Q&A

European ambition: Amadou Onana

After a stellar win in their Champions League opener, Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana is raring to face the challenges still to come – next up, the mighty Bayern München

INTERVIEW Jérôme Vitoux
CJ Extra

Having spent 14 years at Brest, skipper Brendan Chardonnet takes great pride in being so firmly rooted at the club and in his local community. Now leading the club of his life into their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign, Chardonnet sits down for a chat by the Pors Liogan beach in his hometown of Le Conquet to talk about the upcoming challenge. And Chardonnet believes the team – driven by the strong connection to its Breton roots – is more than up to the task.  

Can you set the scene and describe your connection to this place?

Shorts and t-shirt because it’s a nice day today! I’m not necessarily used to going out like this, but it feels good. I hope we’re in for an Indian summer. So, this is the Plage de Pors Liogan in Le Conquet, just above where I live. I come here every day with my dog. He enjoys it because, as you can see, there are other dogs here too. I come here every morning before training or at lunchtime after training. I go to numerous other beaches too because there are many around here. But my dog gets to come to the beach every day. 

The word Finistère literally means the ‘end of the earth’. We are really in a breathtaking setting here. What does this place mean to you?

That’s what I tell everyone. Le Conquet is the last bit of land. And in that direction is New York. You can’t do better than that. We’re at land’s end here and we’re happy to be here. Especially when the weather’s like this. It feels like being on holiday, even though it’s just our ordinary, daily life. Being here is all about being proud of your roots. Bretons are very proud of their roots, and Finistère Bretons – even more so. People from Finistère have a lot of character too. 

What is it like interacting with the people of Le Conquet?

They know me very well because I’ve lived here for six or seven years now. So, they see me practically every day. Nobody is particularly starstruck by me at all! It’s a very friendly atmosphere and everyone always says hello. There are only 2,500 inhabitants here, so almost everyone knows each other.

You’ve been at Stade Brestois for 14 years now. Did you ever think you’d play in the Champions League when you first signed for them?

No, not at all, but when I joined the club’s Under-17s, I didn’t even think I’d go on to play professionally, let alone in the Champions League. After moving up to the Under-19s and then the CFA 2 tier [Championnat de France de football de National 3; the fifth tier of French football], I was brought into the professional squad and that’s when I understood that I could do something. But before that, I didn’t see it that way.

How did it feel when you realised you’d qualified for the Champions League for the first time?

After our final game of the season against Toulouse, we waited at least five minutes because there was a moment of short-lived happiness at some point. Everyone started shouting, we ran towards the fans, but we were eventually told that the other game wasn’t over. So, we had to stop celebrating with the fans to watch the Lille game. Then, we heard all the fans shout, and that’s when we understood that we qualified.

What is the team’s mentality heading into the competition?

We were the team with the lowest UEFA ranking, and the smallest, too. We knew we’d come up against better-ranked teams. The fact that we’re the underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive. Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again. We’re ready for anything. We’re competitive, so we’ll obviously aim at winning as many games as possible, regardless of the opponents.

What was the reaction to the draw? Especially when you saw Brest would face giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

We were watching the draw right here at the training centre. I offered all the players to come to the lounge and watch it together, as it would be something memorable. We were impatient as we’d been waiting for it for three months. When the two big names were drawn, I felt very happy. As I’ve said, I was often asked if I had a preference for the draw, and I would answer that I didn’t because choosing between Real Madrid and Manchester City, between Barcelona or Arsenal is complicated. We were very happy with Barça and Real. We will host Real, so for our fans, friends and families here, it’s going to be amazing, and for us, too. As for travelling to Barcelona, even though we won’t play at the Camp Nou, it’s always epic. It could have been worse.

As captain, what does it mean to lead the team and play in the Champions League?

It’s a beautiful thing to captain your beloved club, where you’ve come up through the ranks, especially with the season we had last year. I’m very proud. I already feel goosebumps just talking about it! I will definitely realise that I’m playing in the Champions League when I hear the anthem upon walking out onto the pitch. That anthem symbolises this competition best. That will be the exact moment I realise I’m playing in a Champions League game.

