Appointed at the beginning of March as coach of Mouloudia Club d'Alger, Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle (44) has only managed three official matches since his arrival. His team, which occupies the third place in Ligue 1, hopes to remain on the podium until the end of the season, to meet the objectives of the club.
Patrice Beaumelle, it's been six weeks since you took over at Mouloudia Club d'Alger. But the calendar is such that your team has only played three league games...
Yes, the last one on April 5 in Magra (1-0 victory). We had previously drawn with CS Constantine (0-0). Matches during which there were big refereeing errors and that probably cost us some points. We also played three friendly matches. It's not much, especially since we will not normally play again until May 5, against USMA. I didn't really expect that. But we have to deal with the scheduling of the matches, which is a bit unusual. Many teams have several games in arrears, including those who participate in African cups. We have to adapt. There was also the FIFA break in March.
We try to play friendlies. That's what we did, on April 18 against Chlef and the 28th against Arbaa. There are also training sessions. I am fortunate to have a workforce that works well, which is very receptive, very competitive. But this obviously does not replace the competition, because it j. There was Ramadan, we know that it is always more difficult for players who respect it to play because of fatigue. But it will end soon, and we are looking forward to playing again regularly. The problem is that we do not have visibility beyond the game of May 5 ...
"I wanted to show that I can also coach a club"
Mouloudia Club of Algiers is 3rd, ten points behind CR Belouizdad, which has two games in hand. Is the title, which has eluded him since 2010, accessible?
The management of the club has set a goal to finish on the podium. We will do everything, with the staff and players, to achieve this and qualify for a continental competition. I know the pressure that exists around the club, which is very popular in Algeria. The fans have been waiting for a championship title for 13 years. It is normal that they want results. The leaders and SONATRACH, which owns MCA, want the club to become one of the best in Africa and to win trophies at the national level. But there is a will not to burn the stages, to do things in order, without rushing. We will have a new training center, and soon we will play in the new stadium of Douéra.
Had you already been approached by the Mouloudia Club of Algiers some time ago?.
I had a first contact with the club last summer, but I was engaged with the UNFP for a mission. The contact with the president Mohamed Hadj Redjem was never broken, and when he contacted me again in February, I accepted, because I wanted to return to the field. I signed until June 30, 2024, but we agreed to review the situation at the end of the season. Nevertheless, I feel that there is a common desire to continue working together.
Do you hope one day to coach a national team again?
I have already worked at club level, at USMA and Lille, as assistant (to Hervé Renard, editor's note). I have indeed done a lot of work either as a coach (Zambia, Ivory Coast, Olympic Morocco), or as an assistant. But I also wanted to show that I could coach a club. I don't know what the future will bring, but I would like to coach a national team again one day.
