“I did not expect to reach this level”, confides the revelation Van den Boomen who panicked Ligue 2 this season
Just crowned champion of Ligue 2 with Toulouse, Branco van den Boomen recounts his crazy season in Toulouse. The 26-year-old Dutchman, conductor of the Violets, talks about the good cohesion of the group, his extraordinary season but also about his future in the pink city where he hopes to stay.
There have been exceptional results this season, but also a lot of emotions, right?
Yes it’s an amazing feeling to win a title and get promoted. It’s the first time in my career that I’ve been champion and it’s an intense emotion.
Can we build something strong on emotions in a club?
Of course. For the people around the club, now we see what it means to them. Because at the beginning you play a match and win but few people talk about it and at the end the interest increases. I see what it means for the club, the city and it’s amazing.
Do you feel like you’ve given people pride back here?
Yes I think, because if you look at the number of spectators at the start of the season and the people who came after, we always had this base from the start, which is incredible for a Ligue 2 club. showed how good we were and what we were capable of. And more people came, with great enthusiasm. It’s also a great thing to have brought football back to the city.
Was relegation traumatic here two years ago?
I wasn’t there so it’s different. But when I arrived, I saw that for the guys who were here, it was hard. Sylla had a speech before a game and it really touched me. He said “you have no idea how bad it was two years ago, how did you feel on the pitch” I said no it’s completely different and I took advantage of the moment . So yeah, sometimes you feel like it’s not going so well two years ago.
The new leaders have communicated a lot about the identity of the club. What do you think of this identity? How do you perceive it?
I think it’s smart, that’s why I signed. When you see the sums invested to sign certain players and what they brought in the end, I think it’s smart. They made the city and the club proud. We are entering a new era.
What did you think of the fans, was it like the kind of support you see in rugby? You went to see a Stade Toulousain match.
Honestly, I thought to myself that in rugby people are there to enjoy the game whereas in football it’s more emotional. Our supporters put more energy, that’s the only difference I can see. For me, football fans are more important (Laughs).
Your personal season has been extraordinary, have you surprised yourself on the pitch?
I think it’s my best season of my career, I didn’t expect to reach this level. But after a few games, I felt that I wasn’t doing anything extraordinary, I was just playing my game, for my team. I have a fantastic feeling when I think back to this season.
Twenty assists is normal?
No it’s not normal but my teammates were just giving me the ball and they were in good positions. It’s my role to give them the ball.
Maybe it’s important for you to have one more assist this Saturday?
Yes that would be nice but I’m already at twenty. The team is amazing and it would be great to share this record with Ferhat. But if I can give one more, it would be even more beautiful.
What’s it like to be a “data” player? You were recruited like that.
I think it’s normal because everyone develops through data, in all sports there is more and more of it. It’s clever I think.
There are many different nationalities in the team but you form a real collective.
If you see all the nationalities in the team, we can think that it will be complicated on the ground because of the language barrier but on one of the young players who speak French and English, like Diakite, Diarra, Ngoumou and they are important to the team. For players coming from another country, it’s also a big opportunity and we fought to have this chance together. We integrated that because we also have good people, not just good players. People who are willing to serve others. It is the strength of the team. When we see Denis (Genreau) and Ado (Onaiwu) who are sometimes on the bench, they play well and are ready to play afterwards. This is what makes the team strong.
The question you will probably be asked in the next few days is: Will you be a TFC player next year?
I do not know. I don’t want to say yes or no because I really want to stay but it’s not fair to say ‘yes I will be a Toulouse player next season’ and leave in one or two months. The only choice I can say is that we will start talking to the club this week or the week after and we will see where that takes us.
What is your personal wish?
I think the fans can see what kind of person I am and what I want for my career. I wouldn’t leave for the money, it will be because there is a big stage to overcome in sport. There are big challenges ahead, like playing in Ligue 1 for the first time in my career. The challenge needs to be huge for me to go.
What are you most proud of?
To fill the stadium and see a lot of children there. What makes me most proud is seeing children wearing my jersey. This is really what makes me most proud at the moment.
Discovering Ligue 1 with the TFC and its supporters, is that a good reason to stay?
The overriding feeling is that I want to stay but we’ll see where that takes me.
What is your dream ? What is your ambition today?
I do not know. I just want to enjoy the moment. In football, you can’t dream, you have to be realistic. I dream of playing for Real Madrid one day but it’s not realistic. I just want to have a good vacation and see what happens next.