From Saint-Etienne or Bordeaux, who will fall this Wednesday, on the occasion of the 33rd day of Ligue 1, and will at the same time make his future in the elite a little more uncertain?
The Greens gave themselves some breathing space by beating Brest (2-1) last Saturday and have a four-point lead over the Girondins who again sank in Lyon (6-1 defeat).
Legends of their respective club, Stéphanois Hervé Revelli (76) and Bordelais Alain Giresse (69) decipher for AFP the ills of these two heavyweights who weigh 16 French championship titles (10 and 6).
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
Saint-Étienne must “
find warriors
”
“
The situation of ASSE is burning, as for Bordeaux and all the clubs which fight not to go down.
It would be catastrophic to go down to L2
”, summarizes Revelli who “
never experienced this situation as a player, because we were fighting to be first!
“
The weight of the club's history is starting to be very difficult
,” continues the former ASSE striker (1966-71 and 1973-78).
“
The epic of the Greens weighs.
When people see me, they always tell me about that time.
But the team before, it is not that of today.
We have to make do with what we have
”.
The soap opera of the unsuccessful sale of the club also has an impact: “
they haven't found the right person to invest.
Roland (Romeyer) assumes, he is there but (Bernard) Caïazzo (who lives in Dubai) is not there and puts spokes in the wheels for the sale.
The club has missed all the turns on this situation
, ”notes Revelli, a close friend of the mayor of Saint-Étienne.
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“
Right now, we can ask ourselves a lot of questions.
But I remain optimistic, I watch all the matches, there are less good than us.
The match in Bordeaux will be the turning point.
But we have a very difficult schedule
, ”he tempers, with Monaco, Rennes and Nice on the program.
"
It's going to be played at one point
", predicts Revelli who urges the players of Pascal Dupraz to "
let go
": "
We must find warriors like in our time in the European Cup.
Couldn't be worse.
Put on the jersey and the shorts, enter the field!
We have to unite, we attack, we defend, and we will see
, ”hopes Revelli.
Bordeaux: "
it's freaking out
"
“
We cannot imagine a Ligue 1 without Bordeaux or Saint-Étienne, believes Giresse.
Afterwards, it is the athlete who dictates his law, we are subject to the reality of the field, of the classification.
I experience it as something abnormal.
Fighting to maintain, I knew him as a player when I started (in 1970), we were closer to the bottom than the top, that was one of the objectives.
But we had never stayed so long in a relegation position
, ”recalls the former midfielder of the Blues.
"
Last year was a high point, I opened my eyes, admits the Bordeaux elf (1970-86).
The club was deteriorating compared to what it was, its functioning, its local and regional sounding board.
I thought he was safe, but with all the directions taken and in particular the takeover by the Americans (GACP and King Street, editor's note) who had nothing to do with the club and football, we got there there
”.
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"
There was a demotion (administrative) in 1991, but a rebound behind and it started again
," recalls Giresse.
“
There, a descent will not only have sporting repercussions, it can have some on the very future of the club.
There is a deep concern, it's freaking out.
The maintenance comes down to four or five teams, so you have to finish at least 2nd in this mini-championship.
It's playable given the proximity of the other teams and their pace of performance no higher than that of the Girondins
, ”he underlines.
With a downside, however, the involvement of many loaned players: “
I fear the idea today here, tomorrow elsewhere.
To play the maintenance, you need a state of mind, a completely different collective commitment
”.
