The match may have been friendly, but Anfield was still full. Sunday July 31, the players of Racing Club de Strasbourg faced and beat a revamped Liverpool side in their mythical lair. A three-goal victory to zero which gives confidence before the resumption of Ligue 1 at La Meinau on Saturday August 6 (at 5 p.m.) against Monaco. But above all an evening that will remain etched in the memories of players and supporters.
A hundred Strasbourg supporters at Anfield
“It’s a lot of emotions” summarizes Stéphane in the stand reserved for Strasbourg supporters, where more than eighty fans gathered. He is one of the few to have attended Racing’s last game at Anfield in 1997 (a 2-0 defeat in the Europa League but a qualification for Racing which won at La Meinau 3-0). “It’s a unique atmosphere. It’s English football”, he summarizes.
– Jules Hauss
After the announcement of the teams with a British accent, the 50,000 Reds supporters sang with one voice the traditional “You’ll never walk alone”. “I had already heard it with Rennes when we played in Scotland. It always does something”testifies Julien Stéphan, the coach of Racing.
“It’s a lesson in humility when you see an audience like that. We have a wonderful audience at La Meinau but there are fewer of us and there all the children have a Liverpool shirt”believes for his part Rémy, who came with two of his friends to see Racing and party in Liverpool.
But after this demonstration of fervor, the Blues and Whites calmed the enthusiasm of the stadium, with three goals in 20 minutes (doubled by Thomasson (4th, 21st) and a goal from Habib Diallo(14th)). So well qwe heard almost more than the Strasbourg supporterswho sang a “Strasbourg we love you” to acclimatize to the local atmosphere.
That is the class
In the Strasbourg public, Marina shortened her vacation in Bordeaux to come and see the Blues and Whites against the Reds. “We traveled eight hours by train, then the plane from Beauvais. It was very long but we didn’t hesitate, we go to all the matches. Playing here is magical”she says.
– Jules Hauss
A feeling shared by captain Dimitri Liénard at the end of the match. “It’s an honour. To be able to play in such a stadium… it shows how much progress Racing has made. Four or five years ago we would never have been able to play here”, he believes before greeting the opponent of the day. “Small players like me, we feel a little overwhelmed by certain stars in the French championship. There I was able to discuss with Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool coach editor’s note) or even James Milner (a former player). When we arrived, we were greeted with applause from the audience. That is the class”.
On the sporting level, Julien Stéphan appreciated the uninhibited attitude of its players despite the prestige of the meeting. Adrien Thomasson was in heaven after his double. “The English league is my favorite. I would have preferred to score two league goals but it’s still a plus to score a double, especially here. I hope to be able to tell my children about it later.”
Even if they put forward the argument of an inexperienced team to explain Racing’s big victory, several English supporters present on the spot were surprised by the match of Stéphan’s men. “I didn’t really know the team apart from a few names. But I was quite impressed, they produced good football,” says Tom, Liverpool supporter for 15 years. “From now on I will pay more attention to their results” he concludes with a smile.