Having spent 14 years at Brest, skipper Brendan Chardonnet takes great pride in being so firmly rooted at the club and in his local community. Now leading the club of his life into their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign, Chardonnet sits down for a chat by the Pors Liogan beach in his hometown of Le Conquet to talk about the upcoming challenge. And Chardonnet believes the team – driven by the strong connection to its Breton roots – is more than up to the task.  

Can you set the scene and describe your connection to this place?

Shorts and t-shirt because it’s a nice day today! I’m not necessarily used to going out like this, but it feels good. I hope we’re in for an Indian summer. So, this is the Plage de Pors Liogan in Le Conquet, just above where I live. I come here every day with my dog. He enjoys it because, as you can see, there are other dogs here too. I come here every morning before training or at lunchtime after training. I go to numerous other beaches too because there are many around here. But my dog gets to come to the beach every day. 

The word Finistère literally means the ‘end of the earth’. We are really in a breathtaking setting here. What does this place mean to you?

That’s what I tell everyone. Le Conquet is the last bit of land. And in that direction is New York. You can’t do better than that. We’re at land’s end here and we’re happy to be here. Especially when the weather’s like this. It feels like being on holiday, even though it’s just our ordinary, daily life. Being here is all about being proud of your roots. Bretons are very proud of their roots, and Finistère Bretons – even more so. People from Finistère have a lot of character too. 

What is it like interacting with the people of Le Conquet?

They know me very well because I’ve lived here for six or seven years now. So, they see me practically every day. Nobody is particularly starstruck by me at all! It’s a very friendly atmosphere and everyone always says hello. There are only 2,500 inhabitants here, so almost everyone knows each other.

You’ve been at Stade Brestois for 14 years now. Did you ever think you’d play in the Champions League when you first signed for them?

No, not at all, but when I joined the club’s Under-17s, I didn’t even think I’d go on to play professionally, let alone in the Champions League. After moving up to the Under-19s and then the CFA 2 tier [Championnat de France de football de National 3; the fifth tier of French football], I was brought into the professional squad and that’s when I understood that I could do something. But before that, I didn’t see it that way.

How did it feel when you realised you’d qualified for the Champions League for the first time?

After our final game of the season against Toulouse, we waited at least five minutes because there was a moment of short-lived happiness at some point. Everyone started shouting, we ran towards the fans, but we were eventually told that the other game wasn’t over. So, we had to stop celebrating with the fans to watch the Lille game. Then, we heard all the fans shout, and that’s when we understood that we qualified.

What is the team’s mentality heading into the competition?

We were the team with the lowest UEFA ranking, and the smallest, too. We knew we’d come up against better-ranked teams. The fact that we’re the underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive. Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again. We’re ready for anything. We’re competitive, so we’ll obviously aim at winning as many games as possible, regardless of the opponents.

What was the reaction to the draw? Especially when you saw Brest would face giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

We were watching the draw right here at the training centre. I offered all the players to come to the lounge and watch it together, as it would be something memorable. We were impatient as we’d been waiting for it for three months. When the two big names were drawn, I felt very happy. As I’ve said, I was often asked if I had a preference for the draw, and I would answer that I didn’t because choosing between Real Madrid and Manchester City, between Barcelona or Arsenal is complicated. We were very happy with Barça and Real. We will host Real, so for our fans, friends and families here, it’s going to be amazing, and for us, too. As for travelling to Barcelona, even though we won’t play at the Camp Nou, it’s always epic. It could have been worse.

As captain, what does it mean to lead the team and play in the Champions League?

It’s a beautiful thing to captain your beloved club, where you’ve come up through the ranks, especially with the season we had last year. I’m very proud. I already feel goosebumps just talking about it! I will definitely realise that I’m playing in the Champions League when I hear the anthem upon walking out onto the pitch. That anthem symbolises this competition best. That will be the exact moment I realise I’m playing in a Champions League game.

