Does the French Championship Reform Threaten Avante-Garde Caen?

Lower Normandy clubs are not the worst in the whole country. They regularly show excellent results, occupying the top positions in the national championships. The same is true in the AGC. Many fans and even officials have expressed fears that the announced reform could move many Lower Normandy teams off the roster.

According to the Football Association, they are planning a deep reform of the amateur championships. It will begin in the 2022 season and has several ambitious goals. First, to significantly shake up the number of participants in national championships. Second, to increase the prestige of the events by increasing the funding and distributing it to fewer clubs.

Representatives of Avante-Garde Caen and several other clubs from Normandy are not flattered by such ideas. All organizations would face many financial and reputational difficulties. It may also lead to a domino effect that should force a large number of worthy contenders to leave the arena of amateur football and descend again to the regional level.

The Disappointing Prospects

Virúa Christophe, president of AF, states that the said plans greatly interfere with the routines the teams have intended. His club, and others like it, have reconsidered their desires and dramatically changed the vector of training and development. Instead of striving the heights and hopes to make it to the second league, they now bite their teeth and do everything possible to stay in N3.

The next couple of years must be very challenging for the athletes and their coaches. Because of the changed circumstances, the athletes will try to retain their right to compete in national tournaments at all costs. The stakes and competition in amateur football are skyrocketing!

Officials say there must be 72 groups leaving the arena by the 2025-2026 season. This is a staggering number hard to imagine. Instead, there may be fewer group seats and fewer teams. Three years from now, fans will only be able to watch eight groups instead of the twelve ones represented today.

In addition to critical comments, there are also supportive voices. Many analysts and commentators are happy about this change. Vincent Leno, coach of Alanson, states that because of the restructuring, the squads are trying to strengthen their positions.

According to him, everyone has come to realize the need to strengthen their ranking and prestige. Every match from now on must be a battle to the death if the athletes have hopes of qualifying in the national championship.

Athletes and coaches are very concerned about the possibility of a change in sportsmanship and camaraderie between squads. Competition has always been present, but before, there was no sense of the importance of every move you make.

A Sherburne official, he hopes the situation should not dominate football interest. According to him, athletes have never been as hung up on the possibility of elimination from the tournament as they were before. The standings and points are important to the players and the fans, but you can’t base your game and practice on them alone!

There’s Good in Everything

But the predictions of AGC remain quite pleasing. The club as well as many of its opponents predict a significant improvement in the financial situation and an increase in its prestige in general. Christophe Lecuillet also adds such changes make sense in the long term, because may make a good championship from N3, comparable with the professional level.

Should we worry about Avante-Garde’s place in the standings for 2025? It all depends on what results in the team shows in the next couple of years. So far, there is every reason to believe in the club should show a good side. This is evidenced by the recent matches. Today AGC takes a place in the top 6 teams in N3.

The football club also has the opportunity to claim additional funding from the French Football Federation, amounting to eight thousand euros per season. Analysts do not exclude the likelihood of the return of local sponsors, who must compete for their logo on the shirts of the best squad.

AGC has excellent prospects, which can be seen with the naked eye. The coaching staff and a team of experienced football players should do everything they can to not disappoint their fans!