Reactions after the points were shared in Le Havre

Estéban Lepaul speaking to Ligue 1+:

“It’s a huge frustration because we had a good first half, even though we conceded that goal at the end. We fell back into our bad habits — we can’t seem to keep up the same tempo in the second half. It’s a shame. We’re not consistent over the full 90 minutes. We need to start the second half the same way we start the first. We have a lot of quality, but we need to keep working.”

 

Valentin Rongier speaking to Ligue 1+:

“It also happened in Nantes. It’s very frustrating, really infuriating. I don’t have an answer, except that we’re very disappointed with our second half. Once again, we had the game in hand and three points within reach. Apart from working harder, there’s not much else we can do.

Le Havre changed their system, but we didn’t respond the way we should have in the second half. That sums up what we are right now — a team with a lot of quality, but a bit fragile. We’re lacking a bit of confidence; that’s sport, that’s football. It’s up to us to turn it around.

It’s a team that’s still coming together. We know that in top-level football, there’s no time to waste. Unfortunately, we still need time. The matches show that, but don’t worry — things are calm within the club. People are making too big a deal out of Stade Rennais. We keep working as calmly as possible.

It’s not what we were hoping for, but the international break will allow us to work well and analyze what didn’t go right today. Still, we scored two goals — our forwards were efficient, and that’s very good for them and for us.”

 

Habib Beye in his post-match press conference:

“It’s hard to accept, and I told the players that. We need to get back to work, learn quickly. We’re not managing the momentums of games. It’s frustrating to see that we can’t keep our composure and control. Tonight, we scored four goals, with two disallowed for offside — both of which were incredibly tight.

We’ve lived through this same scenario against Nantes, Angers, and now again tonight. Naturally, doubt starts to creep in when we’re leading. The penalty awarded to Le Havre came from a lack of composure. When these situations keep repeating, they bring doubt, and that doubt appears when we’re ahead. Ligue 1 is a tough league; we can’t think we’ll just roll out our football and that the opponent won’t show up. We had identified their strengths — now we have to learn from these moments, swallow the frustration, and grow through them.

The rotations? There was no intention on my part to disrupt what was working. Mousa came on because Estéban was tired. The team’s structure, even when playing deeper, was coherent.

Demanding high standards creates a framework that allows players to express themselves freely. I can’t say that any player failed to show the necessary commitment in this match. But we’re collectively fragile in certain situations — and we’ve paid for it against Angers, Nantes, and now tonight. Le Havre have quality, and they played to their strengths right to the end. Still, we scored four goals in this game. Breel had an excellent team performance, and Estéban scored again. Tonight, it feels like a defeat, but I have to focus on what’s working.

We’ve experienced great highs against Marseille and Lyon — and now we have to go through these difficult moments to truly absorb what it means. It’s hard for those who follow Stade Rennais, for me as a coach, and for the players. It’s tough to accept. Sometimes football is cruel, decided by just a few centimeters — especially on Breel’s second goal.

In terms of points, it’s not enough. We don’t have the tally we should, and that’s frustrating. Even if we’ve only lost once, draws don’t move us forward. We need to learn the lessons while not forgetting the positives.

We’re paying a high price for individual mistakes or moments of relaxation within the collective structure. There are young players in this team — maybe that’s the price to pay for their development, and I fully accept that. I want to emphasize the positives too, and we’ll keep working on that.”