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

Having spent 14 years at Brest, skipper Brendan Chardonnet takes great pride in being so firmly rooted at the club and in his local community. Now leading the club of his life into their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign, Chardonnet sits down for a chat by the Pors Liogan beach in his hometown of Le Conquet to talk about the upcoming challenge. And Chardonnet believes the team – driven by the strong connection to its Breton roots – is more than up to the task.  

Can you set the scene and describe your connection to this place?

Shorts and t-shirt because it’s a nice day today! I’m not necessarily used to going out like this, but it feels good. I hope we’re in for an Indian summer. So, this is the Plage de Pors Liogan in Le Conquet, just above where I live. I come here every day with my dog. He enjoys it because, as you can see, there are other dogs here too. I come here every morning before training or at lunchtime after training. I go to numerous other beaches too because there are many around here. But my dog gets to come to the beach every day. 

The word Finistère literally means the ‘end of the earth’. We are really in a breathtaking setting here. What does this place mean to you?

That’s what I tell everyone. Le Conquet is the last bit of land. And in that direction is New York. You can’t do better than that. We’re at land’s end here and we’re happy to be here. Especially when the weather’s like this. It feels like being on holiday, even though it’s just our ordinary, daily life. Being here is all about being proud of your roots. Bretons are very proud of their roots, and Finistère Bretons – even more so. People from Finistère have a lot of character too. 

What is it like interacting with the people of Le Conquet?

They know me very well because I’ve lived here for six or seven years now. So, they see me practically every day. Nobody is particularly starstruck by me at all! It’s a very friendly atmosphere and everyone always says hello. There are only 2,500 inhabitants here, so almost everyone knows each other.

You’ve been at Stade Brestois for 14 years now. Did you ever think you’d play in the Champions League when you first signed for them?

No, not at all, but when I joined the club’s Under-17s, I didn’t even think I’d go on to play professionally, let alone in the Champions League. After moving up to the Under-19s and then the CFA 2 tier [Championnat de France de football de National 3; the fifth tier of French football], I was brought into the professional squad and that’s when I understood that I could do something. But before that, I didn’t see it that way.

How did it feel when you realised you’d qualified for the Champions League for the first time?

After our final game of the season against Toulouse, we waited at least five minutes because there was a moment of short-lived happiness at some point. Everyone started shouting, we ran towards the fans, but we were eventually told that the other game wasn’t over. So, we had to stop celebrating with the fans to watch the Lille game. Then, we heard all the fans shout, and that’s when we understood that we qualified.

What is the team’s mentality heading into the competition?

We were the team with the lowest UEFA ranking, and the smallest, too. We knew we’d come up against better-ranked teams. The fact that we’re the underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive. Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again. We’re ready for anything. We’re competitive, so we’ll obviously aim at winning as many games as possible, regardless of the opponents.

What was the reaction to the draw? Especially when you saw Brest would face giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

We were watching the draw right here at the training centre. I offered all the players to come to the lounge and watch it together, as it would be something memorable. We were impatient as we’d been waiting for it for three months. When the two big names were drawn, I felt very happy. As I’ve said, I was often asked if I had a preference for the draw, and I would answer that I didn’t because choosing between Real Madrid and Manchester City, between Barcelona or Arsenal is complicated. We were very happy with Barça and Real. We will host Real, so for our fans, friends and families here, it’s going to be amazing, and for us, too. As for travelling to Barcelona, even though we won’t play at the Camp Nou, it’s always epic. It could have been worse.

As captain, what does it mean to lead the team and play in the Champions League?

It’s a beautiful thing to captain your beloved club, where you’ve come up through the ranks, especially with the season we had last year. I’m very proud. I already feel goosebumps just talking about it! I will definitely realise that I’m playing in the Champions League when I hear the anthem upon walking out onto the pitch. That anthem symbolises this competition best. That will be the exact moment I realise I’m playing in a Champions League game.

