Brest coach Éric Roy did not hide his happiness following the “incredible” outcome which allowed Brest to finish in third place in the championship after its success in Toulouse (3-0) combined with Lille’s draw at home against Nice (2-2), Sunday on the last day of Ligue 1.
What is your feeling after this victory which sends you directly to the Champions League?
Answer: “In my pre-match talk I asked my team to respect our values and that this match should sum up our season. We were diminished but I am so proud of these kids, so happy for my staff. These are difficult emotions to describe. Even as a player I had never experienced this kind of emotion. This is why we love football. I had already congratulated the boys for their assured fourth place but we knew that there was still one last stage to conquer. It is well deserved given our season to be able to qualify directly (in the Champions League, Editor’s note).”
How did you experience this somewhat crazy end to the match in Lille which allowed you to regain this third place?
“I didn’t want to watch. I was told that Nice had scored a third goal and then it was disallowed. If a screenwriter writes that, we call him crazy and tell him that it can’t exist (smile). Football is often like love: it has its reasons that reason ignores and that’s a bit of what we experienced throughout this season which defies all predictions. We did it. It’s pretty incredible.”
What will you remember from this historic season for your club?
“Our state of mind. This desire which has driven us throughout the season with our guts and our talent. We are a real team where everyone fights for each other, with a strong collective. This is the hardest to create. Congratulations to everyone.”