Pierre-Henri
13 Aug 2009, 04:06 AM
You know it is a new season when Strasbourg starts crashing again, so I thought it was a good opportunity to begin the thread. After all, our ridiculous failures give rhythm to the French leagues. Our bizarre and comical setbacks are the bass drum of French soccer.
Since I guess no one follows Strasbourg, here is a chronology of the facts. Strasbourg is the only team whose highlights require a sitcom laughing track.
- last season we finish 4th. The president, Philippe Ginestet, fires the coach Jean-Marc Furlan who was still under contract. Furlan sues the club and makes big money.
- Ginestet had an ambitious real estate project : a brand new, gigantic international level stadium... for a sluggish league 2 team. He swears that taxpayers won't have to pay. It appears that his partners are crooks and wanted, precisely, to suck the taxpayers dry. Fortunately, the mayor refuses to bring the dough. The project disappears, Ginestet quits the chair BUT (admire the simplicity of the thing) remains the team principal owner.
- The Strasbourg board employ another president, Leonard Specht, who is an adversary of Ginestet -- who is still, if you follow well, the major owner. So the president hates the main owner.
- Specht recruits old misanthropic glory Gilbert Gress (68). He is not officially the coach, since he's beyond the age limit. Anyaway, the main owner hates the president, and the coach hates everyone.
- Due to stadium blunder, and various lawsuits, the club is broke. Most good players leave. Insults start flying in the locker rooms.
- Coupe de la ligue vs Istres. We get utterly thrashed 6-1. It appears that we are an amateur level team. Not surprisingly, the golden era coach reveals himself as a bubbling old geezer.
- After a little more than one month, and two official games, Gilbert Gress is fired. The president, Leonard Spech, quits. Since Gress wasn't officially coach, it is still unclear if any lawsuit will follow.
Right now, nobody chairs and the coach is an interim. Anyway, the local lawyers are rejoicing : the Racing will fill their pockets this season. But soccer ? Soccer ? What is soccer already ?
Since I guess no one follows Strasbourg, here is a chronology of the facts. Strasbourg is the only team whose highlights require a sitcom laughing track.
- last season we finish 4th. The president, Philippe Ginestet, fires the coach Jean-Marc Furlan who was still under contract. Furlan sues the club and makes big money.
- Ginestet had an ambitious real estate project : a brand new, gigantic international level stadium... for a sluggish league 2 team. He swears that taxpayers won't have to pay. It appears that his partners are crooks and wanted, precisely, to suck the taxpayers dry. Fortunately, the mayor refuses to bring the dough. The project disappears, Ginestet quits the chair BUT (admire the simplicity of the thing) remains the team principal owner.
- The Strasbourg board employ another president, Leonard Specht, who is an adversary of Ginestet -- who is still, if you follow well, the major owner. So the president hates the main owner.
- Specht recruits old misanthropic glory Gilbert Gress (68). He is not officially the coach, since he's beyond the age limit. Anyaway, the main owner hates the president, and the coach hates everyone.
- Due to stadium blunder, and various lawsuits, the club is broke. Most good players leave. Insults start flying in the locker rooms.
- Coupe de la ligue vs Istres. We get utterly thrashed 6-1. It appears that we are an amateur level team. Not surprisingly, the golden era coach reveals himself as a bubbling old geezer.
- After a little more than one month, and two official games, Gilbert Gress is fired. The president, Leonard Spech, quits. Since Gress wasn't officially coach, it is still unclear if any lawsuit will follow.
Right now, nobody chairs and the coach is an interim. Anyway, the local lawyers are rejoicing : the Racing will fill their pockets this season. But soccer ? Soccer ? What is soccer already ?