Nice-Première: You will compete in the French Championship finals for singles and doubles in PES5 at the Stade de France. How does one qualify for these finals and how will they proceed?
Benoit Erbon: Firstly, the French Championship finals take place on June 11. Qualifying for doubles is relatively straightforward in theory as it involves winning one of the double pes leagues. These are tournaments organized by the video sports federation through a company called “Au delà du virtuel.” Generally, there are 96 teams of two players divided into 16 groups of 6, with the first two teams qualifying. As for me, I qualified with Edouard Gugenheim at Seyne/mer.
Qualifying for singles is much more challenging. You must first win a tournament in the region (same process as the doubles with stages of 96, 192, and 384 players) to participate in the regional finals or be one of the top 8 players in the region in the national ranking. I belong to the latter case as I was ranked number 1 in the PACA region at the decision time (now I am 2nd). This final brings together the 32 best players in the region and divides them into 4 groups of 8, with the top four qualifying for the round of 16. From there, the matches are home and away until the final. In Marseille, only the first two were qualified for the final at Stade de France. I finished second, losing only in the final.
The final at the SDF gathers the top 24 French players divided into 4 groups of 6 with the top four qualifiers. In the final table, the matches are home and away. The winner of this tournament will be the French champion and will have the honor of representing France in the European Championship on June 24.
NP: You are among the top 20 French players. What are your chances of lifting a trophy at the Stade de France?
BE: My chances are slim. But it’s played over a tournament, and gaining confidence in the group stage, I might achieve something. After gaining confidence, I can earn it by performing well in the pools against renowned players such as Droodie (current French Champion), Myto (No. 2 in the national ranking), etc. But one thing is certain, I won’t be under pressure, and I know that I am capable of playing at the best level. My goal is to get past the pools (which I did not manage last year) and take the matches one after the other, knowing that I have already beaten the number 2 French player in Marseille during the regional final.
NP: There exists a French federation of video games. How many licensed players are there?
BE: There are just over 800 licensed players across the 89 registered clubs in France.
NP: How did you decide to compete in what was originally just a hobby?
BE: I have always wanted to measure myself against the best in any sport I practiced. I found myself not bad at PES, so I tested my abilities and enjoyed competing in my first tournaments. The atmosphere was excellent, and I met people at these tournaments who have become friends today. I have been participating in pes league tournaments and others for four years now, and since then, I haven’t stopped, traveling and competing in tournaments. So, as long as I have the desire, I will continue.
NP: There is a club championship in France. You participate with the NES, of which you are the president. What results do you achieve?
BE: We have indeed participated for 2 years. The results have been mixed. Last year, we reached the second phase of D2, but due to a staff problem, we couldn’t fully capitalize on our chances. Conversely, this year was a real treat. We successfully passed the first phase with clubs from Marseille and Poeles à gaz (Barjols). Unfortunately, we were unlucky in the second phase, as we didn’t qualify for the super D2, missing out by 2 goal average points against Poeles à gaz and the Golden Gones of Lyon. Although we did not reach the super D2 to ascend to D1, we managed to stay in D2 because next year there will be the creation of a D3.
NP: The Montpellier PES5 team is partnered with the Montpellier Hérault Sport Club, and their players wear the club’s jersey, presided over by Louis Nicollin. Can we soon see a partnership between OGC Nice and your team?
BE: I hope so. That’s an outcome I wish to achieve for my club. It would allow us to represent the club and the city of Nice all over France. Unfortunately, I lack contacts. However, things can progress rapidly depending on the development of video game competitions. The ultimate event in Montpellier on June 3-4 will bring our sport into the national spotlight, so perhaps the repercussions will be beneficial for us. We’ll see…
