In this special edition, we present an exclusive Seysoccer Interview with St. Louis head coach Gavin Jeanne! Fans and players alike have been eager to hear from him. We’ll dive into his thoughts on the team’s performance, upcoming matches, and his vision for the future of St. Louis football. We tried to bring this text interview close to a podcast format by including questions from fans, players, colleagues, and journalists.
Seysoccer: First of all, Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! Let’s start with the most important: How are you, Coach?
Gavin Jeanne: Thank you. Same wishes to Seysoccer and local football fans. I am doing ok.
Seysoccer: Regarding the CAF Champions League qualifiers against Sagrada (Angola), how did you view the performance? It wasn’t bad at all, especially considering that Sagrada earned 5 points in the group stage after 5 rounds so far.
Gavin Jeanne: We played against a very good football team. The results were not in our favor, but we managed to show good resistance and create good opportunities. I am particularly happy with the performance in the second leg, as we managed to keep the ball, press the opponent, and create a couple of good opportunities. Unfortunately, we conceded a penalty in the first 5 minutes and two more goals late in the second half when we were taking more risks to try and equalize.
Seysoccer: Do you think our clubs would achieve much better results if they could host international games at Stade Linite? For example, you hosted the match against Sagrada in Mauritius and lost 0-1. What if you had the full support of St. Louis behind you at Stade Linite? Do you think you could have won that match and approached the second leg differently?
Gavin Jeanne: Playing at home will benefit everyone, including the clubs, supporters, the federation, and the government. However, I really cannot understand what is going on, and I prefer not to comment.
Seysoccer: Not sure if you know, but Seysoccer began its journey in the season when you were head coach of Red Star and reached the Champions stage. At that time, we often said that Red Star was playing the best football in the league, but somehow, after 20-25 minutes, the team would always drop in form, and that’s when problems would start. How do you view that season and the team? We believe that leading Red Star at that time with those players was a masterpiece!
Gavin Jeanne: Red Star Defense Forces had so many problems behind the scenes. We worked very hard during my time to keep the team in the top division. Managing that in the 2022/23 season was a big achievement. I left the team to join Saint Louis at the end of that season. It was not going to be an easy job for any coaches who took that team. I know how hard they tried, but it was an impossible job.
Seysoccer: Moving to St. Louis after that season was a surprising move for many fans, and the local football community was unsure if it was a good decision by the club. However, we at Seysoccer insisted that you were the right man for the job! Last season was another masterpiece in our opinion; the way you won the Premier League title was incredible! How do you view last season from this perspective?
Gavin Jeanne: I know joining Saint Louis was going to split opinions. I am not everyone’s cup of tea, right? Lol. Last season, the players performed really well. All credit should go to them. They were already good players who only needed a push, and that’s all I did.
Seysoccer: Can you compare last season with the current one, as the results are nowhere near those of last season? What do you think is the reason for the drop in performance? Injuries?
Gavin Jeanne: Unfortunately, at the beginning of the season, we lost key players. Nevertheless, we started the season well until injuries took their toll. This season alone, we have already had three concussions, three severe knee injuries, and other muscle injuries. At one point, we had 10 players out injured. We still believe we are playing good football, though; we just need to get a couple of successive positive results to kick-start our season.
Seysoccer: We are currently in the transfer window (which has already closed by the time of publishing the interview). How would you rate the current transfer window?
Gavin Jeanne: The transfer window is getting more difficult. We lost a couple of players, but we are happy with our recruitment.
Seysoccer: Are you the one speaking with potential new players, or do you just provide a list of players that could fit into your team, and then the management team handles the rest to ensure your satisfaction?
Gavin Jeanne: We work as a team, listing our targets—players we feel will benefit the team. We also seek information on their discipline and commitment.
Seysoccer: Was there any player that St. Louis failed to sign? If so, can you share their names with us?
Gavin Jeanne: Of course, you will not always be able to sign all your targets, but we prefer to keep the names internal.
Seysoccer: From what people have been asking us through our media platform, there are questions about Darrel Damoo not having enough minutes as a striker. Can you explain your decision not to use him as the main striker? If we’re not mistaken, Damoo was scoring regularly earlier this season while playing as a striker.
Gavin Jeanne: Damoo can play in several positions. During Grevais’ injury, he was the best option to cover the right-back position. Note that for most of last season, due to our left-back situation, Damoo played in that position. It’s about what’s best for the team.
Seysoccer: Not long ago, St. Louis FC surprised the local football community with the transfer of Imra from St. Michel. How do you view his performance so far?
