Zapping Goal! Football club ASSE: Laurent Hess’ editorial on the management of hope Bilal Benkhedim
Goal Saint-Etienne: Pascal, have you kept in touch with the presidents of ASSE?
Pascal FEINDOUNO: Yes. With both. We always got along well. Caiazzo is more about business. Romeyer, he is more the president supporter. They are different. But I have no problem with both.
What do you think of their willingness to sell the club?
It is not the first time. We’ll see if it’s going to be successful this time. The club situation is a bit difficult. There isn’t too much money, apparently. It’s hard to keep your best players, especially when there is no money. It would be good for ASSE to have more resources. It is a legendary club.
“In“ Sainté ”I got on well with everyone. But I was very close to Didier Zokora. From Dimitri Payet too but above all from Zokora ”
What if it’s a foreign investor who arrives?
We can see that this is the evolution of football. The main thing is to have a good team. And the good players, to buy them, there is no secret: you need money. Or we have to train them. And be able to keep them.
Loïc Perrin has just returned to the club. What role would you see him in?
I do not know. But in an important role, that’s for sure. Loïc knows ASSE perfectly. This is his club. He is calm, composed. He could do great things.
At ASSE, with which players did you get along best?
At “Sainté” I got on well with everyone. But I was very close to Didier Zokora. From Dimitri Payet too, but above all from Zokora. The “Maestro”!
And in the field?
In Saint-Etienne, I will say with Bafé in 1 and with Piquionne in 2. But throughout my career, the attacker with whom I have enjoyed the most is Jean-Claude Darcheville. In Lorient, we did everything together. We even slept together! (laughs)
And the coach who mattered the most?
Elie Baup, of course. It was he who started me and brought me to Saint-Etienne. Then there was Hasek but it didn’t last too long. And Laurent Roussey. We got along well too. In fact, all of the coaches have been nice to me. I was the darling!
Even with Robert Nouzaret, in selection?
Yes. He had said very nice things about me, that it would take years to see a new Feindouno in Guinea. It was in 2008 I believe. Nouzaret, I was his captain. I have great memories with the selection, especially our ¼ finals at CAN. We had done some good things, although we could perhaps have gone even further.