stade Brestois earlier than his signing in Rodez in 2019. The aspect evokes this “mourning” of SB29, his childhood within the kop or his household who pushes him each day.
A toddler of SB29. An actual. Of those that jubilate by hanging round for hours, within the Breton rain in fact, to see their heroes in whom they dream of themselves. And, for him, the inaccessible has lastly come true. After racing for the signings and even the prized tickets for Francis-Le Blé, Valentin Henry wore the jersey of the Finistériens pennant crew. Till 2019 and his departure, at 25, for Rodez, newly promoted to Ligue 2.
“It is a particular match by way of feelings “, he launches us first, this early Monday morning, with the modesty of soccer gamers who are sometimes suggested to have civilized communication. We’re then in a prefabricated locker room in Vabre, simply earlier than the session of ‘coaching. The environment is intimate, you breathe soccer, that of the luscious lawns. The crimson and white coronary heart of the little man from Portsall, who can also be not a follower of the language of wooden, finally ends up talking. “ The mourning for the truth that I left Brest has already been carried out“, he blurted. Mourning, referring to a sure loss of life, then.”If you spent 20 years on this membership and it gave you the whole lot, it is all the time somewhat feeling of satisfaction, happiness, pleasure to have the ability to come again there, argues the Ruthenian proper piston. Even when the supporters will probably be missed and it is going to be a disgrace to not breathe this environment, the magic of the Coupe de France makes it stay a particular match for me.“
Kop and battle for a stadium entrance ticket
The supporters, the favored fervor. A metropolis and a stadium which fairly often merge in instances exterior Covid. The native of Brest is aware of one thing about it: “I lived it, felt it. I used to be within the kop once I was little, it is a metropolis that has all the time vibrated for soccer, for the supporters, even when it is a small stadium. And to proceed: The 12 months we acquired into L1, they have been 10,000 in every match, it was a battle to get tickets; like me I fought for it once I was little. “
This sense of belonging shared by a whole territory is powerful. And stays engraved for the one who succeeded in 2019 to succeed certainly one of Paul-Lignon’s favorites on the proper, Jérémy Mellot. “Once I signed professional at SB29, there was the satisfaction of the participant educated on the membership, the native who succeeded, explains Henry. The Brestois are very proud and so they need to have this satisfaction represented of their pennant crew. We have been 5 or 6 gamers from the middle to play recurrently. We felt it, we have been taken underneath the wing of the supporters. They acknowledged themselves in us, in our values. It was a supply of satisfaction for them, for us too. “
Nevertheless, right this moment, the completely satisfied father of Romeo born on December four on the Piton, “make a distinction“. “I am very completely satisfied to come back again to Brest, however within the sneakers of a Rodez participant. And to elucidate: It was laborious to depart. I could not have a membership apart from Brest in my coronary heart. However right this moment, I’m in Rodez and my objective is to win with Rodez, there isn’t a downside there. “Furthermore, on reflection, the selection made to depart his piece of Finistère land is the peak of his personal.”I’ve no regrets. It completely met what I hoped for, he explains. We left our cocoon, our complete household. We have been very brood over there; my performances have been additionally by the supporters. I arrived right here and located myself within the sneakers of a rookie who needed to show himself. I used to be eager to perform new issues; to expertise this independence vis-à-vis our households with my spouse. “An entourage which can also be awaiting the match of the day firmly!”Them, once they noticed the draw, they have been the primary to ship me messages, sourit Henry. They really need us to win. There’s a little bit of resentment (laughs). They’d have preferred me to remain there with them … “They are going to be there, earlier than and after the assembly; and his maternal grandfather,”Papou“, the one who debriefs all his matches,”even left to purchase the channel only for this recreation (laughs) “.
“By no means say that I do not need to come again to Brest”
However, by the best way, is the speculation of a return to fundamentals someday at the back of his thoughts? “I’ll by no means be capable of say that I do not need to come again to Brest, that may be fallacious, delivers the person to 19 L2 matches this season. It should all the time stay the membership through which I need to finish my profession or, not less than, through which I need to return to show that the participant that I used to be is now not, and that I can come again within the pores and skin. of a holder. “Nonetheless, it would not appear to be tomorrow.”At the moment, we now have a sense of well-being. Since we now have been right here in Rodez, we now have not seen the time move, the whole lot is on the high within the membership and the aspect “, particulars the one who, dwelling in Vabre, mentioned to go to coaching”by electrical scooter “; and whose companion Coralie Lair, additionally Breton and enterprise lawyer in a Ruthenian legislation agency, additionally appreciates the Aveyron setting.”She all the time says she’ll have a pang in her coronary heart once we go away “, helps Valentin Henry. Aveyron, it wins them.
Affected by the Covid in January, barely symptomatic, Valentin Henry was in solitary confinement for 15 days, his spouse and son left for Brittany. “It was laborious sufficient “, he mentioned earlier than being requested in regards to the efficiency of the crew throughout his withdrawal.”Once we watch the matches on TV, we are saying to ourselves: “P… what the hell am I doing right here, I wish to be on the pitch.” After that we have been nonetheless collectively in a sophisticated state of affairs, so I used to be actually hoping for a victory and there have been even two in a row. It already exhibits that nobody is irreplaceable, and if it takes a booster shot, you will have it within the mouth (laughs). Afterwards, we return to work, and we’re there to regain our place. “
