Olympique de Marseille have a very good start to the season in their group C of D2. A first place ahead of Grenoble Claix and Dijon after nine days of championship. Author of 16 of the 29 goals of the club Marseille, Sandrine Bretigny found the path of nets and efficiency in its new colors. Interview with a former French international full of ambition that has been delivered exclusively for Coeurs de foot.

OM has a very good start to the season and is more than ever a candidate for the climb. What were the instructions of your coach for this season and the objectives of the club?
Sandrine Bretigny: "The goal is to go up in D1, we announced at the beginning of the season, the club did not hide it. Logically it puts us a certain pressure but it is a goal that advances the team. "

You were not at the club last season, but according to you and your teammates, what has changed?
SB: "What stands out is that over the games the team has matured. I can not compare too much but that's what the staff points to. "

After 9 days of championship, what do you think is the main strength of the team?
SB: "OM have made a good recruitment, balanced, with young players and others like me who bring the necessary experience to a group. It's a good mix and for the moment it works rather well. "

This season who will be the biggest opponent of OM?
SB: "Everyone wants to beat OM, so there are no small games to play. Grenoble and Dijon have posted their goals and make a good journey. After, I think our worst opponent is ourselves. We will have to stay focused and not relax. It's not easy when you go on winning, you always have to question yourself. The coach reminded us Sunday and he was right (victory of OM vs Monteux 5-0). "

From a personal point of view, you are best scorer of D2 with 16 achievements. How do you explain your current success?
SB: "I started the championship pretty well. On my arrival I was very well received by the staff and the players who put me in confidence; so obviously it plays on my performance and my performance. Even if I continue to score, for 3 weeks I have a small decrease in diet, less success. I do not know how to explain it. "

Have you set yourself a goal of goals?
SB: "No, I have not set any limits or steps to take. I will try to continue to score to allow the club to achieve all the collective goals set, and that OM will be in D1 next season. "

Marseille fans continue to call you "Bretigoal" on social networks, do you like this nickname?
SB: "This nickname I have since my stay at the Olympique Lyonnais, he pursues me. So much the better as it will be like that is that I will score goals for my club is positive! "

After playing with the biggest French club (Olympique Lyonnais), a historic club like Juvisy and one of the best European clubs (Frankfurt, Germany), what made you join Marseille?
SB: "I was at the end of the contract with Juvisy, I needed to leave to find the pleasure of playing that I had lost a bit. I had several contacts. OM is a great club and the speech of the coach ended up convincing me with this beautiful goal. I needed to find some play time to have fun. "

Is there a big difference between D1 and D2?
SB: "Yes, there is a gap between D1 and D2. There is even a gap between the top 5 of D1 and the rest of the league ... So in D2 it is still far from the best of what can be done in the first division. It is the financial resources made available to women's football that create these kinds of gaps. After everyone progresses slowly. The fact that men's professional clubs create women's sections can only help women's football progress. We see especially Lille, Bordeaux or Dijon do it. So that can only change our football. "

Olympique de Marseille is one of the most popular clubs in France, what is the dedication of the fans?
SB: "It's all due to the boys of course! They are very well followed and mediatized. Our president has taken us under his wing so we are an integral part of the club as the men's section. So those who support men support us too. The logo of OM still attracts as much in France, that's for sure. "

Are they numerous during games, trips?
SB: "Some come on the move to support us. Recently for a D2 poster against Grenoble (2nd in the pool) there were still 1200 spectators; so we can see that it is moving in the right direction. Even in D1 there is not always so many people during a match. "

You have already been called a few times in the French team. Does the fact that you play today in D2 is not a hindrance to a possible new convocation?
SB: "I do not think about it anymore. After all can happen. But there is a revival in EDF with a lot of youth. I'm already 31 years old, I especially wanted to find pleasure and play time since I did not have last season. Obviously without playing you can not be selectable. After, necessarily now that I'm in shape and I score ... I do not know if the coach looks at the D2 or not ... But if he calls me I'll be happy to find the Blue. "

So is it a goal to find the Blue again this year?
SB: "I do not know if it's been done already; if a daughter of D2 is recalled ... Maybe Bruno Bini had done but after yes, if we go up in D1 and that in June I am called it will be a very beautiful year. "

Exactly in case of promotion what will be the ambition of the club and its position compared to the tenors of the league?
SB: "Everything will depend on the means that OM will make available to girls. It will require intelligent recruitment. Of course when you go to the next level there are many things to improve but it will depend above all on the means, envy and ambition of leaders. "

In your opinion, how should we go about changing this women's game?
SB: "We were not too closely followed at the start ... The fact of having a good run with EDF during the World Cup, that allowed us to make ourselves known. The victory in the Champions League with Lyon has helped us too. You have to win national and international titles to get people interested in us. I know that within the OM club there are already a lot of things done for example, the broadcast of all our games on the club channel (OM.TV), so that's already a big not. Not all clubs have it. It may come a little bit like that with time and results. "

How did you live those dark days with the terrorist acts that took place in Paris? Evil I guess, you talk about players?
SB: "Yes, we talked about it. It's incredible. We still played Sunday, even if it was not obvious. We discussed it before the match against Monteux to try to relativize and try to take, despite everything, pleasure. And even if the football was a little secondary it was a good way to be together. "

Rémy Catherine-Guez and Dounia Mesli

Photos © Camille Daurès / OM.net