Three days after the heavy defeat in Lyon (6-1), the Girondins welcome Saint-Etienne to the Matmut Atlantique on Wednesday evening (7 p.m.). These two teams, two monuments of French football in danger, are playing for their survival in Ligue 1. A heartbreak for Élie Baup, former coach of the Stéphanois and the Marines et Blancs with whom he was champion of France in 1999.
“It is obvious that we would have preferred to see them fight for a European place”
Respectively 19th and 17th in the Ligue 1 classification, the Girondins de Bordeaux and AS Saint-Etienne are “two great prestigious clubs in the history of French football”, recalls the former coach. “For me, in particular, these are clubs that I carry in my heart and to see this end of the season so difficult for one and for the other, it’s heartbreaking. We would like to see them in the top flight. next year. Even if the situation is complex, it is still possible.”
“The Bordeaux identity has disappeared”
The one who trained the Marines and Whites between 1997 and 2003 believes that the difficulties of the Girondins are not recent. “It’s a succession of very complicated seasons where, very slowly, the Bordeaux identity has disappeared and where we do not find the values that have occupied this club, in terms of play, training”. Elie Baup remembers the “young people who were pointing their noses in the pro team”, for some become “world champions” : Zinédine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry (both trained in Haillan).
“Between the fans and the players, the club was united and there, for a few seasons, there is not enough unity”
“David Guion tries to do his best but…”
The former Girondins coach also returns to the stampede in Lyon. “When you concede six goals like that, in such a context, when you play the maintenance, we can see that the players, psychologically, are in a difficult state”.
“David Guion is trying to do his best, but he hasn’t found the boosted psychological resilience to be consistent either”
“The Bordelais had beaten Metz but they fell back into a very difficult situation, they are again forced to win against this team from Saint-Etienne'”explains Elie Baup.
Maintenance “always” possible
Six days before the end of the championship, Elie Baup wants to believe in the possible maintenance of the Marines and Whites. In case of victory this Wednesday evening, the Girondins would return “one point behind Saint-Etienne. There are many teams in the fight, especially Clermont”, insists the former coach. The descent to Ligue 2 is avoidable “as long as there are still matches to be played”.
“Once again, the whole club has lost its identity”
The ex-coach of the Girondins regrets the disappearance of “this strength of this club to be hyper united, to be all united and to all look in the same direction”.
Between Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux, Elie Baup gives up choosing
The man who led the Saint-Etienne locker room between 2004 and 2006 claims that he cannot choose between his former clubs. “It’s very difficult to talk about choices like that.”says Elie Baup.
_”_I would never have thought that it would be necessary to position oneself to say which one I would like it to continue”
The former coach of the Girondins and the Greens hopes “just that the two teams maintain each other and that they try to take the points necessary for the maintenance until the end.”
Bordeaux-Saint-Etienne, a decisive match to follow live and in immersion from 6 p.m. on France Bleu Gironde