If he could not get his hands on Hatem Ben Arfa until the day after the 2020 Summer Mercato and the Girondins de Bordeaux, Jean-Louis Gasset is not his first attempt to revive the old nugget of the 1987 generation. Indeed, as L’Equipe recalls, the Hérault coach had already attempted the “HBA” blow at AS Saint-Etienne when he arrived in January 2018.
At the time, the playmaker – now 33 years old – avaif made the choice to go to the end of his contract at PSG despite his situation of failure. An attempt which then left Gasset unsatisfied, who had not attempted to directly flirt with Hatem Ben Arfa this summer, preferring an approach by media.
From January 2018, Gasset wanted to manage Ben Arfa “like a jewel”
From Saint-Etienne, Gasset had already planned to use a particular approach with privileges during the week for Hatem Ben Arfa. A mode of operation that he applies to the Girondins as explained by a close friend of the coach to L’Equipe: “Jean-Louis manages it like a jewel. He polishes it, as he could do in Sainté with the old Debuchy, Boudebouz, M’Vila so that it is efficient at the weekend ”.
The most fussy will point out that Ryad Boudebouz had not arrived at ASSE under Gasset. The others will regret the missed opportunity with Hatem Ben Arfa …