‘When you have fewer resources, you have to think harder’

You have to move away from the harbor to the city’s heights to find the headquarters of the French football club, Stade Brestois. It’s nothing over the top, just like the modest club itself, which football fans have learned to place on the European football map thanks to its incredible Champions League run.

On Wednesday, January 29, on the final day of the league phase, Brest (currently in 13^th place with 13 points) takes on Real Madrid (16^th with 12 points) in Guingamp. Already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, manager Eric Roy’s players now have the chance to break into the first eight spots and qualify directly for the round of 16.

Grégory Lorenzi, 41, a former Brest player and who has been the club’s successful sporting director since 2016, is the chief architect behind the project. In an interview with Le Monde on Monday, January 20, two days before a defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk, he emphasized his sensible management style, the antithesis of any flashy approaches.

Was playing in the Champions League an argument used to convince players to stay with or join the club?

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