Q&A

European ambition: Amadou Onana

After a stellar win in their Champions League opener, Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana is raring to face the challenges still to come – next up, the mighty Bayern München

INTERVIEW Jérôme Vitoux

Text Link

Having spent 14 years at Brest, skipper Brendan Chardonnet takes great pride in being so firmly rooted at the club and in his local community. Now leading the club of his life into their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign, Chardonnet sits down for a chat by the Pors Liogan beach in his hometown of Le Conquet to talk about the upcoming challenge. And Chardonnet believes the team – driven by the strong connection to its Breton roots – is more than up to the task.  

Can you set the scene and describe your connection to this place?

Shorts and t-shirt because it’s a nice day today! I’m not necessarily used to going out like this, but it feels good. I hope we’re in for an Indian summer. So, this is the Plage de Pors Liogan in Le Conquet, just above where I live. I come here every day with my dog. He enjoys it because, as you can see, there are other dogs here too. I come here every morning before training or at lunchtime after training. I go to numerous other beaches too because there are many around here. But my dog gets to come to the beach every day. 

The word Finistère literally means the ‘end of the earth’. We are really in a breathtaking setting here. What does this place mean to you?

That’s what I tell everyone. Le Conquet is the last bit of land. And in that direction is New York. You can’t do better than that. We’re at land’s end here and we’re happy to be here. Especially when the weather’s like this. It feels like being on holiday, even though it’s just our ordinary, daily life. Being here is all about being proud of your roots. Bretons are very proud of their roots, and Finistère Bretons – even more so. People from Finistère have a lot of character too. 

What is it like interacting with the people of Le Conquet?

They know me very well because I’ve lived here for six or seven years now. So, they see me practically every day. Nobody is particularly starstruck by me at all! It’s a very friendly atmosphere and everyone always says hello. There are only 2,500 inhabitants here, so almost everyone knows each other.

You’ve been at Stade Brestois for 14 years now. Did you ever think you’d play in the Champions League when you first signed for them?

No, not at all, but when I joined the club’s Under-17s, I didn’t even think I’d go on to play professionally, let alone in the Champions League. After moving up to the Under-19s and then the CFA 2 tier [Championnat de France de football de National 3; the fifth tier of French football], I was brought into the professional squad and that’s when I understood that I could do something. But before that, I didn’t see it that way.

How did it feel when you realised you’d qualified for the Champions League for the first time?

After our final game of the season against Toulouse, we waited at least five minutes because there was a moment of short-lived happiness at some point. Everyone started shouting, we ran towards the fans, but we were eventually told that the other game wasn’t over. So, we had to stop celebrating with the fans to watch the Lille game. Then, we heard all the fans shout, and that’s when we understood that we qualified.

What is the team’s mentality heading into the competition?

We were the team with the lowest UEFA ranking, and the smallest, too. We knew we’d come up against better-ranked teams. The fact that we’re the underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive. Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again. We’re ready for anything. We’re competitive, so we’ll obviously aim at winning as many games as possible, regardless of the opponents.

What was the reaction to the draw? Especially when you saw Brest would face giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

We were watching the draw right here at the training centre. I offered all the players to come to the lounge and watch it together, as it would be something memorable. We were impatient as we’d been waiting for it for three months. When the two big names were drawn, I felt very happy. As I’ve said, I was often asked if I had a preference for the draw, and I would answer that I didn’t because choosing between Real Madrid and Manchester City, between Barcelona or Arsenal is complicated. We were very happy with Barça and Real. We will host Real, so for our fans, friends and families here, it’s going to be amazing, and for us, too. As for travelling to Barcelona, even though we won’t play at the Camp Nou, it’s always epic. It could have been worse.

As captain, what does it mean to lead the team and play in the Champions League?

It’s a beautiful thing to captain your beloved club, where you’ve come up through the ranks, especially with the season we had last year. I’m very proud. I already feel goosebumps just talking about it! I will definitely realise that I’m playing in the Champions League when I hear the anthem upon walking out onto the pitch. That anthem symbolises this competition best. That will be the exact moment I realise I’m playing in a Champions League game.

