Gazelec Ajaccio finished 16th in Ligue 2 last season and, while their tally of 41 points was enough to see them relatively comfortably clear of the relegation zone, the Corsican side have no intention of cutting things so fine this time around.
An aging squad caused them problems last season, with many of their most experienced players spending long periods on the sidelines, particularly in the second half of the campaign. It is little wonder, then, that head coach Albert Cartier has sought to refresh things a little ahead of the new season, allowing the likes of Jeremie Brechet to retire along with Francois Clerc. Furthermore, goalkeeper Steeve Elana has departed after a mediocre campaign and giant Serbia international striker Dusan Veselinovic has gone, too.
All of these moves should be seen as positive developments for the team. In return, they have signed proven players who should be able to perform to a good standard at this level. David Oberhauser is a former No.1 at Metz, while Julien Palmieri and Jeremy Blayac both performed to a decent standard in Ligue 1 last term. Blayac will have a particular responsibility to find the net as that was a massive weakness throughout last season. More is expected of Ibrahima Toure, too. In midfield, Jimmy Roye and Jean-Baptiste Pierrazi are experienced arrivals who should help fortify the heart of the team and, while numbers are short in defence, so long as Damien Perquis and Ousseynou Ba stay fit, it should give Gazelec a decent foundation from which to build.
Again, they have opted for a side packed with experience – all of the first-team signings they made are players 26 or older – so the risk of injury issues is again one they are clearly willing to deal with. It didn’t pay off last season and they are hoping for better luck this time around.
