Toulouse. Yann Kehruel: “The Spacer’s are my favorite club!”
Yann Kehruel, the new president of Spacer’s attributed himself to his arrival at the head of the club as well as his desire to help him “pass a level”. Structurally as well as sportingly.
Explain to us how your arrival at the head of Spacer’s took place?
Quite simply (smile). Volleyball is my sport and Spacer’s is my favorite club. I played there 31 years ago when the club was called TOAC. Christian Ferreol (treasurer) was my trainer at the time. I have been working with Jean Azema (former president, editor’s note) and Didier Conjaud (former co-president, editor’s note) for a very long time too and they were the ones who asked us to return to the office two years ago. We accepted with a friend with whom I continue to play beach volleyball, Philippe Rossard (former international, Ed). At the time, the leaders had already told us that they would like to hand over control in the medium term.
What were your main motivations for accepting?
I still know the people in place and the volleyball community in Toulouse very well. I thought about it, because it’s not a trivial decision, but it happened quite naturally in the end. Probably because it’s my club (he smiles).
A new dynamic is taking place with the scheduled departure of several former managers and the arrival of a new staff headed by Patrick Duflos. Was it the right time for you to invest more?
The previous office already had this desire to boost the club and open a new page by going on a professional development sports project. In particular, we will try to set up a company to meet the obligations of the Professional League. We must keep the associative side but at the same time constitute a means of bringing in money. Keeping our training club spirit but trying to go a step further, structurally and sportingly: this is the project that I will be supporting.
Precisely, in terms of sporting ambitions, what objectives are you going to set for your players?
In the short term, none because I find that it creates unnecessary pressure. Afterwards, I’m not hiding from you that no one wants to relive the play-downs. I signed up for at least three years and the goal is to be in three years a team that is regularly able to play in the Top 8.
Patrick Duflos signed for five years: it’s quite rare in the middle of volleyball. Why this choice ?
The idea is for Patrick to be close to the field for the first two years and then to become a kind of sports manager, once the company is created. Zago (his deputy, Ed), if all goes well, could then become number 1.
What kind of president would you like to be?
I would keep being the president of the transition. Keep this family side but help the club to arm itself with the tools essential to any professional club. I don’t have 150,000 bucks to buy the club, I don’t have the fame of a former international, but on the other hand, I wore this shirt and I’m proud of it. I want Toulouse, as they do with Stade Toulousain for rugby, to identify volleyball with Spacer’s. We have to keep our associative identity but structurally we have to take the club further and my ambition is to contribute to it.