Zapping Goal! Football club ASSE: the 10 biggest sales in history
Is his future in Bordeaux?
Nothing is less certain … During the international break, Gasset expressed his questions about the Girondins, his doubts. Difficult for him to project himself, to carry out his project, faced with the current opacity of the club. The notion of pleasure is very important to him, at 67, and pleasure, he does not seem to take too much at the moment. If the trend is not reversed, it is likely that he will cut short the Bordeaux experience to return home, to Montpellier, to quietly enjoy his family and his grandchildren.
Why isn’t he doing better at the Girondins?
In recent seasons, several coaches have broken their teeth in Bordeaux, starting with Paulo Sousa, the Portuguese, or before him Gustavo Poyet, the Uruguayan. The Girondins are plunged into an institutional crisis, with a sling of supporters towards King Street, the US owner, and it lasts. It is not easy to navigate calmly in this context. Moreover, contrary to what he had been able to do in Saint-Etienne, Gasset hardly had the means to reshape the workforce as he pleased. Only Ben Arfa joined him. And the old man from Nice is marking time after a promising start. He slipped to the bench and drew criticism from some teammates, in a locker room undermined by the clans. During the last ten days, Bordeaux has won only once, in Dijon, for a draw and eight defeats. And the Girondins were eliminated as soon as they entered the Coupe de France by Toulouse. The team is in pain since the serious injury of Otavio, his Brazilian midfielder, this winter, despite the arrival of Jean-Michaël Seri, the former Nice.
Mission accomplished ✅
The Greens win 2-0 against Nîmes! Such an important victory which places the opponents of the day, barrage, at 7 points. 2 jewels and a penalty stopped by Étienne Green. The perfect afternoon.#ASSE pic.twitter.com/IFTMuCG6WG– Sainté Inside (@SainteInside) April 4, 2021
Why had he succeeded with the Greens?
At ASSE, Gasset had inherited a sick team, on the verge of relegation, and he had straightened the bar thanks to the help of confirmed recruits (Debuchy, Subotic, M’Vila), ensuring a quiet maintenance before finish 4th and allow the Greens to return to Europe, carried in particular by Rémy Cabella and Wahbi Khazri. The coach with the cap had built a united, talented, experienced group. The leaders had given him the means.
What were the real reasons for his departure from ASSE?
Gasset had mentioned fatigue when deciding to stop the adventure. He had said he was “exhausted”. The Montpellier had given a lot of his person. If he stopped, it was also because certain tensions had arisen. Especially with Roland Romeyer. When buying Khazri in particular, but especially in relation to certain criticisms about its operation, its round trips to Montpellier. Gasset undoubtedly also understood that by finishing 4th, it would be difficult for him to bring ASSE higher, his means making his ambitions limited. The transfer of Ole Selnaes to China in January 2019, when a qualification in the Champions League was possible, had upset him.
Are the criticisms of its costly policy justified?
Yes and no. It is true that ASSE did not skimp on the means to meet Gasset’s requests, even if it means living on credit, and that the coach in the cap had sometimes had to put pressure to achieve his ends. The payroll exploded during his tenure, that’s for sure, but he was not the top decision maker. And the results spoke for him. The only flop in terms of recruited player which is attributable to him is the arrival on loan of Ntep, quickly left. But blame him for the current deficit of ASSE, which has sold € 100 million of players in two years …
What memories did he leave in the locker room and at the club?
A great memory. Difficult to find a player or an employee of ASSE, or a journalist who covers the news of the club, who will not speak well of Gasset. The man commanded respect for his knowledge of football and his personality. Whole, open, invested, sulky sometimes, smiling most often, he had conquered all his little world at L’Etrat!
Did he leave on good terms with the presidents?
Yes and no. Despite the friction, Gasset had kept a certain esteem for Romeyer, for Caiazzo too. But Romeyer’s statements against Ghislain Printant upon parting ways with him disappointed him.
What impact did it have on some departures?
A big impact. We can imagine that Rémy Cabella would have stayed if Gasset had not left. And that some players like Yann M’Vila or Stéphane Ruffier would not have relaxed …
What can we really blame him for ASSE?
It’s hard to blame a coach for anything that pushed the team from 17th to 4th place in L1 in 18 months … reading some wages. Of not having integrated certain young people? No, it was he who launched Saliba, at 17, who began to integrate Benkhedim, Fofana … Blame him for having left? No, he had his reasons, it was not cowardly. Blame him for pushing for Printant to succeed him? It would be harsh, again. What should he have answered when asked if his right-hand man and friend would make a good successor as No.1?
Was he really close to coming back to Saint-Etienne last season?
Yes. Printing in difficulty, Gasset was ready to agree to return, at the request of Bernard Caiazzo. He had rested during the summer. He felt the strength and the duty to come and help Printant and to straighten the ASSE a second time. But it was ultimately towards Claude Puel that the management had chosen to turn. To start a new era. And draw a line.