A Chat With: Gervais Martel

By: Xavier | August 8th, 2009

Interview with club President Gervais Martel from Le Monde (August, 8, 2009).

Gervais Martel, Lens President, will travel to Bordeaux on Sunday for his club’s first day back in Ligue 1. And he hopes his players will show an “irreprochable spirit” to ensure the sustainability of a club still trying to digest its shocking year of purgatory in Ligue 2.

Q: There has been quite a lot written about the club’s current financial situation. Has it been difficult?

R: “We know that relegation cost us lots of money. And this is still being digested. Nevertheless, the club learned to face it’s lot in Ligue 2, and it has certainly grown. It was much easier just to be, at another time in our history. Before the relegation, we were always one of the top five or six clubs in France. But last year, all of a sudden, it became our objective to return to the first division. This, of course, was gravely important for the sustainability of the club. But right now in terms of subscribers (22,500) and partners, we have not done very well. “

Q: When the whistle blows, Lens will be a complete squad and competing with what purpose in mind?

R: “There are still moves to be made by September 1st. There is no specific goal set for coach Jean-Guy Wallemme. I have asked everyone to be clear of mind and have a collective desire to succeed. This is a team sport and it is the collective spirit that makes the difference. We were crowned champions in 1998 with the same team which ended fifteenth in the previous campaign. So, it is the collective effort that ultimately makes the difference. This is what I expect. After that I have not asked to finish seventh, fourteenth or third. We’ll try to give the best of ourselves. In this league, there are four or five teams at the top and fifteen others evenly matched. “

Q: Must the passionate fan base wait long before Lens finds itself at the top of the rankings once again?

R: “You know, the fans are very knowledgeable at Lens. They know where we just were. Right now, they are content just to be back in the first division. They also know that we do not, on paper, have the strength of a Marseille, Lyon … However, if the club shows its fighting spirit, then the fans will stand behind us as usual.