Éric Bartecheky, born on July 30, 1972, is making a significant return to his hometown club, Champagne Basket. His deep roots with the team trace back to his youth, having played for Espé Châlons from junior to professional levels. He later served as an assistant coach from 1996 to 2003 and headed the training center in 2003-2004.
Reasons for His Return
Regarding his decision to come back, Bartecheky explained:
“Firstly, it’s about the club’s project. The fact that it’s also a club from my region is an added personal touch, but it’s not the primary reason. The main thing is simply having a new challenge to undertake. It’s also the opportunity to start a season, rebuild a team, and integrate into the continuity of the project initiated two years ago. The ambition is to try and establish ourselves in the playoffs. We’ve already started having some video meetings with management to work on next season, but it’s still quite early for player movements. We are already thinking about how we can best orient things for the upcoming season.”
A Return to His Youth Club
Commenting on this return to the club of his early days, he reflected:
“This is where it all began. I believe I’ll still recognize many people in Châlons who have stayed, even though I’ve been gone for a while. The club has evolved quite a bit over all these years. I knew it when I was young, and it was still Espé, and there was Reims CB at the time. When the merger happened later, I was no longer with the club. There was a period when some players lived in Reims, others in Châlons, and the same went for practices. Now, everything has returned to Châlons, and a number of games are played at the Arena. I haven’t experienced all these stages from the inside, but it still remains the club I knew when I was younger.”
