It is therefore a new rhythm of life that awaits Benoît Ladrière in the months to come. “It’s never an easy decision to make because football has become a habit. I've been in this business since I was four years old, I've always been used to training and playing matches. But it’s a carefully considered decision that will allow me to do something else with my weekends.”
And therefore to devote himself to his projects. “I will continue to develop our Football2Be academy with Fred Farin, an academy which is growing little by little. Together, we also launched Koko Events, an event product rental company that we would like to boost. With the football chapter closed, I will be able to devote all my energy to these projects.”
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But there’s no question of becoming a coach. For the moment anyway. “I will still be on the pitch quite a bit with the academy but taking charge of a team is not in my current plans. I want to take this break. Afterwards, if I see that I miss football too much, I will not hesitate to come back to the industry.”
A busy career
La Louvière, La Gantoise, Tubize, Waasland-Beveren, Série B, le Patro, Pepingen, Châtelet, RAAL, Aalst and then Braine, Benoît Ladrière had a rich career. “A career with its ups and downs but from which I only wish to keep the positive, even if the more difficult periods have forged my character and allowed me to grow. I met many beautiful people, some became friends. Football has always been a passion, I wanted it to stay that way and that's why I didn't want to do the year too long, even if I'm still physically well.”
Football has always been a passion, I wanted it to stay that way.
A career that allowed him to taste professional football. “I had the chance to know professional football for a few years and to have the experience of a season in Serie B. I faced good teams, was part of good cores, had the chance to meet coaches like Michel Preud'homme in Ghent or Felice Mazzù in Tubize. It is a source of great pride and it is with no regrets that I close this beautiful chapter.”
However, he still has two matches to play with Braine. “I plan to make the most of it. And who knows, maybe we will extend the adventure by going for the final round. It would be nice to end on that even if I am already happy to be able to complete my career with a full season.”
