Joël Ahache

Joël Ahache (born October 25, 1951 in Cransac , Aveyron department ) is a former French football player .

Career

Beginnings as an amateur and with Red Star (until 1975)

Ahache grew up in an area in the south of France that is more dominated by the competitive sport of rugby than football. The 174 centimeter tall defender was 18 years old when he joined the squad of a fourth division club from Bagnères-de-Luchon in 1970 . A year later he went to the US Albi in the third division before he was committed to the first division club Red Star Paris in 1972 . There, however, he only took on the role of a supplementary player and did not get past two season appearances in 1972/73, although these represented his beginnings in professional football . In 1973 he had to accept the relegation of his team and the associated departure of numerous teammates gave him the chance to become a regular player. In the also professional second-highest division in France, he fought with the team for direct resurgence, which was achieved in 1974. So he returned to the first division, the demands of which he had only partially grown against the background of certain technical and tactical weaknesses, which is why he had to give up his regular place to Gérard Madronnet after some time . Red Star Paris rose directly from 1975 and Ahache turned his back on the club at this point.

Second division in Béziers and Toulouse (1975–1982)

Just like Paris, Ahache went into the second division in 1975 when he signed with AS Béziers . At the club, which was not threatened by relegation, he became the head of a defense that did its job largely solidly. In the early years he was supported by Hugues Buffat and Denis Bourdon . During the 1978/79 season he was part of an eleven that played for a long time for promotion, but ultimately missed it. In 1980 he moved to Toulouse FC, who also played second class . He had found an ambitious employer who was playing for promotion to the top league. In 1981 this was just missed, whereupon not only the two-time World Cup finalist Robert Rensenbrink for the attack, but also two defenders, László Bálint and Claude Deplanche , who increasingly displaced Ahache on the bench. In 1982 he was second division champion with the team and made promotion, but left the club at the same time as the national player Christian Lopez was signed as his successor.

Slow departure from professional football (1982–1987)

After he left Toulouse in 1982, it was with FC Perpignan, an amateur club from a lower division, that brought him into his team. The 30-year-old at the time of his arrival in Perpignan was the only former professional to join the club. In 1984, AS Béziers, a former employer, enabled him to return to paid sport. For two years he continued to be called up regularly, even if he increasingly suffered from the consequences of his relatively old age. Ahache was 34 years old when he ended his career in 1986 after 22 first division games without a goal and 262 second division games with three goals. During the 1986/87 season he let his career end with the amateur club Devèze Béziers . He then did not take on another role in football.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Joël Ahache , afterfoot.fr
2. ↑ Football: Joël Ahache , footballdatabase.eu