The summer hit is taking root. Long in the fight for survival last season, Stade Brestois, modest 15th budget in Ligue 1, was in no way programmed to reach the summits of the championship. And yet, it is in the position of third in the standings that the Bretons arrive at the Parc des Princes to face the Parisian leader this Sunday (8:45 p.m.), at the end of the 19th day. A suprise ? Yes. But not a miracle. “They are not third by chance,” confirms Luis Enrique, the Parisian coach. The keys to Brest’s success? A state of mind, continuity and a method, embodied by Éric Roy, appointed at the start of 2023, when Brest was 17th and therefore relegated. “It’s a long process of reconstruction. A year ago, the team was capable of doing certain things. Today, a little more,” smiles the former midfielder, who had not coached since Nice… 10 years ago.
His appointment was also surprising. Today it seems obvious. In football, everything happens very quickly… Roy first restored solidity and confidence to this group which, today, is more successful in showing its qualities in the game. “I have no miracle recipe , nor magic wand,” smiles the native of Nice, who will manage his 44th match at the head of the Brest team this Sunday. Among the keys to the success of SB29, we should not forget the quality of the players. Focus on the Brest captains.
Paradoxically, the Dutch goalkeeper performs fewer miracles than in the past. This is because he is less in demand, thanks to the collective strength of Brest. Despite a few small errors here and there, Marco Bizot always responded, he who is in his third season in Brittany. And he has still shown himself to be solid since the start of the campaign, which was extended until 2026 last summer. “I am very happy that Marco is coming to establish continuity with us,” rejoiced Éric Roy at the time. He is a great professional, who constantly wants to progress. He is even-tempered all the time and his personality rubs off on the rest of the group. This is very good news for Stade Brestois.” Trained at Ajax, Dutch international (1 selection) and arriving with an experience of more than 200 matches in Dutch and Belgian D1, Marco Bizot represents a sure value at 32 years old.
To be very complete, we would have to mention the entire defensive line, Kenny Lala, Lilian Brassier and Bradley Locko. But the captain behind it is captain Brendan Chardonnet. At 29, the man who played his first Ligue 1 match at the Parc des Princes in 2013, during David Beckham’s last in Paris, is reaching maturity. Trained with the Ty’ Zefs, he experienced moments of doubt, such as when he lacked playing time in Ligue 2 and had to go on loan to Épinal, in the National. Speed is not its primary quality, that’s clear. But there are others, in anticipation and duels for example. Pure Breton, the one who dreamed of pursuing a career as a firefighter as a kid had his nose hollow in January 2022, when he was asked, on Free Ligue 1, when Brest would play the Champions League: “We leave ourselves two years”. Chardonnet immediately burst out laughing. It was a joke. Except that today, it no longer makes anyone laugh. “Everything is possible,” he proclaims, even if it is not he who risks getting a big head.
For a long time, Pierre Lees-Melou evolved a notch higher, attacking midfielder. With ups and downs, from Dijon to Nice, including a short experience in England with Norwich. Now converted into a sentry, the thirty-year-old has found his way, his place, his vocation. A bit late ? Maybe. “PLM” will be 31 years old in May. But he is now like a fish in water, often with Hugo Magnetti and Mahdi Camara a little higher. A turntable that doesn’t hesitate to tighten the screw and put its foot down, scratching countless numbers of balls. More than a reconversion, it is a revelation. In the notes from L’Équipe, it is he who appears at the top of L1, ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Alexander Golovin (Monaco) and Dante (Nice)! Performances which did not escape Rennes recruiters, who would have liked to poach him this winter. In vain.
Brest said no, declaring its midfielder untransferable after having recently extended it until 2027. We clearly felt that the Rennes offer nevertheless turned the head of the person concerned, with a salary more than twice as high as the one he touches to Francis-Le-Blé who was waiting for him at Roazhon Park. “Reindeer? They play Europe every year. It’s a good club. Everyone knows it,” he said with a smile that spoke volumes on January 14, after the victory against Montpellier (2-0). We’ll see if Lees-Melou will manage to absorb the blow, digest it and get going again for the second part of the season, like Brassier. “Regarding their investment, I didn’t sense any demotivation from them at all,” Éric Roy promised recently about these two players.
Trained at OL, loaned to Bourg-en-Bresse and Nîmes then moved to Rennes, Romain Del Castillo, 27, took his time before taking the keys to Brest. Long hampered by injuries, the native of Lyon, recruited in 2021 in the last hours of the summer transfer window, immediately had the confidence of Éric Roy. The departure of Franck Honorat last summer allowed it to gain even more space and scale. Leader, creator, finisher, Del Castillo today represents the key player in a well-stocked offensive sector where everyone must contribute. The proof is in the statistics, with 11 different scorers since the start of the season, in all competitions. With his five goals, Del Castillo is the best scorer of the team tied with Kamory Doumbia, author of a quadruple against Lorient (4-0) at the end of December. Roy can also count on Jérémy Le Douaron (4 goals), Mathias Pereira Lage (2) and center forwards Steve Mounié and Martín Satriano (3).
Author of a thunderous start to the season before a slight slump, Romain Del Castillo has been regaining his splendor for several weeks. Talented. The technical leader of SB29. And that’s why Éric Roy won’t let go of him one step. “He had a very good game offensively, but very average defensively. I’m hard on him but I think that two or three times he pretended to defend,” grated the ex-Nice coach after a double from his left-hander against Clermont (3-0), affectionately calling him a “scoundrel.” “. And added: “I’m happy with him but I’m not going to let him go. You have to be tough on talented players, otherwise they fall asleep.” Message received ?