Antonetti : «I forbid myself from signing a new contract»

« People don’t look at the circumstances »

The current topic, beside the next game against Valenciennes, is obviously Rod Fanni’s transfer to Marseille. A departure that removes a defender in Antonetti’s squad, but that was also planned for a long time. “His transfer was decided since several months, the manager reminds. He had been given the authorisation to leave during the summer, and this was still applicable. Marseille came two weeks ago. We had made a promise, and we kept it”.

A transfer which also adds to an eventful early season at Stade Rennes: Gyan’s departure, long-term injuries for Lemoine, Apam or even Marveaux. “To remain in the top five with everything we’ve been through, I don’t think it is an exploit as Rolland was calling it (Ed.: Courbis, host of the Radio show) I think there is no word. This year, we’ve trusted our young players, it’s our policy. Nobody knows them, and the media are considering us as favourites! There are things I don’t understand”.

A bit later, the manager was asking for indulgence towards his young players, visibly hurt by the recent negative criticism. “At the moment, we have a very good defensive organisation, we can rely on a really interesting backline solidity, Antonetti reminds.This is something we need to keep. The players have got qualities, but having played five games is not the same as having played fifty or a hundred. You need to give them some time, and I find some comments very severe, people don’t look at the circumstances”.

«Pessimistic» about Marveaux

Happy to see Fabien Lemoine return, the Rennes manager is clearly counting on him for the second half of the season. “His injury is part of the bad fortune we’ve had, Antonetti comments. We are delighted for him, and for us too as we need him”. However, the manager shows more worried about Sylvain Marveaux’ situation. “His injury is the major handicap in our squad at the moment, he affirms. He is the man in charge of our attacking play. Last year, he scored 10 goals and gave 8 assists. He was accessory in 35 of the 52 goals we scored last season. That’s why I fought to keep him. Unfortunately, we did not really have him over the first six months. I hope to have him at his best for the second half of the season, but I am very pessimistic».

Forced to recruit during the next transfer window, Stade Rennes will notably looking for a defensive player. “Because of Apam’s injury, we need another defender, as he might not come back in January, Antonetti explains. If Apam was returning in January, I would feel much more confident”.

But the biggest work remains the attacking sector, and the announced recruitment of two strikers. The profile remains to be clearly defined, and the perfect player to be found. “We need to know who we can get, and who wants to play for us, the manager reminds. The problem is there. When we contact certain players, we realise they are not interested, they are too expensive or they don’t fit in our salary grid […]. We have to find a player that brings us something new, who fits in our payroll strategy, who hasn’t broken through yet. This because if he had, we couldn’t afford his salary”. Profile? “A young player, because we lack one young forward for the future, and because we need to recruit that sort of player, and another with more experience”. Questioned about Razak Boukari, Antonetti confirmed that the Lens forward was one of the players likely to interest the Stade Rennais.

Discussing the salary grid, the Rennes manager made sure to bring a few precisions. “I hear everything and its contrary on the topic, he gets worked up. The biggest salary in Rennes is 100,000 euros. It’s the maximum on our Salary grid. It’s a choice, I don’t have to comment on that choice, but when I look at what happens in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon or even Lille…”. A policy, which clearly decided Sow’s departure last summer. « He left because there was more money in Lille. It’s absolutely normal, he is a professional ».

«I forbid myself from signing a new contract»

Finally, the Corsican managed, whose contract is due to expire in June 2011, talked once more about a possible contract extension. To him, this is not in the agenda. “Right now, I’m in the middle of a season, Antonetti explains. To lose seventh position right at the end of the championship last year was a blow. The position wasn’t even worth a European sport, but it is what we were worth last year. If we had finished seventh, I would already have extended. Because we were ninth, I forbid myself from signing a new contract, as to deserve it, I need to manage a good season. I will take a decision when things get clearer in the league table. If we finish ninth again I can’t stay, that’s all…”. And the manager justifies his point. “What will people remember? They will remember I finished ninth. When you look at Rennes’ final position since eight years, you realise the club has always been somewhere between fourth and seventh. If you finish ninth twice, you lose all credit, it becomes way to complicated. It’s true, I’d like to continue with all these young players: After launching so many youngsters, I’d like to coach them for a while. But this is a requirement I’ve forced myself to honour».

- Photo : srfc.frenchwill.fr