A scorching heat engulfed Nice yesterday. After a day spent at the pool, the young players of Entente Saint-Sylvestre-Nice-Nord return to the field located on Avenue de la Clua, north of Nice, to feel the leather again. Seated on the benches, the coaches quench their thirst and then turn on the television to watch Frenchman Thomas Voeckler’s victory at the end of the Pau/Bagnères-de-Luchon stage of the Tour de France cycling race. A few minutes later, the president of ESSNN, Christian Tebbakha, arrives. He greets his troops, sits at his desk, and then shares his truths about the last season, in which the main team fell into Promotion d’honneur B (PHB).
The main team of Entente Saint-Sylvestre-Nice-Nord was relegated to Promotion d’honneur B (PHB) last season after finishing 14th and last in PHA. What went wrong?
Christian Tebbakha: “Several factors led to our relegation to PHB. First, a string of injuries to all our goalkeepers left us with a weakened squad. Then, we recruited based on experience. Most recruits perhaps didn’t realize the seriousness required, especially after turning 30. As a result, we couldn’t be as competitive as we anticipated from the start. Lastly, we often had bad luck: I don’t think we ever won a match with luck. As the season progressed, we just let ourselves die out quietly.”
Why did you maintain your confidence in the coach, Christian Olivon?
C. T: “I never questioned his coaching abilities. However, he was responsible for recruitment. This year, he has a fresher perspective on the recruits. He prioritizes youth.”
What will be the main team’s objective this season?
C. T: “We need to maintain in PHB. To achieve that, we will rebuild a team with the young players moving from U 19 to Seniors. It might not be easy for them initially. But we rely on their footballing skills, which they demonstrated all last season in U 19, to elevate the group.”
“The club is financially healthy” (Christian Tebbakha)
Apart from the U 19 Excellence, the youth teams have very average results. Worse, there is a turnover of coaches. Why?
C. T: “For most coaches in the amateur world, coaching becomes a vocation. The notion of pleasure is becoming less and less obvious. You should know that we don’t have specific goals for our coaches.” (He pauses.) “Turnover? That’s a big word! It’s true we make adjustments, but we do not change 80% of our staff. Just 20-30%. Coaches come to give their time and earn trivial amounts. They’re not doing it for money.”
Speaking of money, how is Entente Saint-Sylvestre-Nice-Nord financially?
C. T: “The club is financially healthy because it has never committed to large expenditures, especially with the main team. There are no fixed salaries at the club, and no players are compensated. However, coaches are, according to a scale ranging from 100 to, at best, 250-300 euros depending on the categories. We’re not flying away with money.”
ESSNN is the second football club in Nice. But the club is overshadowed by Gym’s media presence. How do you explain that?
C. T: “It’s already logical. OGC Nice is a professional club with history. We don’t feel any inferiority complex compared to Gym, quite the opposite! We even signed a partnership with them. They committed to respecting our youth and not raiding the club. As soon as our young players reach maturity for pre-development, there are selections. It’s done in good camaraderie with OGC Nice, with whom we maintain special relationships.”
Do you intend to climb the ranks to challenge OGC Nice, eventually?
C. T: “No, we will never enter the professional world, even if a benefactor comes (sic). It’s not the club’s mission. Our priority is youth training. Currently, we suffer from a lack of fields and resources. Our goal is to have all our young players in the League. But until we have a field reserved for Saint-Sylvestre, it will be complicated to achieve our goals.”
