At the end of the Coupe de France semi-final lost to Lyon, the first reaction of Alain Delory, coach Hénin-Beaumont. Aware of the imbalance at the start of this match, he tried to retain the positive before returning to the main goal: the re-rise in D2 for next season.


"The idea was not to pass the ten, but that's things that could not be said before. The second idea was maybe to hold the 0-0 as long as possible, after, we see the athletic difference. I think the girls, they were serious despite everything to the end, they kept their heads up. They tried to put in place what we said, so in relation to that, I take my hat off.


I have a solidarity group, I'm happy. Now on the other side, athletically, technically, on all lines, it's very strong, it goes much faster. After, we see the difference with girls who may have a little more talent at the start, who train three to four times more than us a week.


As I originally announced for us it was the icing on the cake. I think we almost had the cherry by shooting Lyon and now we will refocus fully on our end of the league and then especially prepare the best dams. I hope that this match, despite everything, will not leave too many traces morally as athletically. [It was] a very nice [Lyon] team, respectful, because the Lyonnaises did not come empty, they played the game. And then I wish them good luck for the European Cup. "


Deception?


"We are always disappointed when we lose a football match, of course, but there they will digest. (...) Today, the first half hour, we saw it were in the event and not in the match. (...) The first half-hour did not go where we wanted to go exactly but it does not matter, they will digest, they will have good memories. (...) I wish everyone [all the players in the squad] could live that moment on the field and put on their crampons.


We will wish the rise in D2 and then the rest, there is still work. We will work, it's not a problem. "


(...)


What lessons in this type of match?


"There is such a gap, we learn up there [in the head] because we see the gap that there is still and (...) it's good, because it may help some of them. between them to set new goals. That's all the better, anyway, you have to set goals or I do not see how you can continue to move forward. "


Photo: Alain Dolery (right) with the coach of the Polish club Medyk Konin, in a friendly match last February