Zapping Goal! Football club ASSE: Laurent Hess’s edit on the nice shot Pape Cissé
Goal !: Anthony, is this rise in the Bundesliga the best moment of your career?
Anthony LOSILLA: Definitely! So far, I have only worked with the German L2. I always had the goal of passing this milestone of playing in the Bundesliga and it happens at 35, when I am rather late. In addition, it is with Bochum, the club where I have been playing for 7 years. It’s a great moment, a great pride.
Have you been able to share this joy with the supporters?
Unfortunately no. We had a taste of the penultimate match. We were on the move and 6,000 supporters came to accompany our departure by bus. But for the last game, that of the title, the city has squared everything to avoid the festivities. It’s a bit of a shame but we were able to celebrate it among ourselves, on the pitch. We hope to quickly find the supporters at the stadium next season, to savor even more this return to the Bundesliga with them. Bochum has been waiting for this for 11 years.
You weren’t favorites …
Not at all. We were supposed to have the 8th or 9th budget. But we had a good season. At first, it was a bit of a real roller-coaster ride. But in the end we were really consistent, we took orders in March and we never gave up. To finish champion is the icing on the cake. There were big teams: Hamburg, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Nuremberg. We were not expected. During my second year here, we didn’t get very far but we faltered at the end. There was Freiburg and Leipzig who had become detached, we had not been able to keep pace. And there, it happens after a fairly difficult 2019-20 season. But it is deserved. We really have a very good group.
A group of which you are the captain …
Yes. I have had the armband for a few years. Josuha Guilavogui also wears it in Wolfsburg. It’s rare to see French captains in Germany but there are two of us, and two more from Stéphane. It is a source of pride. It is gratifying. I quickly had the confidence of the club when I arrived from Dresden. I quickly became vice-captain with Verbeek, our former Dutch coach. When Robin Dutt arrived he gave me the armband and I still have it with Thomas Reis. It’s a chance for me to be in a club that trusts me completely. Each year I extend by one season. There I extended over the winter. And there is even talk of a retraining.
You have scored 4 goals and delivered 2 assists this season. You are offensive for a n ° 6!
That is true. We are two old-timers in the middle and both of us like to project ourselves, to play ball. We take a bit of freedom in turn and this has helped to unblock situations. I had scored 5 goals the season before. It just goes to show that it is never too late to progress!
You will discover the Bundesliga. Are there any matches that you are really looking forward to playing?
I have been to Dortmund several times, it is our neighbor. I went there against PSG in the Champions League. It’s a magical atmosphere. In addition, it will be a derby. Frankfurt is also magic. Bayern, I have already played at the Allianz Arena against their team 2, but this will be the great Bayern. It will be great! In France, honestly, apart from Saint-Etienne, Marseille and Lens, it’s rare to feel a lot of fervor. Here there are great stadiums everywhere.
“I have no resentment towards ASSE. I am Stéphanois, it is my club of heart. Of course I would have liked to wear the green jersey with the pros. But that did not happen and that does not prevent me from being very happy today ”
What is the atmosphere like at your stadium in Bochum?
I was in Dresden and there it was hot. I had chicken meat my first match. Here, there is also a great craze. The stadium has 27, 28,000 seats. It is not very big but there is a nice atmosphere. In Bochum, we are between Dortmund and Schalke, two great rivals. It is the Ruhr, a mining basin, like the Loire. The values are the same as in Saint-Etienne. I recognize myself in it.
What you are experiencing, is it a revenge for your career at ASSE?
A revenge yes and no. I always regret not having been able to play in the first team at Sainté. Elie Baup had me sign a one-year pro contract but he left and I was loaned. It’s like that. Everyone has their own path. I made my way bit by bit, step by step. I’m pretty happy with my career. And I’m really happy to play in Germany. I enjoy myself here. It’s attacking, attractive football. It’s the football that I love. I have no resentment towards ASSE. I am Stéphanois, it is my club of heart. Of course I would have liked to wear the green jersey with the pros. But that did not happen and that does not prevent me from being very happy today.
Before Bochum, there had been Cannes, Paris FC, Laval and Dresden. What experiences did you enjoy the most?
All of them! Cannes, that put my foot in the stirrup. It was the National but it was a trainer, there were sturdy players opposite, veterans who had known L2. It forged me. Laval, I loved it. It’s a very good, family, friendly club. I had two very good seasons, in L2. It opened doors for me. I was expected in L1. Nice, Valenciennes and Caen were interested in me but I preferred to go to Dresden. However, I had refused to go there several times. But the club had insisted a lot and he had traveled to Nice to convince me to sign. Going to Dresden has been the best choice of my career. And the club of my career is Bochum.
What are your best memories of ASSE?
I have plenty of them ! I arrived at ASSE when I was 8 years old. Even though I didn’t live far away and came home on weekends, it was hard at first to be in the center. I felt a bit lonely. But afterwards, I had a great time.
Who were you with in the room?
With Jessy Moulin. We stayed for four years both. It was my DJ!
Are you still in contact?
Of course. I love Jessy. He’s a great person. We played together for a long time, until the reserve. Among the young people, we had a great generation with my best friend Anthony Badel, Barthe, Dabo. We were just behind the Perrin, Gomis, Medjani, Houri generation.
Which players have marked you at ASSE among the pros?
I really liked Vincent Hognon. There were some very good players. Training with a player like Feindouno is still remarkable. And in reserve, we had a very good team, with guys like Piatti and Guarin who were often with us in the middle.
Do you plan to return to the Saint-Etienne region after hanging up your crampons?
I come back regularly. There, I will come to spend a few days with my family. But when I’m in France, it’s more in the South, with my wife and our two children. I have my 13 year old daughter who lives in the South too so we’ll see. But for now it’s Bochum. With the club we are looking at all the options for my retraining. They want me to stay here, but first as a player. That’s good because I too want to enjoy it again, especially with what awaits us after the holidays.
to summarize
ASSE-trained Losilla to discover Bundesliga with Bochum
