RCLens is preparing to welcome Sporting Portugal on Tuesday evening, 6:45 p.m., in Bollaert. This meeting on the second day of the group stage of the Champions League will also be an opportunity for Yannick Cahuzac to introduce himself as the club's new head coach. At 41 years old, however, he must reconcile this European challenge with the pursuit of his professional football coaching certificate (BEPF), essential to lastingly practice at the highest level in France.
The initial schedule posed a major conflict: Cahuzac had to attend a training session at Clairefontaine from Tuesday to Thursday, which would have prevented him from preparing and leading his team in the match against Sporting. The training managers then granted an exceptional exemption. The technician can be present in Bollaert the same evening, then go to Clairefontaine on Wednesday morning to resume his course. This solution allows Cahuzac not to miss its European meeting while respecting the requirements of its BEPF.
According to Jacky Bonnevay, one of the BEPF supervisors, the absolute priority is preparing for the match. “We allow a lot of flexibility, the absolute priority goes to his match preparation. He will connect when he gets the chance, we trust him. We don’t put pressure on him,” he told L’Équipe. Cahuzac will be able to follow certain educational sequences remotely, in particular Wednesday morning, which addresses mental support and self-knowledge with the psychologist of the French Football Federation, Chloé Leprince. However, he will not be excused from his course and will have to join his classmates the next day.
This organization highlights the importance of the Lens technical staff. Cahuzac can count on Vincent Carlier, Bilal Hamdi and Éric Sikora to ensure the continuity of daily work when he is absent for his training sessions. The arrival of Carlier strengthened the technical support around the new head coach, and Cahuzac expressed his confidence in his team: “It is up to me and my training to adapt. » The general director, Benjamin Parrot, confirmed that the trainers had ensured that Cahuzac could prepare for the meeting in good conditions.
For the coach, the reception of Sporting Portugal represents a crucial step in his career. Promoted after the departure of Dino Toppmöller, he must quickly establish himself in a very busy schedule, between Ligue1, the Champions League and obligations linked to the BEPF. Managing these multiple commitments could become a recurring issue throughout the season, but for now, the immediate problem has been resolved. Lens is therefore preparing to face Sporting, while ensuring the professional progression of its new team leader.