The ambition was necessarily heavy this week at the Stade Français after the disappearance of Christophe Dominici.
Died at 48 after a fall of ten meters in Saint-Cloud (Hauts-de-Seine), the former international winger marked the history of the club, where he played for eleven years (from 1997 to 2008 ), winning five shields from Brennus, then became a full-back coach (2008-2009).
Before the match in Lyon this Sunday (9:10 pm, Canal +), Gonzalo Quesada, the head coach, spoke of this “difficult” period in a press conference.
“In our own way, between us, we paid tribute to him,” confides the man who played for one season with Domi, in 2004-2005.
We also explained to the players during meetings why it was so important for the club, the responsibility that it implies to be professional here because if the Stade Français has become great, known around the world, it is thanks to players like him, who made history.
Four or five personalities have made this club what it is and Christophe is part of it.
Beyond his talent, it was his state of mind, as a competitor, to never let go that was impressive.
If the team could look like
(Editor's note: Sunday, in Lyon)
what he embodied… ”
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Quesada also brushed off the idea of speaking again about this tragic event, the cause of which is still unknown, during his pre-match briefing in the Rhône because "I have a lot of respect for the man, his family. , and I don't want to use his memory as a source of motivation.
"But" he will be present in our heads, in our hearts, he who regularly came to see us ", specifies the Argentine.
"I'm not going to say that we will play for him but internally, deep down, we will have a thought for him but that will bring something more when we play a rugby match, declared, for his part, the winger Kylan Hamdaoui.
It's tragic, a shock, always complicated to learn this kind of news about someone who marked the history of French rugby and the club.
It was a symbol.
"
🖤 “Christophe Dominici, or rather“ Domi ”because that's how everyone liked to call him, left.
»[...]
📃 The homage to Christophe Dominici by Dr Hans-Peter Wild & Thomas Lombard.
- Stade Français Paris (@SFParisRugby) November 25, 2020
A tribute will be paid to Lyon without knowing exactly what, apart from a minute of silence most certainly.
The memory of Christophe Dominici will also be honored on Sunday 6 December at the reception in Toulon, where the former international winger was born and launched his professional career in 1993.