BLaser cut with rope, erroneously neglected beard, discreet spectacles, barely veiled Toulouse accent. There is a bit of a ‘football manager’ profile in Luis D’Souza. The one about whom we know little or nothing, but in whom we discover true potential. Sure words, reassuring philosophy, clear vision.
Enough to turn a great unknown into a major attraction, during the joint presentation of the new sporting director…
BLaser cut with rope, erroneously neglected beard, discreet spectacles, barely veiled Toulouse accent. There is a bit of a ‘football manager’ profile in Luis D’Souza. The one about whom we know little or nothing, but in whom we discover true potential. Sure words, reassuring philosophy, clear vision.
Enough to turn a great unknown into a great attraction, during the joint presentation of the new Pau Sports Director, this Thursday at Nouste Camp, and the coach Nicolas Usa. Second runner-up in the Berne hierarchy, behind president Bernard Laporte-Fry and his son Jan – promoted to club general manager – Joel Lopez’s successor at the helm of the sporting department immediately showed himself very comfortable with the roadmap for which he is in charge.
And since the process of seduction always begins with a brush stroke towards his predecessor, the former recruit from Saint-Etienne (November-June) immediately proved he had the codes. “I would like to salute Joel Lopez’s work. He leaves the club in great shape. He has done a very good job for 3-4 years. You have to thank him for that.”
So the former Troyes sporting director knows where to start, but also where to go. In the hierarchy of priorities, the athlete, thus maintaining in the second division, constitutes the common denominator of his powers. Having gone through four rounds last season, trading will continue to be the best lever for strengthening the financial base of Pau FC in the long run. “Selling players is good. But if it’s going to end up at National in 2024-25, that’s not the goal,” the French-Portuguese reframes. The sale will be a result of the work we do, but not the other way around. We won’t sell players before the rest. Shareholder The club did not impose this kind of challenge on me. The challenge is to build a competitive team, and if I do my job well, we can promote players, and maybe do some trading.”
“We will not turn the tables.”
It remains to respect the existing system. For the rest, the 49-year-old leader added a reassuring speech to an already compelling background (Sporting Director of Troyes between 2016 and 2021, recruiter at Saint-Etienne from November to June last). “It is as exciting to develop a well-launched club as it is to get a continuation with Saint-Etienne in very different functions. It is not the size of the club that necessarily motivates me, but the challenge. “It is above all” to hand over to the coach, as soon as possible, a competitive team so He can work in good conditions. We’ll build on what was done well last year. We’re not going to turn the tables, quite the opposite. We’ll standardize him, because he’s built well. “I said well, let’s get the job done too.”
In any case, Luis de Souza intends to do substantial work. Priority, in his thinking between his passage through Frieze and his arrival at Pau. Why didn’t you continue at Saint-Etienne? Personal desire for future perspective. Everyone knows that the club is for sale, and that my mission was short-term. I accepted it in the January transfer window and preparing for this summer. But in the back, I preferred a different challenge over the medium to long term. »
16 managers and youth
The starting point of the project: a solid core of “16 players accustomed to Ligue 2 games. This will start with preserving our best elements, which will not be easy, because they are needed.” From behind, Souza’s touch will only be truly felt when the first names accompany his arrival at the Pau club Fc. “From this point of view, it is observation and communication, but it is also inventive. When you don’t have money, you have to have ideas, and there is a puzzle to put together, according to the principles of the game defined by Nicolas (Usaï). We evaluated the workforce. Nicolas applied with me, It is up to me to hand it over to him well and appropriately.”
A team and a half of confirmed players, and hopes emerging from the Reserve (which is developing in National 3) to complete the workforce. This is the roadmap for the Franco-Portuguese leader, who like his predecessor, will work in close collaboration with recruit Gerard Battles, to define the 2023-2024 edition of Bau FC.
