Saint-Quentin’s basketball team (SQBB) struggled against a revamped Le Portel squad, featuring many youth players, only managing to secure a lead in the second half. This performance underscores the challenges the Picardy-based club has faced this season, particularly in the wake of coach Julien Mahé’s departure.
Laurent Prache, president of Saint-Quentin, openly reflects on a tumultuous period: “There was a change of coach, repeated injuries, a supporter strike, a lack of results, a foreign player who wanted to leave overnight, an assistant working remotely, a coach who left then returned… Not to mention a group where the chemistry never really clicked, and tensions between some players and the technical staff. Ultimately, some problems that emerged as early as September are still present today and will remain until the end. So, I’m inclined to say that’s just how it is.”
He acknowledges that such issues are part of club life. “Simply, for seven years, we had managed to avoid the worst. This season, it’s as if everything has accumulated simultaneously. At times, we almost feel like the basketball gods want to punish us. And it’s truly hard to digest.”
What are the club’s prospects?
Regarding the club’s outlook, Prache states: “Today, we must be realistic: we have a strong chance of finishing in 15th place. In that scenario, we will compete in the accession playoffs, and we will try to navigate them in the best possible condition… Afterward, we will review everything in June. And I hope it will be June 19th, because that would mean we’ve made it to the very end of those playoffs.”
