The context was singular, this July 30, 2007 at La Beaujoire. “I remember that before the match, there were rumors that there was going to be a buyer at the clubconfides Nicolas Goussé who honored his first tenure with FC Nantes that evening. We felt that there was a somewhat heavy atmosphere before the meeting. ” Two emblematic clubs of French football face to face. In a stadium where more than 27,000 spectators had gathered, the Canaries successfully completed their baptism of fire in Ligue 2 in the 21st century by sweeping the Stade de Reims, next opponent of the Yellows this Sunday afternoon, 5 to 0. Three days later, Waldemar Kita signed the act of takeover of the club eight times champion of France.
– David Adams
“It was the only match where I served as club president”
“I remember it was a great goal fest for a rematch“, rewinds the ex-captain of the Yellows, Frédéric Da Rocha. Five goals, including a hat-trick from Nicolas Goussé and a double from his friend on the front of the Nantes attack, Mamadou Bagayoko. Ideal for patching things up with the supporters after a terrible season after which Rudi Roussillon resigned from the presidency. “For about two months, I had prepared the club for the Ligue 2 season, not knowing moreover if the club was going to be able to be sold quickly.explains the ephemeral Luc Dayan (see photo below). I remember that day very well. I had just said goodbye to the people of the club, there was a full moon and, in fact, it was the only game where I served as president of the club.”
When you arrive at a club like FC Nantes, with such a heavy history, you have a certain pressure and at the same time I had nothing to lose.
In the spans of Beaujoire, an absence is noticed. That of the favorite to take over the club previously owned by the Dassault family, who remained in Paris where he still remains 15 years after becoming both president and majority shareholder of the Yellow House. Uncertainties that will not destabilize the gang to Loïc Guillon and Aurélien Capoue. “In our head, we were programmed to go upassures the captain at the time. It was our goal and we had a quality group which allowed us to do a very good first part of the season before managing then and finishing second..”
What to give balm to the heart to the few 22,771 spectators on average present at each meeting at La Beaujoire. “Against Reims, there were a lot of peoplerecalls the former number eight. People love FC Nantes above all and they came to support us because this descent had hurt. They were hoping for us to come back the following season so they supported us from start to finish..”
– David Adams
“Triplets? I didn’t put many!”
In the hot seat for several weeks, the former assistant of Georges Eo who has become number one on the bench of FC Nantes, Michel Der Zakarian, is trying a bet. He establishes several recruits including David De Freitas, Rémi Maréval or the newly arrived Nicolas Goussé.
“I came from a bit of nowhere because I was unemployed a month beforebreath the player recruited by Xavier Gravelaine, at the time sports director of the club. I had made good preparation matches but I did not necessarily expect to start from the first match. I don’t think there were many supporters who believed in it either, but Michel had the courage to install me alongside Mamadou Bagayoko. When you arrive at a club like FC Nantes, with such a busy history, you have a certain pressure and at the same time I had nothing to lose and I said to myself: go ahead and take your chance.“The rest, we know it and fifteen years later, he hasn’t forgotten his three goals.”At the same time, triplets I did not put many“, smiles the current assistant of Laurent Guyot at the Football Club of Annecy.
In Nantes, it ended a little in the water when I felt good in Nantes and I even saw myself ending my career there.
Enough to launch the Canaries perfectly in their reassembled mission and, obviously, to finish convincing the Franco-Polish businessman to record the takeover of FC Nantes, the same week. “There was no transitionconfirms Luc Dayan. I just participated in a meeting where he presented himself to the works council just before his signature but I did not exchange with him at all even if he said afterwards that he did not like me not.” Of which act.
We know the rest with a president who started the big maneuvers in the next transfer window, once accession to Ligue 1 was validated. “I was extended for two years at the end of the season because I had finished as the club’s top scorer with Mamadou Bagayoko. [10 buts chacun, ndlr] corn strangely, three months later, they didn’t want me anymoreregrets Nicolas Goussé, originally from Thouars. It ended a little in the water when I felt good in Nantes and I even saw myself ending my career there. It was difficult but there are players who came from outside and the transfers, you know, when you bet on someone, you make him play more than those who arrived to help you at the beginning when you were in trouble.” Precisely, the Yellows were going to plunge back into it a few months later and for four seasons.
– David Adams