"It's the best gift we could have hoped for": finally crowned, CDJ Antibes climbs into Regional 3

At the final whistle, they all rushed towards each other. Some were jumping, others were crying, Alain Nicosia raised his arms to the sky. And in the euphoria of this 3-1 clinched in the last minutes against ES Baous, CDJ Antibes, crowned champion of D1 and promoted to Regional 3, could finally celebrate. "It's the best gift we could have hoped for," smiles Xavier Rouyer, captain at only 23 years old. He, who has worn the armband for three seasons already, knows it better than anyone: this promotion is the fruit of a long process. "We've had some complicated years. But this time, it's the work that pays off. It's not a victory for fourteen guys. It's a whole group, twenty guys involved. A victory for the club more than the team."

Supervised, responsible youth

A club that took a gamble: entrusting the keys to local youth. On Sunday's match sheet, ten of the fourteen players lined up were trained at the club. Eight were still U20s, one U19. And all of them, despite their age, responded. "The beautiful thing is that we were never held back because we were young. If you deserved your place, you got it. That's not the case everywhere," Rouyer continues.

This assumed course is also that of a staff convinced that the future would pass through the youth of Antibes. Anthony Crivelli, the coach, hammered it home as soon as he took office: "When we created the group, the idea was to build around the youngsters. Before, the senior teams were good, but aging. We always cracked at the end of the season. Here, the youth held on until the end."

And while the first six months were exciting in terms of play, the second half of the season, more laborious, forged the group's identity: a mixture of talent, self-denial... and carefree attitude. Like Sunday, when the CDJ, despite dominating at the start, were behind at half-time. "I wasn't worried, but it was a pivotal moment," says Crivelli. "I told them: 'If you continue to get angry and not play, you'll lose. But if you get back to playing football, like you've been doing all season, you'll win.'" And that's what they did.

A historic first

But a helping hand was still needed. It came from the oldest. At 42, Alain Nicosia came on in the 74th minute. Twenty minutes later, he had scored two free kicks. Two marvels. "Frankly, at my age, I didn't think I'd still experience such emotions. I feel like I'm 15!" smiles the man who is in charge of training sessions this season. "I've experienced some exceptional things in my career, but what we shared this year is of the same level. An extraordinary group. A real human adventure." Despite his CV, he agrees to step aside if necessary, sometimes not to play. But when he came on, he changed the game. "What matters is not playing time, it's moving the group forward. I'm here to help. If I have to be a goalkeeper, I do it. If I don't play, it doesn't matter."

On Sunday, he was decisive. Perhaps for the last time. "I don't want to play one game too many. If I can still help without looking ridiculous, I'll continue. If not, I'll stop. For now, I'm enjoying it."

And it's an entire club that savors with him. Around the field, families, players from other teams in the club, volunteers had gathered to see "their" CDJ. A club that had never experienced the regional level. A club that, this time, went all the way. "We were often first in December, but we collapsed. This season, they held on. It's logical, it's deserved," concludes Crivelli. Next season, in Regional 3, the structure will be the same. Perhaps even younger. "It's our identity, and it will be the same in R3." A generation has taken power. And it hasn't finished making waves.