Corsica, the RAF coach likes Rodez in a region that is tied to its roots and its identity, that passionately supports its football club. Didier Santini draws the first lessons from the financial year 2023-2024. because his team was just eliminated, on Friday May 24, among the Greens in the L2 playoff final.
After the clash in Saint-Étienne last Friday, what do you have left of this season?
I can’t find anything negative about this season. We lost in the play-off final against Saint-Étienne (2-0), but we knew that one day we would lose and that we would be disappointed at that moment. I saw that we had 48% of the ball on Geoffroy-Guichard. We would only have to have 35% to upset the Greens who ran a lot in Rodez. We didn’t have legs that were up to our athletic standards. The match played against Paris FC mobilized too much energy. With another day of rest, we were able to offer Saint-Étienne our game with all its principles.
Read also:
RAF: Rodez is already starting to work on the new season after elimination in the promotion play-off
So, a lot of regrets?
Before this game I was afraid that we might disappoint all our fans. At the end of the meeting, I heard warm words. The crowd of Saint-Etienne greeted us. We did not disappoint the people who came to see this game. Now I have some strange emotion in me when I know that we gave everything and that everything stopped. We met with the players yesterday morning to spend one last moment together. I wanted. We couldn’t leave like that after the game. We could tell ourselves that we were fourth in Ligue 2, that we had succeeded and that it would mark our lives. Seeing each other was also important because at the start of next season I might only have 2 or 3 players who played at Saint-Étienne.
Read also:
“It’s a crazy season!” : pride in the feat above all for the RAF
Are you talking about departures?
Yes, that is the principle of football. I asked not to be informed about player departures before the end of the season. I wanted. I was only informed about this on Saturday evening. Whatever happens, I have no problem with it. I know the recruiting staff has done a good job and they have a list of players they need to introduce to me. We have our game system. Recruitment will only be made based on the ability of players to be able and willing to enter this system. Then we will work to get all these people working together in the field. I am always sorry when a player does not follow our playing principles. It happened to some this season. Despite the good feeling with these people, it didn’t work out. I’m trying to figure out why.
Read also:
RAF: Rodez, eliminated in Saint-Étienne, will not move to Ligue 1
Do you give a lot of space to psychology in your people management?
A coach is not a dictator. He must give freedom to the players on the field. I’m convinced that you have to be kind when a player misses a move because that’s more effective than pushing them even harder. If he’s bad, don’t do it on purpose. In the RAF, that philosophy prevails where everyone is always positive. There are just as many fans. All my life I will remember this game at the end of last season which we lost at home to Quevilly and we will have to win in Bordeaux to go on. No one whistled at us at the end when they would have mocked us elsewhere. Rodez is. It’s like Corsica without the sea. People love their country, they are proud of it, they are looking for their identity and they care when their players give their best on the football field. I feel fine.
Read also:
RAF’s crazy season continues tonight, against Saint-Etienne
Do we feel proud of this season?
Yes, the players have improved. Many have reached the level of Ligue 1 players. I am very, very proud of them. We got the job done. We fought well.