He keeps on. A time announced on the departure, like Bruno Génésio, Florian Maurice finally decided to continue his adventure at Stade Rennes. A choice that he had the opportunity to explain this Thursday in a long interview with RMC Sport. “I have the feeling that my mission is not finished here. I announced it this morning to the players directly. I am convinced that this is the right choice for me,” he said.
Before addressing the reasons that pushed him to think about his future: “When what happened in the last few days happens, we inevitably reflect on a decision that was quite brutal, including we didn’t imagine that it could happen today. Obviously when there is this kind of decision…I decided to step back a little to think – in these moments, we always need to think – rather than making hasty decisions, for me, for the club, for Julien (Stéphan), who is the coach today. This allowed everyone to calm down and then make the right decision.”
The Breton technical director also wanted to emphasize that he had not had any relational problems with Bruno Génésio: “I have already said it again and again: there was no relational problem between Bruno Genesio and Florian Maurice [ …]I always got along very well with him. We can’t always agree. But that doesn’t mean that our friendly relationship, and even as a coach and sporting director, has deteriorated. You can ask the whole club,” he declared, while later specifying that he respects the decision of the 57-year-old technician.
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The one who arrived in Brittany in the summer of 2020 from Olympique Lyonnais also spoke about the one who succeeded his friend on the Breton bench: namely, Julien Stéphan. And the former Lyon manager admitted that the former Strasbourg coach – with whom he already worked at Rennes – was not his priority. “In a period like this where you have to move quickly, where the choices are not very numerous, the decision was made so that the club continues to move forward. Behind, I had a conversation with my shareholder who confirmed to me that he wanted me to continue with Julien. He has the right to choose the coach. Afterwards I adapt and I think that it is a solution that was on point. I would be lying to you if I told you it was my first choice, he said. Now, that’s how it is, we have to move forward in that way. I know him, I know how he works, I know the work he has done here at Stade Rennes and we will continue the adventure together to rebuild the team. The most important thing for the club today is to get back to a level where it needs to be.”
A little criticized for the recruitment carried out this summer, Florian Maurice also took the opportunity to defend his work. “I don’t see what I have to apologize for today […] Today, we are targeting recruitment but when it was done at the start of the season – and it was validated by everyone within of the club -, I don’t remember that we said to each other: “The Fairy pfff, Blas pfff… Unfortunately, the mayonnaise has not yet set,” explained the 49-year-old manager. Before ‘insist a little more particularly on the defensive sector, the main source of the criticisms made against him: “I am certainly criticized for being a central defender… But mea culpa compared to what? We finished third best defense in the championship last year with the team we had. We are leaving with only one player who has left (former captain Hamari Traoré, who joined, free, with Real Sociedad, Editor’s note) who is a right back. Can we base on that? A right back is gone, the defense is the same: Adrien Truffert, Warmed Omari, Arthur Théate and our goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. We finished third best defense last year.”
In difficulty in the championship (13th in the ranking), Stade Rennais faces Stade de Reims this Sunday afternoon (5:05 p.m.) during the 13th day of Ligue 1. With the ambition to get back on its feet thanks to its new coach. Will he succeed?