Stéphane Eberlin and Caen under enormous pressure in Poitiers for the last game of the year

Stéphane Eberlin has very few jokers left. Away at Poitiers this Saturday, December 27 for the last game of the year, Caen Basket Calvados finds itself with its back against the wall. In great difficulty this December, the Norman club is coming off five defeats in the last six games and has just experienced a real trauma against SCABB. A situation that puts the Alsatian coach under extreme pressure.

A season that turned in December

The summer had been full of hope in Caen. Thanks to a significant budget increase, CBC had given itself the means to aim higher after its promotion to ELITE 2 in 2024, achieved with Stéphane Eberlin at the helm. After a poor start to the season, the Normans had even turned things around in mid-autumn.

But since early December, everything has fallen apart. Defeats keep piling up, scenarios are cruel and confidence is crumbling. The loss conceded Tuesday against Saint-Chamond-Andrézieux, after leading by as many as 22 points (+21 at halftime), marked a breaking point.

A collapse against Saint-Chamond that leaves scars

Tuesday, December 23, Caen seemed to have the game in hand. A nearly perfect first half, exceptional shooting and a comfortable lead against a Saint-Chamond team that is nevertheless a playoff contender. Then everything collapsed.

After the game, Stéphane Eberlin didn’t hide his anger, as reported by Ouest-France: « How can you explode defensively like that? It’s something that’s beyond me. We’re sabotaging ourselves. It’s a question of discipline. You have to be disciplined for 40 minutes. »

The coach specifically pointed to defensive transitions, offensive rebounds allowed and his team’s inability to stick to a game plan for the duration: « We wanted offensive talent, we have it, but at some point, that’s not enough to win games. »

In the Caen ranks, the assessment is shared. Antoine Rojewski acknowledged a team that was unrecognizable after the break: « Our biggest flaw is our aggressiveness. We defend less, we make mistakes and we give the opponent new life. »

A trip to Poitiers with the feel of a decisive match

In this tense context, the trip to Poitiers this Saturday takes on critical importance. According to our information, another poor performance could cost Stéphane Eberlin his position, despite being an emblematic figure of Caen’s revival in recent seasons.

The former Souffelweyersheim coach, architect of CBC’s promotion to ELITE 2 in the 2024 playoffs, knows that the credit accumulated until now has been greatly reduced. A victory would provide relief, stop the bleeding and allow them to get through the holidays with a little less pressure. A defeat, on the other hand, could accelerate a decision already being considered.

Caen is therefore playing for much more than a simple championship game in Poitiers. It’s an entire project, and the immediate future of its coach, that are at stake to conclude a year 2025 that has become burdensome.