To replace Grégory Vignal, himself successor to Laurent Peyrelade, Versailles chose Jean-Luc Vasseur (55 years old), who played for the young players of PSG, Créteil, Reims and Paris FC, before trying an experience in women's football ( Lyon, Everton).
Without a club for two years, he returned to the field since February 26 with great enthusiasm.
He confided before Nancy's reception.
Since leaving Everton in February 2022, you have not coached.
How did you experience this period?
JEAN-LUC VASSEUR.
Not at all sadly.
But two years, it’s true that the time was starting to feel long.
There was obviously a lack even though I did lots of other things and traveled.
When you're a player, you certainly have the best job in the world.
But coaching is a tough and sometimes unforgiving job.
Involuntarily, we neglect those close to us, we think more of others than of ourselves and we sometimes forget ourselves.
But the desire was still there.
Otherwise, I would have done something else with my life.
I wanted to go back there.
Being a consultant for Canal and RMC allowed me to stay in touch with football and continue to ask myself coaching issues when I prepared and commented on matches.
Weren't you afraid of being forgotten?
Forgotten by who?
We know the rules of the game and we observe.
We also know that there are fashion phenomena for us, the coaches.
We agree at one time then another, a little less.
Places are becoming more and more expensive.
To be honest, I wasn't overwhelmed by the offers.
There are things that almost happened with clubs where I was not chosen in the end.
But I also didn't want to go anywhere just to get work.
“I enjoyed my time with the women but I wanted to come back to the boys”
With the women of Lyon, you achieved the hat-trick in 2020 and you were elected coach of the year by UEFA.
When the phone rings less, do we ask ourselves questions?
I'm always on the move.
Obviously there is a questioning.
In life, you must always reinvent yourself and stay connected to changes.
I am a man who thinks to move forward.
I analyzed my latest experiences to reinvent myself by asking myself what I could do differently if I was called up by a club.
I really enjoyed my time with the women's team where I managed to build things.
It also allowed me to discover another side of football.
But I had this desire to come back to the boys.
Jean-Luc Vasseur is the new head coach of FC Versailles.
✍️🆕#OneTeam
— FC Versailles 👑 (@FCVersaillesOff) March 1, 2024
Your last experience was more than five years ago in L2 with Châteauroux.
Do you understand that some in the community welcomed your appointment to Versailles with a certain skepticism.
Do you have things to prove to them?
Prove what?
Honestly, I don't care.
I don't care what other people think of me.
I don't do this job for others and to be judged.
What interests me is first of all to experience a human adventure with my club, my managers, my staff and my players.
At my age, I learned that you can't please everyone.
“It’s up to me to make this situation more beautiful and bring smiles back to everyone”
You are the third coach this season for Versailles, the team had only taken 4 points in 2024 when you arrived and there are only three months of the championship left.
Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?
What should I be afraid of?
If we are in this state of mind, it is better to stay at home or do something else.
If Versailles was in an ideal situation, they would not have come to look for me.
It's up to me to make this situation more beautiful and bring smiles to everyone's faces.
The Versailles Board saw other coaches but between us, it stuck quickly.
There are things that are synchronized.
It was a great meeting between us.
Versailles has owners who have a new vision, an innovative project and that inevitably makes you want to make a contribution.
What were your speeches when you took office on Monday February 26?
I haven't revolutionized anything.
In this type of situation, the important thing is to go back to the basics and the fundamentals by seeking efficiency.
It’s simple things like redefining a framework and sticking together.
I have 29 players, some weren't playing at all anymore.
I told them there were matches left and the door was open.
You made a winning debut at Villefranche (1-0)...
I was proud of the behavior of my group.
This victory felt good but we must not think we have arrived.
With six descents, it's going to be complicated until the end.
Maintaining it is almost a question of survival for the ambitious project of Alexandre Mulliez and Fabien Lazare..
.
That's what I told the players.
They are responsible for the life of the club and the future of the employees.
There are great means at Versailles and certainly great things to achieve in the future.
But we must already think about maintaining ourselves before seeing further.
Me, I'm in the daily grind, I only plan for the next match.
I'm not thinking about next year yet.
But I'm from the Paris region, I've already trained at PSG, Créteil and Paris FC, I'm always happy to see a professional club emerge in Paris.
I was given the opportunity to finish this season at Versailles, I already want to repay this trust, by leaving the club in National.