Official launch

AS Atlas Paillade, a Montpellier-based club recently promoted to National 2, opens its season on Saturday 22 August 2024 at 20:30 in Millau. The match pits the Pailladins against the reserve team of Rodez Aveyron Foot in the Trophée des Champions Johan Hamel. This fixture is the team’s first official match after several weeks of intensive preparation.

Preparation and ambitions

New coach Jean-Bernard Reboul said: « The preparation went very well. I was able to gauge the club, its environment and the squad. It’s extremely stimulating. Even though the facilities are not exceptional, we compensate largely with desire, mindset and rigor. Atlas Paillade is entering a new sphere and we have a new page to write. It’s about tweaking a few small things without everything being disrupted: these daily details will get us over the line ». He notes the goal is to tighten the group, improve automatism and conduct field repetitions so everyone speaks the same tactical language. He stresses a game plan where teams run a lot and are hard to manipulate.

Key fixtures

The 22 August match is a full-scale test for the Pailladins. Coach Reboul stresses the importance of this encounter: « Rodez is a great club with values I greatly appreciate. I have a lot of respect for their coach, who is a friend and an excellent coach. I really like his approach and work; it will be a very good opponent and a great opportunity to measure ourselves in an official match, even though I do not forget that this meeting is part of our preparation for the championship ». He wants to instill a competitive spirit in his squad and play to win, because “there is a trophy to win, it’s not trivial for the club and its history. We must give everything to try to win it and write a new line in the club’s record.”

Recruits and game plan

The Pailladins arrive with a new cohort of players: Abdel Malik Hsissane, Francis Kembolo, Daysam Ben Nasr, Zakariaa Saoudi, Selmane El Hamri, Moussa Barro, Mamadou Guirassy and Franck Engonga. This mix of talent and experience is meant to strengthen the team’s ability to run and be difficult to manipulate, in line with Reboul’s philosophy.

Next step

After this first match, the team prepares for its first National 2 match on 29 August in Berre, where it will continue to apply the lessons from this opening fixture.

The match will take place on Saturday 22 August at 20:30 in Millau.