Coupe de France: the Martiniquais of the Franciscan club dream of exploit against Angers

The Martiniquais of the Franciscan Club can become on Sunday the first overseas club to qualify for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, a piece of history to be fetched from an elite club, Angers.

"It's not going to be easy," agrees with AFP Eric Littori, president of the amateur club playing in the Martinique Championship, the highest local division, equivalent to Regional 1 (sixth division).

"It will be necessary to be perfect, physically and mentally", anticipates the captain of the team, Stéphane Abaul.

The 29-year-old midfielder remembers the only confrontation in the club's history against a Ligue 1 team: in 2015, in the 32nd of the Coupe de France, the Martinicans had conceded a bitter 4-0 against Nantes.

"We had taken a beating like never before that year, so it was a shock to us, but we learned from our mistakes," promises Abaul.

Storekeeper at the town hall of François, the town (16,000 inhabitants) on the Atlantic coast where the Franciscan Club is based, he has some high-level experiences thanks to his selections with the Martinique team, which allowed him to face the Mexico, Canada or Panama in continental competitions.

"I am proud of the course of the club", a success "despite the multitude of important matches played in a very short period of time", explains AFP the mayor of François, Samuel Tavernier.

A week of preparation in the Yvelines

Leader of the Martinique championship, the Franciscan Club is the third overseas club in history to reach the stage of the round of 16.

Last season, the Reunionese of JS Saint-Pierroise were eliminated at this stage by Epinal (National 2).

But this year, it is the new format of the competition, reworked - pandemic obliges - with an amateur and a professional path, which made it possible: the overseas clubs clashed with each other.

For their first match of this edition against a metropolitan club, the Black and Green of François were not spoiled in the draw: against the SCO, resident of the elite, there will therefore be five divisions.

The other overseas representative, FC M'tsapéré de Mayotte (R1), was eliminated in 32nd in his first match with a metropolitan club, Romorantin (N2).

“Going to the eighth would be even more historic for us.

We want to mark the history of the Franciscan Club, of François and of Martinique, ”says Stéphane Abaul.

70,000 euros in case of victory

While waiting to move to the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, the Martinicans, in metropolitan France since February 26, are accommodated at the headquarters of the French teams in Clairefontaine (Yvelines).

"We do not ask for better in football," rejoices Eric Littori.

"We are well housed, the food is impeccable, it's only good, it allows us to be together, to strengthen the bonds."

Getting there, "it's a bonus, including financially," he said, highlighting the 102,500 euros already in the club's coffers, to which would be added 70,000 euros in the event of victory.

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