Football: the end of the last hopes of AS Fabrègues and Olympique d’Alès

Thomas Pastorel a ouvert le score sur coup franc pour l’AS Fabrègues, avant une cruelle fin de match pour les Héraultais. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Les épopées de l’Olympique d’Alès et Fabrègues ont pris fin en 32e de finale de la Coupe de France.

They believed in it until the end, but the dream was definitely gone last weekend. In front of their supporters who came in large numbers to fill the bays of Joseph Jeanton and Pierre Pibarot, the footballers of AS Fabrègues (R1) and Olympique d’Alès (N2) saw their epic in the Coupe de France come to an end, respectively against Trélissac (N2) and Paris FC (L2) (editor's note: 1-4 defeat of Fabrègues and 1-2 of Olympique d’Alès). Two very distinct eliminations, but one and the same disappointment to see this great adventure stop at the gates of the 16th finals. « There is inevitably sadness and frustration, admits Thomas Pastorel, the Sang et Or midfielder of the ASF. When you last more than an hour at ten, you are inevitably disappointed to lose like this. Afterwards, what we remember at the end is above all the joy and pride of having been able to participate in this adventure. »

Engraved moments

But also all the memories born from this journey, like those that will be treasured by the 23-year-old player, scorer on a magnificent free kick at the start of the match. « It’s true that I will remember it for a very long time. When I saw the ball go into the goal, I didn't really know what to do, other than run, smiles the Héraultais player. There was all my family, my relatives and my friends. In terms of emotion, it was truly an exceptional moment. I had the chance to play in Germany or Spain, but it's not every day that I have the chance to score in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France. This journey will certainly remain engraved. »

Return to reality

Provided that it does not spoil the rest of the season and destroy all hopes of achieving the objectives in the championship, as is the case every year for some teams whose journeys in the Coupe de France leave enormous traces. A very present risk which forces each player to very quickly return to the reality of everyday life. « I have been lucky enough to have several journeys in my career and each time they ended, I felt empty. There is so much excitement and anticipation before a match like this that once it all ends, the pressure goes off. If I take the example of Saturday, I spent my Sunday thinking and getting back into the game, but by Monday, I had started again. That’s the good thing about football, you don’t really have time to think and ask yourself a thousand questions, explains Lucas Franco, midfielder of 32 years of Olympique d’Alès, for whom maintaining must now be the only concern in the Cévennes for the coming months. It all depends on the intensity of the adventure, but I believe that this year, we will quickly get back into it. If we look at our journey a little, we did what had to be done by going to win in Martigues and offering ourselves a gala match against a Ligue 2. And then, given our place in the rankings, we don't really have any more time to lose. From the start of the week, we only had the next match against TFC in mind. The Coupe de France is over. Now for the championship. »

And new adventures that will take nothing away from the one they have experienced throughout the last few weeks. Time passes, memories remain.

Three survivors in Occitanie

There are only three clubs left à carry the hopes of the Ligue d’Occitanie after the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France last weekend. In the next round, Rodez Aveyron Foot (L2) will experience a gala poster à Paul-Lignon facing &agrav; AS Monaco (L1), while Montpellier HSC (L1) will travel to the Feignies-Aulnoye field (N2) and Toulouse FC (L1) will travel to Feignies-Aulnoye (L1). Rouen (National). All these meetings will be held from January 19 to 21.

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