Since Rodez, Solène Barbance has built an experience and a track record. From her title of U19 European champion with the "generation 91" to the title of champion of the military world last year in Brittany, trophies she crosses with her experiences in her native South West but also in Ireland. A path that it claims and which reflects a desire to regularly question and continue to progress.

Soccer Hearts - Let's start with your last match with Rodez, a home defeat by Metz [1-2]. When you look at your season, it is clearly less favorable than the previous one with this fifth place. What look do you have on this season and this last match against Metz?

Solène Barbance - It's true that last year, we had a good season in the sense that we reached records by finishing fifth and fetching a semi-final of the Coupe de France. Everything was successful.

And this year, this bit of success is regularly flowing through our fingers because we find it difficult to finalize our actions. As a result, the objectives of the season have been revised downward and we now focus more on maintaining the bottom of the table, it's a pity.

Regarding the match against Metz, it is the image of what we faced Soyaux, with a good first half. Except that unlike Soyaux, we did not put our actions at the bottom, so we finish the half-time at 0-0. And in the second half, we let go physically, they had several opportunities and they put them at the bottom. It's the difference with us on this match.

"The problem is really offensive efficiency"

CDF - One of your strengths last season was your ability to perform well against your direct opponents. Today, we can see a victory on the lawn of Soyaux [2-3] and a defeat against Metz, there is more regularity than there could be last season ...

SB - Yes, that's it. For example, when we met Nimes, we could take two goals but score four. Finally we were often winners. This year, the problem we have is really offensive efficiency. We get opportunities, we can often dominate a half-time except we lack realism. And it's true that in the second half, we pay him regularly because we go down and the opposing teams take advantage. It's our fragility today.

"The match that hurt us most is Marseille"

CDF - One of the moments that must have been complicated this season is this series of poor performances on the first half of the season, starting from this heavy defeat against Juvisy [0-10, on October 9]. I saw that you also mentioned the loss to Guingamp [0-3, December 4] as a time when there was a need to clarify things in the team against the results. ...

SB - The loss of Juvisy hurt us because the number of goals is catastrophic what happened that day. But I think that in November, the match that put us a blow behind the head is Marseille because we finished at 2-2 while we lead the match 2-0 to ten minutes of the end. We have not kept this lead and we are making mistakes that are expensive. Two penalties are preventable, it was a difficult time, especially since the victory would have done us a great deal, since this match was positioned in the middle of our meetings with the 4 "cadors".

Regarding Guingamp, this is a game that we lose 3-0, but we make a very good first half, in the same way, we do not put our actions at the bottom and in the second half, we have the reverse of the medal.

CDF - Compared to the difficulties of this season, Sébastien Joseph [Rodez coach], said that despite the stability of the squad, the departure of some experienced players like Marine Haupais had weighed on the performance of the team. Do you share this finding?

SB - Yes, I agree. This is quite telling in the sense that teams with a high average age are usually at the top of the final rankings, the more experienced the teams are and the more they end up at the top of the table. in a general way. It is true that we lost players who were 25, 27 and 28 years old and our recruitment allowed the arrival of young players who have talent but who today do not have the experience that had Manon Alard, Marine Haupais or Stéphanie de Revière.

In front of Juvisy, "we will be keen to show

another face "than in the first leg

CDF - To talk about your season, I saw that recently you had missed several league matches. It was due to an injury?

SB - Yes, I have had a sprained ankle in training, six weeks ago now. For 15 days, I see a clear improvement so a return should be likely for the next match against Juvisy.CDF - Exactly, this next league match in Juvisy. We imagine that beyond the result, it is a match that will be as important psychologically, compared to what happened in the first leg?SB - Yes, of course. We will be eager to show another face. And then we will play our chance luckily because we see that Soyaux and Bordeaux drew, Saint-Etienne, Marseille and Guingamp won. So why not us? We will have to be strong defensively and exploit the few cons we will have, to seek to bring points.


"Change generates new sources of motivation,

a need to put yourself in danger to promote progression "


CDF - To speak more broadly about your career. You play in Rodez, a city where you come from, you grew up in the region. At the same time you said you had an "atypical course". What do you think makes your football career atypical?


SB - I made choices that led me to live very different experiences that were very enriching both abroad and in different clubs. At times, I had to focus on my school to get my Master. And I am proud.


I wanted to live these experiences. Atypical, it would be rather in the sense that to go to Ireland is unusual and the clubs in which I passed allowed me a permanent questioning. Change generates new sources of motivation, a need to put oneself in danger to encourage progression, to avoid resting on one's gains. I think it's important to go for the effort, the extra work to progress.



