Laurent Castro and co taste success in Canet en Roussillon.
La Grande Motte Pyramide were crowned French champions this month – holding off 11 other sides to claim the title and book a place at the Euro Winners Cup in 2017 as a result.
La Grande Motte – who featured at the Euro Winners Cup in Catania this year – ensured their place in the history books after edging St Medard en Jalles 4-3 in a keenly contested final.
Laurent Castro’s side began the five-day competition with a 4-1 win over group rivals AS Etaples before seeing off Beach Soccer Gwada and AS Etaples a day later to top the pool.
Having ensured their place in the last eight, Grande Motte moved past LBS Dunkerque 4-3, with a 7-5 success against Montpellier Heralt Beach Soccer to follow as they moved into the national showpiece on the sands in Canet en Roussillon.
Their opponents in the final, St Medard, had beaten CSO Amneville and Marseille Beach Soccer previously in the competition but Castro’s men did enough to edge a seven-goal thriller in the final, adding national success to their regional and inter-regional titles from this season.
It also ensures the French champions will head to the Euro Winners Cup in 2017.
Summing up, Castro said: “This fabulous season could not come to a close without a sentimental analysis on my part.
“After this final victory and, with it, the championship of France, I wanted to thank all those people who convinced me this winter to come back and who gave me a taste for this wonderful sport of beach soccer.
“Also, thanks for the support of my wonderful volunteers and leaders: Jean Marie Christophe, Stephan Montoya Chaussy, Thierry Barbotti and Raphael Jeremy. I take my hat off to the gentlemen who have supported me, without you the task would have been much more complicated!”
