Just a year ago, Monday April 27, 2020, Robert Herbin passed away at the age of 81. The legendary former Greens player and coach has received numerous tributes. Others are expected, postponed due to the pandemic.
The day after his death, Roland Romeyer, Chairman of the Board of AS Saint-Étienne announced that the club’s training center, based in L’Etrat where the Sphinx resided, was renamed the Robert-Herbin sports center. An inauguration is planned but the health situation makes it difficult to organize it. ASSE would like to put on a great event and invite the Former Greens.
Contacts were established with Jean Cardot, renowned sculptor who died in October
The City of Saint-Étienne has announced the new name of the esplanade located near the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, in front of the Musée des Verts.
“All the elected officials said that the City needed to mark the occasion and pay a meaningful tribute. The mayor also joined the strong demand from supporters, ”testifies Gilles Artigues, first deputy and chairman of the public tributes commission.
Thus, in the space now called Robert-Herbin, a statue will take place recalling the exceptional career of the Greens coach during the epic.
“Gaël Perdriau had met Jean Cardot, a sculptor of international renown and born in Saint-Étienne”, reveals Gilles Artigues. The artist, member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts unfortunately died in October at the age of 90 when “things were well advanced” with the man who made the statues of General de Gaulle, who sits near the Grand Palais, Winston Churchill or Thomas Jefferson. “He himself wanted to pay homage to Robert Herbin and create a monumental work in his hometown. “
Since then, the City has interacted with other renowned artists in order to “pay Robert Herbin a tribute to the height of the man he was”.
The municipality wants to “carry out a ceremony as soon as possible, hopefully before the end of the year when we find our way back to the stadium. It has to be a highlight, ”said the elected official. The City sees things big but will let the imagination of the chosen artist run wild.
Robert Herbin, the man and the legend, 128 pages, 19.90 euros. Le Progrès edition.