ALM Evreux President Jean-Pascal Ruiz: "We Need a New Arena"

ALM Evreux currently holds a favorable position to maintain its status in the division, leading Caen by one victory and Quimper by two. However, for a club that has been a part of the LNB since its inception in 1987, merely surviving by a narrow margin is insufficient. The club requires substantial growth to aspire to more than just avoiding relegation.

"We operate with the smallest payroll (€510,000) and the smallest budget (around €2 million), making us the underdog of the division. This isn't a new situation. Recruitment is challenging. We field 10 players against teams that play with 11 or 12 and have the flexibility to make mid-season changes, which we simply cannot afford. Last year, a 'development' SAS was created to attract private shareholders, which is a very positive step, but without the continued support from the city, department, and region, we would cease to exist. We need to reach out more to local amateur clubs, businesses, and groups within the department. Last season, we had 60 partners; today, that number is close to 180. There has been genuine progress," he stated during the broadcast.

ALM Evreux currently plays its home games at the Jean-Fourré Omnisports hall, a venue with 3,400 seats that dates back to 1962.

"Even though we all deeply appreciate our hall – it's legendary, a true cauldron of atmosphere – we are obliged to move forward. To truly develop our club, and not just our club since we share the venue with Évreux VB, we urgently need a new hall. The team elected to the city of Évreux (Mayor Guy Lefrand had promised a new hall upon taking office) had and still has this project, so I am convinced we will see it materialize by the end of their term. I believe the mayor was in a similar position to mine when I took over ALM. We start with certainties, imagining what we can and must do, only to discover that not everything is so straightforward. The path is fraught with obstacles, and it takes several years of dedicated work to achieve success."