Football: “The author of the racist remarks has been expelled from Aviron Boutonnais”, announces Christophe Grignon

Indeed, according to the referee’s report, which we have read, the Saint-Loubès player who left the field in the 89th minute to demand accountability then returned to the playing area, “staring fixedly at a person from the podium, threatening her and repeating three times “I’m going to kill you”. »

“We assume but…”

As he had promised, Christophe Grignon, president of Rowing since he succeeded Patrick Taunay last summer after having been part of the office for fifteen years, took a “radical decision”. “The author of the racist comments was a player from our club. I reached him on the phone, he couldn’t come to the meeting, but I don’t endorse what he said. He was therefore expelled from Aviron Boutonnais. »

But if he rightly judges this behavior unacceptable, the Saintonge president does not want to isolate it from the context of a match with a particular atmosphere. “We assume but the regional authorities must not put everything on our backs. They must understand that it is impossible for the leaders of a club to control everything in the environment of a football match. »

Threats and provocations

Especially since the spirits had quickly calmed down and the rest of the evening had gone well. “Our opponents then came to snack, they looked like angels… But during the match, after our equalizer, we heard threats, provocations, racist remarks like “dirty white people”, repeats the president. Moreover, when I hear about invasion of the field, this is not what I attended. In my opinion, one minute from the end of the game, when the score was tied, the players knew what they were doing… One thing is certain, football does not always make you smart… ”

Christophe Grignon is therefore awaiting the summons of the Disciplinary Committee of the League to explain himself. Serene, but determined. “If we are sanctioned, I will empty my bag, I will express my resentment. We are already paying the price for being brought into the light when we are not responsible. Some sponsors asked what happened. This should not call into question their participation, while we are doing a lot of work to ensure that our club lives and is irreproachable. »

Rowing does not struggle

Recently promoted to Regional 3, the club trained by Gilles Brisson, the former Toulouse and Sochaux professional, assisted by Jean-François Sales, had started the season with two successes against RC Bordeaux (5-2) then Saint-Émilion B (0-2) before suffering three defeats (Alliance 3B, Marennes and FC Rive Droite 33). But according to Christophe Grignon, life is good in Rowing, which is not in trouble when it comes to the commitment of volunteers.

“I have around me a team of highly motivated leaders, we are 16 in the office, there are now 140 licensees, including 70 kids. Samuel Epagneaud, a very dedicated first team player, works square hours for our secretariat. Jonathan Levazeux, another player, is responsible for the youth division. We have teams in each age category and our educators all go on training. The club is structured and the atmosphere is friendly. We will see what sauce the League will eat us, but I hope for a decision that will take our arguments into account… ”

The weekend at a glance

The team in form: Périgny
With its success in a late match at Merpins (1-2) thanks to goals from the essentials Alexandre Le Houarno and Romain Burgeaud, Damien Leclère’s team has just taken power in Regional 2. It is the only Charente-Maritime team still undefeated this season. We must take advantage of the positive dynamic and push the series even further, Sunday, November 13, against the reservists of UA Cognac. The Charentais have lost five of their six league games, including the last three without scoring a single goal.
The match to follow: FC Réthais – Charente Limousine
In Regional 2, pool B, just behind Périgny, FC Réthais and FC Charente Limousine, which plays in Roumazières-Loubert in Charente, are in ambush, waiting for the first false step of the Aunisiens. The two outsiders meet on Saturday in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, when they have the same number of points, but the Charentais have one more game to play. The winner will take a small option on his opponent, at least from a psychological point of view.
The team in decline: AS Cabariot
Unfortunately, AS Cabariot (R3) is a regular in this section. Alexandre Charrier’s team is never very far from its opponents, but it definitely can’t reverse the trend since it lost in six league games. It is already six points behind the maintenance zone, where the US Marennes are also located, which arrives in Cabariot on Saturday. The Marennais remain on a slap received at home against Alliance du Moron (1-5), but have already won two successes, against Rive Droite 33 (1-2) and Aviron Boutonnais (3-1).
The number: 0
There will be no team from Charente-Maritime in the 5th round of the Gambardella Cup. Dompierre Sainte-Soulle, the last representative, was eliminated at the end of the suspense last weekend during the penalty shootout against Poitiers (2-2, 4-5 on pens). L.B.