Ireland "a football still too little known"


CDF - When you look at your career, you have experienced several clubs in the South West, and then there is also a year in Ireland [with the Peamount United club] after your stint at PSG. This year in Ireland was a highlight for you?


SB - Yes, because I have always wanted to learn English and to master it because, both academically and professionally, I needed it. Today, it is an important asset and I am delighted to have made this choice because I had a wonderful experience there, I met people from all over the world, another mentality, a football that was interesting despite what we can say and is still too little known to me. But there are players who are of high quality and, sincerely, I recommend it to all girls who wish to live abroad for at least a year.


CDF - And precisely what example of cliché you could break on British football by going there to play?


SB - We hear a lot that it's a football based on the physical plane.
Certainly, there are some players who have this profile but most are distinguished by their technical ease. Even today, I see them make matches to qualify for the Euro, it's interesting, there are phases of high-level play. Do not stop at clichés, you can be pleasantly surprised by the result.


Clairefontaine "this is where I progressed the most"



CDF - You have been a season in Paris, you have also known the INF Clairefontaine. Is this "very high level", the teams that play the titles, why not the European Cup, is that something you want to try to find before the end of your career?


SB - Yes, of course this is a goal that must be kept in mind if we want to continue to progress. The highest level in terms of rigor and learning, I knew Clairefontaine. A high level of requirement, a constant search for progression, the regular confrontation with the training with the best players of my generation, it was really interesting.


Sharing my passion alongside players who have the same goals, the same ambitions as me is part of my aspirations.CDF - And the fact that the next World Cup is played in France, it gives an additional motivation in relation to these objectives?


SB - Yes, it's amazing! A World Cup in France is a first. It will be a real opportunity for women's football, a great adventure and, as a player, an additional motivation to say, "Why not? ". After you have to go through the steps little by little. Integrating the team of France is something that deserves, which requires a lot of work. It is therefore necessary to make good club performances that can be noticed during the season.


"I wanted to go to the end of my schooling

by getting my Master. "


CDF - You mentioned your studies. You have validated a Master in Engineering and Management of Sport Organizations. Does this mean that you are already in the mood to stay in football after your career in the field?


SB - I do not know yet. During my study period, the double-project was essential. I had a serious knee injury at age 20 that made me think and it was obvious to me to have a professional baggage next door. I wanted to go to the end of my schooling by getting my Master. Now it's done, I can dedicate myself to football because, today, I work part time, I have all my free mornings to work on essential aspects such as bodybuilding or doing specific work and more .


CDF - And today, is your work related to football or not at all?


SB - I work in the communication department of the Rodez Town Hall. The work is varied and touches many areas, including sports, culture, I participate in the preparation of a flagship festival in our city, it's really rewarding.


CDF - In connection with your studies, you participated in the Universiade and you won the title of champion of the university world in 2015 with the team of France, one of your most beautiful titles. From the outside, we have the impression that the French university team and the France B team are a bit of antechambers for the A's. Is that also how coaches present things to you? ?


SB - Yes, the good performances at the Universiade have propelled several players in France A team. We saw it with Valérie Gauvin, Clarisse Le Bihan and Laura Agard. For my part, I was never called in France B team. I did the Universiade, and the year after the World Cup with the team of France Military, the same way we were world champions, these are fabulous experiences.

I like the Team of France, so the important thing is to work every day, to perform well in club and say that at some point we will be rewarded for the work provided.


"To be at the finish, to be decisive"


CDF - To talk about your role on the ground. You claim a role of offensive player, carried forward. In Rodez, you play midfield, maybe a little lower and with more defensive tasks than at other times in your career. How do you see your role on the ground?


SB - We play in a device with two 10s and a 6s. It's true that it brings me to more stakes to ask for the balls but personally I prefer to be at the finish, to deliver assists. That's the goal, to be decisive. After, I do not mind the defensive task, I think it's part of the job of each player on the team.

If the last ten / fifteen minutes of the match, we must turn our triangle into two 6 a 10, and help defend to hold the score, it's something I would do without worry. The important thing is to come back with the victory. This is something that I do naturally, even if I prefer a more offensive positioning.


When you talk about being decisive, it's a bit like what you were able to do against Marseille in the first leg [on Rodez's second goal], manage to make differences in small spaces, that's it. idea?


SB - Yes, it's my game, percussion, dribbling. This is where I feel the most pleasure on a field, be at the finish, be decisive and put my teammates in the best conditions to score.


photo: Mica GBM @PhotooRafettes