Put on the bench during the first two games of the season, Benoît Cheyrou has refound his place in the starting line-up (and at the same time his smile) by regaining the confidence of Didier Deschamps.
March 18, 2010 against Lisbon ... It was there that Benoit Cheyrou’s season was turned upside. Injured, he left his partners with a quarter of an hour remaining. Picking up a knock to the calf, the midfielder missed out, first of all, on the final of the Coupe de la Ligue. "It was very hard to go through because it is a final and when you don’t play, you don’t have the impression to have won even if you participated in all the previous rounds. It was very frustrating, especially at the Stade de France. I was happy for the group and the club had been waiting a long time for a title". During his convalescence, Didier Deschamps called upon Charles Kaboré to replace him. The Burkinabe worked wonders in the midfield and Benoit Cheyrou has been stuck on the bench for the decisive matches played to obtain title before returning to the starting line-up for the two final games. "For the championship, I participated a lot more, there was no frustration, especially since I played the last two games. I enjoyed the festivities".
Going into his fourth season with Olympique de Marseille, crowned with two titles, the former Auxerre player lost his smile again. A substitute in the Champions Trophy match (third title), he was also during the first match of the league campaign against Caen (without coming on) and then against Valenciennes, where he came on just before the hour of play "When you are on the bench there are questions you ask yourself or if you do not feel a great amount of confidence from the coach. The key is to question yourself. You are master of your own destiny. There were doubts but I have never given up and never lost confidence in myself". Benoit Cheyrou did not give up and continued the daily work at the Robert Louis-Dreyfus complex. "I've always been the same in training or with the group whether things are going well or not. When you are not on the field, there is this frustration that you bring less to the group, but by talking, encouraging, you are still helping out".
By dint of perseverance, the wheel turned in favor of "Ben" who has regained the confidence of his coach. "He spoke to me in his office. I appreciated the dialogue that was absent for some time. This showed me that I was on the right path, I have not cheated, that I did not hurt the club. I have always respected the club and continued to work even if it was difficult".
And for his first start of the season, OM managed their first success (2-0 against Lorient) and their first precious points. "Regaining the confidence of the coach was crucial because what is the most important is to be on the pitch. Once out on the pitch, you hold the cards in your hands, either you are good, or you’re not. Then, you know why you are on the bench. Putting me back in the starting line-up is the biggest mark of confidence. I prefer that rather than long speeches". A week later, it was the same situation against Bordeaux. Cheyrou was in the first eleven but OM would leave the Gironde region with only one point.
After an eventful start to the season for him, Benoît Cheyrou is smiling again but is not jubilant. "Football is fragile and changes quickly. We can pass from the top to the bottom and vice versa. We must be patient. You also need luck. When the team wins the coach is always right. You can move quickly from the pitch to the bench and vice versa. It takes a lot of humility" he says.
