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Blick: You took over Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy in 2019. Could you have imagined in your wildest dreams to be top class in such a short time?
Vartan Sirmakes: No of course not. We were in the Promotion League at the time and just wanted to make a good figure in the Challenge League after promotion.
And yet it happened.
You have to be honest: that was also possible due to the increase. And now we almost only have derbies in the Super League (laughs out loud).
What was your ambition as the owner of competitor Stade Nyonnais to save SLO from bankruptcy?
I have a great passion for football. And when you see how many amateur children play the sport with coaches who work almost on a voluntary basis and how important clubs are for social life, you should help if you can afford it.
What are your ambitions in your first season as a Super League club?
You won’t believe it, but my primary ambition is to increase the number of juniors to 1000 thanks to promotion. We were at 850 and I think we can break that barrier now. As far as the first team is concerned, we want to place ourselves somewhere in mid to lower midfield, obviously to avoid relegation.
Teddy Okou was your most important player last season. Now he has gone to Lucerne. There were many other offers for him from half of Europe. Didn’t you sell it too cheaply?
It was the will of the player. He made his breakthrough in Switzerland after his last destination, Boulogne in France, was a nightmare. Teddy could have earned much more in Belgium or Greece. But he is an intelligent person and has chosen Lucerne as his next destination because everything seems to fit. The quality of life is high, Lucerne plays European. And it’s a wise choice so he doesn’t have to adjust to a new country.
Didn’t you want to intervene and say to him: you go there now or there?
We discussed it. But applying pressure is useless. If a player says he feels more comfortable with a certain club, you have to understand him.
It is said that SLO’s budget will be increased from CHF 2.5 million to five. Can you confirm?
It will be about 4.8 million francs, yes. It can also go above five or six. Can’t say for sure right now. But we get a lot more money from the league and participate in a possible transfer of Zeki Amdouni.
But then you’re way behind on the money list, along with Yverdon.
That’s correct. But with this budget we can manage well. We don’t have a big machine, we don’t have a huge staff. The president earns nothing. (laughs) In other clubs, the chairman has a salary. The vice president too. Various directors. We all don’t have that. But we can offer players a perfect stage for a breakthrough without fat salaries. They do two seasons here – and after that the future is theirs if they play well.
And in an emergency, the president has enough money to top up one or two million.
Clearly. I’m here to take my responsibility. And if the budget urgently needs to be adjusted, I will.
Since the acquisition, SLO has grown into a strong talent factory: Chader, Labeau, Okou, Joël Monteiro – and culminating in Amdouni. Who’s next?
Amdouni is of course above all. I am counting on striker Carles Abi, who came over from Saint-Etienne in February but was only able to play one game because he was injured afterwards. And central defender Sahmkou Camara, who we have now signed.
How many spectators will get lost on the Pontaise?
If we can tickle the big ones, we tickle the humans too. And they come. We will have a lot of fans in three matches: in the derbies against Lausanne, Yverdon and Servette. For the others, it’s the spectacle we offer. If all goes well, I hope there will be a lot of fans at the games against the big German-speaking Swiss clubs.
Are we talking about 2000 viewers? Last season you had an average of 1200 as a top team.
So at the derbies we are talking about more than 5000 spectators. We also hope for a lot of fans against YB and Basel. Against teams like GC it’s 2000 to 2500.
Did the players receive their Franck Muller promotional watch* that you promised them on the promotion day?
No not yet. They are factory. They are custom made.
How long does it take?
They will be ready in mid-September.
You once said you must have visions. And you have that of a World Cup in Switzerland.
Yes. FIFA and UEFA are here. The last World Cup was in 1954. That was ages ago. If you can host a World Cup in the US, then Mexico and Canada, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic should be able to participate. The Czech Republic is now firmly anchored in Europe. The three countries are comparable. So why not apply for 2034 or 2038?
*The cheapest ladies watch costs 6,000 francs, men’s watches start at 9,000 francs.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
