Before heading to the 16th finals in Rodez, coach David Welferinger looks back on his team's season, his first D1 experience.

After such a defeat against Lyon, what will be your speech before this derby against Rodez in the Coupe de France?
"This defeat is only the result of our cultural, economic and structural differences.
Cultural because it shows us all we lack in terms of game culture, approach to competition and mental.
Economical because obviously the Lyon budget is without any measure comparable to ours and therefore we can not fight in terms of recruitment etc.
Structural, because what is not important is not so much the level and the value of this fantastic team but also the fact that it is also probably the best training club which makes of course an example.
So even if the report is bitter, you have to be realistic. However, there is no excuse in that we must raise our heads, show pride and pride we live in Cathar country ...
I strongly believe in our style of approach to progress through the game by maintaining our game principles and the intentions that drive us.
However, we lack a lot of ingredients to significantly improve our level. At some point to progress you have to be able to train more and better ... magic is for fairy tales.

What do you think of the Rodez team and the last game played against them and lost there?
"I keep saying that Rodez is a nice and experienced D1 team.

In the league in the first leg we were defeated logically in the field. The Ruthenians then gave us a lesson of commitment and humility. Paradoxically, we started well and got the first two big chances. Then we took ourselves for others and we were punished ... "

This Albi season that resists well in the league is it up to your expectations?
"At the moment, our results are in line with our expectations. By starting the season we would have signed to be so classified on this date. Nowadays, I pay attention in football everything goes very pane in the positive as in the negative. We are conducting several projects at the same time to stabilize the club and try to maintain it in D1 but also to structure it to strengthen its base "

How do you rate the D1 for your first season on the bench of this division?
"In all honesty there are fantastic teams. I mentioned Lyon, there are also Paris, Juvisy, Montpellier or Guingamp where players play beautiful. These are professional clubs that are structured and have a real desire to develop their women's section because in terms of image they find their account. The game projects and skills are quality.
The cases of St-Étienne and Metz are a little apart, the first is one of the most prestigious clubs in France but whose ambition to develop the women's section is not a priori a strong political axis, the second is the result of a recent merger so it's a bit premature to evaluate it.
As for other clubs, we are really in trouble and often coaches who are very good technicians carry the sports project of their club at arm's length. Infrastructures are not at the level (except Rodez which has very high quality grounds) and economic means insufficient to develop ambitious projects.
Rodez and Soyaux rely on an experienced team of D1 and football schools very operational, but the budgets do not allow to hope for strong ambitions.
Issy les Moulineaux and Arras have an experience but the means are sorely lacking and I can tell you that the coaches are men of quality and very involved.
We are an atypical club that is built a little upside down ... A D1 and a football school and a club to develop in its entirety ... it's our charm ...
I find the general level of the championship weak on the technical and tactical levels.
But I believe however that we are at the beginnings of pro women's football in France so there is a very large margin of progress and prospects.
An opportunity for modest clubs to structure themselves if there is political will and financial arrangements can be found.
But beware of the emergence of other professional clubs that have decided to embark on the adventure because it will be very difficult to fight ... "