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After five years as General Manager of Génération Foot, Olivier Perrin passed the baton to duo Emmanuel Beauchet and Demba Mbaye. Before joining FC Metz where he was promoted to Technical Director of the club's training structures, he gave us an interview. In this interview, he looks back on his passage at the level of the team based in Deni Biram Ndao, but also the evolution of Senegalese football in recent years.
What assessment can you draw from your five years as manager Génération Foot
When you're appointed to a structure like Génération Foot, it's hard to talk about your track record. You have to leave it to your president or to the outside people. But we can still speak of a clear improvement in terms of numbers. When we arrived five years ago, the team was in the country. Today, we made two full seasons in Ligue 1, with a title of champion (2017) and vice-champion (2018). We climbed four levels, we won two Senegal Cup titles, the Champions Trophy (2017). We participated in two African competitions (Caf cup and league champions). We trained players like Ismaïla Sarr who quickly became first division holders in Europe. I think it's a first time that an African team is training players who become holders in Europe and who also manage to play a World Cup. We had a school with full-time faculty and administrative staff. And there are also 72 schoolboys, a hundred at the training center.
What motivated your departure, after two full seasons in Ligue 1, crowned with trophies?
We decided with Abdoulaye Sarr ( technical director of the academy) that I leave the training to return to my role as general manager. This would allow me to take more care of the structure at all levels (education, medical, transfer, projects, sports, financial, administrative structure). There were also unforeseen movements in Metz. So we had to make some important decisions that we had to make, three years later. It was a month and a half ago that I knew that he had to have changes in Metz. To pool the three structures (Metz, Génération Foot and the Belgian club of Serin), the presidents Bernard Serin and Mady Touré decided to promote me as technical director of the training, so that we could extend what we were doing well. to Foot Generation on the three structures. It's a challenge that requires a lot more work and organization. Because the idea is that in Metz, one must have a Ligue 1 club. Have a successful club in local football, able to align with the African scene and use the third Belgian club, to allow our players to harden. Because everyone can not play in Ligue 1.
Echoes report that there have been problems internally with some players like Captain Sidy Bara Diop. Did that precipitate your decision?
Not at all, there were no problems internally. You know, the life of a group is never a long calm river. When you have a group of 40 players, there are sometimes players who feel worse for x reasons, compared to the coach's choice. For me, there has never been a problem. Maybe he (Sidy Bara) thinks otherwise. The truth in football happens on the pitch. And considering the results we had on the field, there was a good management of the players.
– "THE LAST DAY OF CHAMPIONSHIP MADE ME THE BEST …"
What are the moments strong that marked your passage at the head of the team Generation Foot?
There were plenty of strong moments, like the win in Senegal Cup which was an exceptional moment since we were amateur. But for me, the last game of this season against US Ouakam (5-0), I was most seduced. I gave the players the instructions to finish the best attack of the championship and help Amadou Dia Ndiaye to become the top scorer of the season. And the fact that the whole team, even the players who had to leave at the end of the season, are able to motivate themselves to achieve this goal. For people, it does not represent anything. But as an educator, seeing this joy and this state of mind in the players made me very proud. I have an ability to forget about difficult times. So I forgot a lot about what happened on the hard times. I only took it into account to advance the structure.
Did not there be a taste of unfinished business?
When you decide to make an important decision very quickly, while I am was projected on a project of two or three years to finish what we had to do, we can say that it is a taste of unfinished. But it is not finished since I remain responsible for Generation Foot. I will come back regularly to make sure we are always on the right track. I know that in Senegal, with what we put in place, we have a house that stands with the technical supervision that remains in place. This is not a break, but a continuity with Demba Mbaye who has been with us for a year and knows the philosophy of the club. Emmanuel Beauchet also has all my confidence. So, I'm not worried. It is normal that there is a bit of novelty, enthusiasm and enthusiasm for keeping a dynamic dimension of the project, with executives like the president and Abdoulaye Sarr who will be the guarantors of this continuity.
«LE SENEGAL IS NOT AT THE LEVEL IT SHOULD BE IN AFRICAN FOOTBALL "
Over your five years, what do you remember about Senegal and its football in particular?
I love Senegal. It's a sweet life, the people here are friendly and very welcoming. In professional life, I discovered that there has been very little change in Senegalese football. This is a regret because there is a fantastic potential in terms of footballers. So, I would like Senegalese football to progress much faster. But there is a lot of work to do in terms of structuring and infrastructure. So we have to go faster because I think that Senegal, given its potential and the quality of its players, is not at the level where it should be in African football.
that a return to Senegal under another cap is possible
I do not leave Senegal. I'll be here every other month. In my private life, I would like to stay here because I have met people I would like to keep in my sphere. Three months ago, I was in a project to buy a house in Saly
What are the prospects for your coaching or management career?
I have never had a plan to career in my job. We can meet each other at any time. So, I do not know what the future will be in terms of sport. My ambitions, it's just to be happy in my work, whether in training or in another role.
A future as national coach is it possible?
For the moment, it is not is not relevant. But with all the demands I've made this season, many people do not think like you. I do not have a double language. I am someone who says what he thinks. So sometimes it can hurt people. This is not nastiness. It's just that I would like things to move forward. I'm sorry if people sometimes took it wrong.
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