On October 1, 1986, the Toulouse, led by Jacques Santini, the future coach of the Blues, managed the feat of leaving, in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup, the Naples of Diego Maradona, just crowned with his title world champion with Argentina.
Beaten 1-0 at San Paolo, Toulouse won by the same score at the Stadium and went on penalties.
That day, it was a daring tactical choice by Santini who got the better of the Argentine idol.
Thirty-four years later, do you
remember that match?
JACQUES SANTINI.
Completely.
This is what I immediately thought of when I learned of his death.
It was a match that marked me.
Opposite, it was the great Naples who would become Italian champion a few months later.
How did you do it?
I had prepared an anti-Maradona plan that worked.
A few days earlier, I had attended a Neapolitan match in the Italian Cup and, there, I knew what I was going to do.
That is to say ?
At the marking, everyone believed that it was the late Patrice Lestage who was going to take care of Maradona.
And I decided that it would be my left back, Benoît Tihy.
He was the same build and height as Maradona.
So at the center of gravity, he could respond.
And I shifted Jean-Philippe Durand to the left side.
Benoît had a great game but the others had to be up to speed and they were great.
From my captain, Philippe Bergeroo, to Beto Marcico.
Just before the shots on goal, I also brought in Jean-Jacques Marx, very comfortable in this exercise.
Do you remember the penalties?
Perfectly.
There are 4-3 for us and Maradona is about to shoot.
I was so sure he was going to score that I was looking for my sixth shooter.
I turn around and see Bergeroo stop his strike.
It remains one of the great memories of my career.