Whenever Cédric Énard had something to celebrate, they were there: his three daughters. They would surround him when the BR Volleys clinched an important win. And they were the first to be hugged by the coach when his team won the championship.
The Frenchman is a real family man, as he proved again and again. For example, when he told how he wanted to teach his youngest daughter how to play the harmonica or when he was already looking forward to the time together just before Christmas. However, he spent little time with his family this season as his wife and daughters moved back to France.
“I feel like time is running out and I want to spend as much of it with them as possible,” says Énard. That’s why he has now made a serious decision: after five years, he’s leaving Berlin and taking a break for the time being. Tiredness is even heavier than longing. For 15 years Énard worked as a coach for various clubs and national teams, before that he played volleyball himself and even became French champion in 1999.
After all these years, the passion and energy is gradually fading. “If I can’t do that anymore, it’s only respectful to let the club know at an early stage.” Respect was always a priority for Enard.
Inga Hofmann regularly reports on the volleys and is curious to see whether Énard will say goodbye to Berlin with the championship.
The Frenchman appeared in a dark blue suit for every game, no matter how unimportant, regardless of whether the opponent was wearing sweatpants. While other coaches pushed their players during the time-outs and sometimes got louder, Énard stayed calm, impressed the players on the next moves and convinced with his analytical style.
He brought calm and at the same time the club brought emotion to Énard. Three times German champion and two cup winners – even the reserved coach increasingly came out of himself. He cheered on the team, made little jumps in the air and happily hugged the players’ necks.
He proved his in-depth knowledge of the transfer market in particular this season: although his key players left at short notice, he managed to put together a broad squad and even impressed against the world’s best team, Perugia. He will remain with the association in an advisory capacity.
“This is very helpful with a view to sporting questions and for assessing players and market knowledge,” says manager Kaweh Niroomand. The news may not be easy for the players to digest so close to the playoffs.
But maybe it is also a small incentive, according to the motto: Get the championship title together again, slide jubilantly across the floor of the changing room and have beer poured out of the gigantic mug by Énard again. His daughters should then be there again to say goodbye together.
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