Having spent 14 years at Brest, skipper Brendan Chardonnet takes great pride in being so firmly rooted at the club and in his local community. Now leading the club of his life into their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign, Chardonnet sits down for a chat by the Pors Liogan beach in his hometown of Le Conquet to talk about the upcoming challenge. And Chardonnet believes the team – driven by the strong connection to its Breton roots – is more than up to the task.  

Can you set the scene and describe your connection to this place?

Shorts and t-shirt because it’s a nice day today! I’m not necessarily used to going out like this, but it feels good. I hope we’re in for an Indian summer. So, this is the Plage de Pors Liogan in Le Conquet, just above where I live. I come here every day with my dog. He enjoys it because, as you can see, there are other dogs here too. I come here every morning before training or at lunchtime after training. I go to numerous other beaches too because there are many around here. But my dog gets to come to the beach every day. 

The word Finistère literally means the ‘end of the earth’. We are really in a breathtaking setting here. What does this place mean to you?

That’s what I tell everyone. Le Conquet is the last bit of land. And in that direction is New York. You can’t do better than that. We’re at land’s end here and we’re happy to be here. Especially when the weather’s like this. It feels like being on holiday, even though it’s just our ordinary, daily life. Being here is all about being proud of your roots. Bretons are very proud of their roots, and Finistère Bretons – even more so. People from Finistère have a lot of character too. 

What is it like interacting with the people of Le Conquet?

They know me very well because I’ve lived here for six or seven years now. So, they see me practically every day. Nobody is particularly starstruck by me at all! It’s a very friendly atmosphere and everyone always says hello. There are only 2,500 inhabitants here, so almost everyone knows each other.

You’ve been at Stade Brestois for 14 years now. Did you ever think you’d play in the Champions League when you first signed for them?

No, not at all, but when I joined the club’s Under-17s, I didn’t even think I’d go on to play professionally, let alone in the Champions League. After moving up to the Under-19s and then the CFA 2 tier [Championnat de France de football de National 3; the fifth tier of French football], I was brought into the professional squad and that’s when I understood that I could do something. But before that, I didn’t see it that way.

How did it feel when you realised you’d qualified for the Champions League for the first time?

After our final game of the season against Toulouse, we waited at least five minutes because there was a moment of short-lived happiness at some point. Everyone started shouting, we ran towards the fans, but we were eventually told that the other game wasn’t over. So, we had to stop celebrating with the fans to watch the Lille game. Then, we heard all the fans shout, and that’s when we understood that we qualified.

What is the team’s mentality heading into the competition?

We were the team with the lowest UEFA ranking, and the smallest, too. We knew we’d come up against better-ranked teams. The fact that we’re the underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive. Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again. We’re ready for anything. We’re competitive, so we’ll obviously aim at winning as many games as possible, regardless of the opponents.

What was the reaction to the draw? Especially when you saw Brest would face giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

We were watching the draw right here at the training centre. I offered all the players to come to the lounge and watch it together, as it would be something memorable. We were impatient as we’d been waiting for it for three months. When the two big names were drawn, I felt very happy. As I’ve said, I was often asked if I had a preference for the draw, and I would answer that I didn’t because choosing between Real Madrid and Manchester City, between Barcelona or Arsenal is complicated. We were very happy with Barça and Real. We will host Real, so for our fans, friends and families here, it’s going to be amazing, and for us, too. As for travelling to Barcelona, even though we won’t play at the Camp Nou, it’s always epic. It could have been worse.

As captain, what does it mean to lead the team and play in the Champions League?

It’s a beautiful thing to captain your beloved club, where you’ve come up through the ranks, especially with the season we had last year. I’m very proud. I already feel goosebumps just talking about it! I will definitely realise that I’m playing in the Champions League when I hear the anthem upon walking out onto the pitch. That anthem symbolises this competition best. That will be the exact moment I realise I’m playing in a Champions League game.