Gavin Jeanne: Imra is a very young and talented individual. He has settled well in the team. He still has a lot to offer, and I think the best is yet to come.
Seysoccer: Do you have any message for Seysoccer? Is there anything you would change or suggest to us? How do you rate our work so far? Feel free to be honest!
Gavin Jeanne: Just keep up the good job. The platform shares a lot of information with the football community.
Seysoccer: Can you tell us something about the new Malagasy players who joined St. Louis last week? According to our sources, they are on the same level as Clarck Rakoto (who we believe is one of the best attackers in Seychelles football at the moment). We heard that one of those two players was with Foresters a year or two ago on trial.
Gavin Jeanne: Timain is a striker, and Ranona is an attacking midfielder, both from FC Rouge in Madagascar. They have different attributes compared to Clark. No, they have not had trials with any local teams before that.
Seysoccer: Would you be interested in the role of head coach for the Seychelles National Team if available, considering your vocal opposition to the SFF and their technical department in the recent past?
Gavin Jeanne: I already did my part with the national team. I’m happy with the experience of playing against the likes of Nigeria and South Africa. Reaching the IOIG semi-final was a big achievement. I guess it’s time to give opportunities to other young coaches who are working hard with top teams in the first division, such as Basil Hoareau (Anse Reunion), Ted Esther (Light Stars), Nigel Freminot (Saint Michel), and Harold Hoareau (Foresters). However, it is unfortunate that the federation is only considering SFF staff and executive members to work with all national selections, from U13 to the senior team.
Seysoccer: Do you have any long-term plans? How do you see yourself in five seasons?
Gavin Jeanne: For now, I have a two-year agreement with Saint Louis. I prefer to concentrate on short-term plans because in football, you never know. My short-term plan is to win another title with Saint Louis.
Seysoccer: We can confirm that you are very loved and appreciated by the people living in the St. Louis district. Do you have any message for the St. Louis fans?
Gavin Jeanne: Saint Louis fans are very passionate. My message to them is to support the players because there are so many sacrifices and efforts behind the scenes. Saint Louis’ strength lies in their passionate supporters. They are the real 12th player on their day.
Questions from our Malagasy member who is writing the ‘Seysoccer Insight‘ section for our website:
Seysoccer Insight: How do you rate Clarck Rakoto’s performance during the first half of the season?
Gavin Jeanne: Clark started the season really well. I think it’s safe to say that Clark brings entertainment and excitement to the stadium.
We received over 20 questions from the community. However, we could only choose 5 to 10, and the coach has responded to some of them.
Community Question: What do you think about the current midfield players, and should the club consider recruiting good playmakers who can provide the service needed by the attackers, as this has been a weakness exploited by opponents?
Gavin Jeanne: We chose the two players because they already have an understanding with Clark on the field, as the three of them played on the same team in the past. Adaptation for a mid-season transfer is crucial, and we hope that the three of them can click on the field.
Community Question Do you think bringing back Dean Mothe is a good choice? If so, why did management sell him in the first place, knowing that some supporters and players would be disappointed with Dean’s surprising transfer to big rivals Foresters earlier this season, considering he played a significant role in the team last season?
Gavin Jeanne: Dean wanted a new challenge at the beginning of the season, and Saint Louis could not keep him. Unfortunately for him, he could not adapt at Foresters and decided to return to his beloved Saint Louis. Dean was an important player during our title-winning season, and he will be a very valuable addition for the rest of the season.
Community Question: Was there any chance for you to keep Michel and Lorenzo?
Gavin Jeanne: Lorenzo had made his decision to move to Anse Reunion, so we had no chance to keep him. The decision to release Michel is tactical. It was a difficult decision, but we felt we needed more prowess in our attack for the rest of the season, so we promoted Michel to our goalkeeper coach.
Community Question: Do you think Nael Dubois will get some playing time this season for St. Louis?
Gavin Jeanne: Saint Louis has promoted five players from under 17: Nael Dubois, Nathan Niceties, Dwight, and Christiano. Nicette has already been involved in two matches, assisting a goal for Clark against Cote d’Or. To answer your question, Saint Louis is not afraid to give opportunities to young players; they just need to keep working hard.
Community Question: What happened in the knockout game with Anse Reunion? Why was the coach not with the team?
Gavin Jeanne: I was not in the country for the knockout game against Anse Reunion. Our last game in 2024, according to the original fixtures, was scheduled for December 7th. I made international commitments after December 7th since the Anse Reunion game was scheduled for January 14. Unfortunately for me, the SFF decided to change the fixtures to December 14, just a week prior to the game, and all provisions for overseas travel had already been made.
