Castres or Toulouse, who owns the Stade de France? This is the question we are asking you all this week on France Bleu Occitanie before the semi-final of Top 14 between the two clubs, Friday, in Nice. For the former chef of the Elysée Guillaume Gomez, ultra-fan of Stade Toulousain, the answer is all found.
Does this Castres Olympique, which finished for the first time in its history a leader in the regular season, scare you?
No. Afterwards, you have to have the humility to recognize that even if Toulouse is a very great team – and I salute them and kiss them – Castres also had time to prepare well for this match, unlike Toulouse who played a lot these days – this. I think they arrive, not favorites for this meeting, but they arrive well prepared. We will have to play a good match to win and to go to the Stade de France. But I have full confidence in the men, in the staff.
Is there no stress in the heart of the Toulouse supporter that you are?
No, because we believe in this team. There are such great talents in this team that we know they know how to handle pressure. So it’s not won in advance, far from it. But, I have confidence and I hope that Castres will play a good game because we know that Toulouse, in this case, will play a very, very good game.
You speak precisely of the great talents: the Stade Toulousain still stung Antoine Dupont at Castres Olympique?
No, it’s not cheating: when you’re an ambassador for the black pork of Bigorre, it’s normal to come and play in Toulouse! Today he is one of our best players, if not the best player in the world. And the Parisian that I am is very happy that he joined Stade Toulousain.
You have no ties in the region. How did you become such a fan of Stade Toulousain?
My stomach has a nice attachment to Toulouse, but I was born in Paris and I live in Paris. Besides, I get enough thoughts from friends who support Parisian teams! But it is a story of encounters. For many years there has been a friendship that has been created with the guys at the stadium. And then, when you arrive in Toulouse, it vibrates rugby, it vibrates for the Stade Toulousain, which is not necessarily the case in Paris.
There is also a friendship with the Toulousain Michel Sarran?
Yes of course. With Michel, but also with others. With Romain Fornell, for example, but not only: there is also Didier Lacroix whom I met long before he took charge of Stade Toulousain
You have succeeded in converting people into Parisian kitchens. Have you lobbied for Stade Toulousain?
No, it doesn’t work very well. But I have another concern, which is that I’m captain of the “Pain au chocolat team”: it’s a bit like schizophrenia to say pain au chocolat and to be a fan of the Stade Toulousain!
You see a stadium victory tomorrow against Castres Olympique. Against whom would you like to be in the final, on June 24 at the Stade de France.
Everything is fine with me: I think and I hope that Toulouse will go all the way.
Castres – Stade Toulousain, accession match to the final of the Top 14 to follow Friday from 8:35 p.m. on France Bleu Occitanie.