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

Having spent 14 years at Brest, skipper Brendan Chardonnet takes great pride in being so firmly rooted at the club and in his local community. Now leading the club of his life into their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign, Chardonnet sits down for a chat by the Pors Liogan beach in his hometown of Le Conquet to talk about the upcoming challenge. And Chardonnet believes the team – driven by the strong connection to its Breton roots – is more than up to the task.  

Can you set the scene and describe your connection to this place?

Shorts and t-shirt because it’s a nice day today! I’m not necessarily used to going out like this, but it feels good. I hope we’re in for an Indian summer. So, this is the Plage de Pors Liogan in Le Conquet, just above where I live. I come here every day with my dog. He enjoys it because, as you can see, there are other dogs here too. I come here every morning before training or at lunchtime after training. I go to numerous other beaches too because there are many around here. But my dog gets to come to the beach every day. 

The word Finistère literally means the ‘end of the earth’. We are really in a breathtaking setting here. What does this place mean to you?

That’s what I tell everyone. Le Conquet is the last bit of land. And in that direction is New York. You can’t do better than that. We’re at land’s end here and we’re happy to be here. Especially when the weather’s like this. It feels like being on holiday, even though it’s just our ordinary, daily life. Being here is all about being proud of your roots. Bretons are very proud of their roots, and Finistère Bretons – even more so. People from Finistère have a lot of character too. 

What is it like interacting with the people of Le Conquet?

They know me very well because I’ve lived here for six or seven years now. So, they see me practically every day. Nobody is particularly starstruck by me at all! It’s a very friendly atmosphere and everyone always says hello. There are only 2,500 inhabitants here, so almost everyone knows each other.

You’ve been at Stade Brestois for 14 years now. Did you ever think you’d play in the Champions League when you first signed for them?

No, not at all, but when I joined the club’s Under-17s, I didn’t even think I’d go on to play professionally, let alone in the Champions League. After moving up to the Under-19s and then the CFA 2 tier [Championnat de France de football de National 3; the fifth tier of French football], I was brought into the professional squad and that’s when I understood that I could do something. But before that, I didn’t see it that way.

How did it feel when you realised you’d qualified for the Champions League for the first time?

After our final game of the season against Toulouse, we waited at least five minutes because there was a moment of short-lived happiness at some point. Everyone started shouting, we ran towards the fans, but we were eventually told that the other game wasn’t over. So, we had to stop celebrating with the fans to watch the Lille game. Then, we heard all the fans shout, and that’s when we understood that we qualified.

What is the team’s mentality heading into the competition?

We were the team with the lowest UEFA ranking, and the smallest, too. We knew we’d come up against better-ranked teams. The fact that we’re the underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive. Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again. We’re ready for anything. We’re competitive, so we’ll obviously aim at winning as many games as possible, regardless of the opponents.

What was the reaction to the draw? Especially when you saw Brest would face giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

We were watching the draw right here at the training centre. I offered all the players to come to the lounge and watch it together, as it would be something memorable. We were impatient as we’d been waiting for it for three months. When the two big names were drawn, I felt very happy. As I’ve said, I was often asked if I had a preference for the draw, and I would answer that I didn’t because choosing between Real Madrid and Manchester City, between Barcelona or Arsenal is complicated. We were very happy with Barça and Real. We will host Real, so for our fans, friends and families here, it’s going to be amazing, and for us, too. As for travelling to Barcelona, even though we won’t play at the Camp Nou, it’s always epic. It could have been worse.

As captain, what does it mean to lead the team and play in the Champions League?

It’s a beautiful thing to captain your beloved club, where you’ve come up through the ranks, especially with the season we had last year. I’m very proud. I already feel goosebumps just talking about it! I will definitely realise that I’m playing in the Champions League when I hear the anthem upon walking out onto the pitch. That anthem symbolises this competition best. That will be the exact moment I realise I’m playing in a Champions League game.

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