Arago de Sète
Last season
For the third consecutive year, Arago has finished on the podium of the regular season to give the semi-final play-offs. “For us, the 2012 season has been fabulous, Patrick Duflos analysis. What I like is that we have managed to keep the third place during the regular season. It is easier to make a quick glance but to be regular it is much harder. Hey, it was a great season.“
Recruitment
“Our financial possibilities were used wisely,” says Patrick Duflos. But as once is not custom, Arago has renewed its workforce to 50%. To overcome the departures of Rowlandson and Moreau, staff targeted a certain type of player: “Most players are not recognized, except for Jean-Philippe Sol. We choose players with great potential that we hope will explode here to bring the highest level.” If Arago has maintained its base passer-receiver, Sète has changed spiker (Bencz who replaced Moreau) and has three middle blockers (Trèfle, Sol and Bauer) in an attempt to climb a new level.
The objectives
For the season 2012-2013, Sétois have high ambitions in the image of their player Benjamin Toniutti which has set the “final goal“. Legitimately, “He is among the first 3 or 4 technicians. We can not say that we are favorites because there are larger teams than Arago. With the budget we have, we can not allow ourselves to proclaim that we will play for the title. Behind Tours, the battle will be tough. We want to be there, for sure, it was seen last year in the quarterfinals against Rennes.” As for the Champions League, it will be the icing on the cake. Sétois face Cuneo, Rzeszow, and Zalau.
Player to watch – Milan Bencz
Redwitz, Rowlandson, Simovski … Each year, the Arago manages to emerge a player. So which one is for this season? Jean-Philippe Sol, from Poitiers, confirmed the hopes placed in him by the France team. Lukas Bauer out of a solid season in Toulouse and Raphael Mrozek confirmed to Chaumont. We must therefore follow the League AM debut of Milan Bencz. Slovakia’s 25 years old player put his suitcase on the shores of the Mediterranean from Rome (9th regular season in Italy). “We took advantage of the crisis and a foreign market being in big trouble”, says Patrick Duflos. “He is left-handed, so it’s a bit annoying for the opponent, and loves the fast-paced game, which is an advantage in the modern volleyball. This is a bet on the future with a player who was a substitute in Rome.“
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