Zapping Goal! Football club MHSC – ASSE: The pre-match brief
Goal ! Saint-Etienne: Jody, does ASSE represent the best moments of your career as a goalkeeper?
Jody VIVIANI: Sure. I loved my time here, the city, the craze around the Greens. I was able to play the European Cup. I had played both matches against Tel Aviv, Copenhagen, Rosenborg. In addition, I believe there were only victories.
Was there a great competition between Jérémie Janot and you?
Yes. We both wanted to play! There was also Jessy Moulin. He was the one on the bench when I started, because Jeremy was injured. And when he came back, I continued to play. We had good results. We won the last game 4-0 against Monaco and Jérémie came in at the end. The following year, I made the start of the season. It was special because we had good results in the European Cup but not in the league. And when Alain Perrin replaced Laurent Roussey, Jérémie played. Me, I believe that I did not play any more after the change of coach. And I went to Grenoble.
Who did you keep in touch with?
I got along well with everyone but it’s true that I had more affinities with guys like Geoffrey Dernis and Cédric Varrault. I am also still in contact with Loïc Perrin and Jessy.
How were your experiences after leaving Saint-Etienne?
In Grenoble, it was still a bit complicated, and it happened what happened, unfortunately. Afterwards, I went to Greece, to Xanthi. I was able to play big matches in very hot atmospheres: Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, AEK, PAOK, Aris Salonika. It was nice. We held on. I had also spent a season in Belgium, at White Star Brussels, in D2. The club was ambitious and I really liked Brussels, a great city. Afterwards, there was Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the National, with great fervor around the club, in the North. We had a good trip in the Coupe de France. It allowed me to play against Saint-Etienne, with Stéphane Ruffier in goal. A good time, even though we lost on penalties. And I ended up in Toulon, where I stayed for five years.
“I’m starting to have a good network. I have been pinpointed on players. This is how I was able to discover Boubacar Fall and El-Hadji Dieye who are in Saint-Etienne ”
Toulon, this is your home!
I’m from La Ciotat, but Sporting is a club that marked me. My father took me to Mayol to see the matches. In particular the Toulon-Marseille, with a big rivalry. Toulon was the opportunity to get closer to my region with a great challenge. I played the last four seasons of my career at Sporting, with two accessions, from N3 to N1. And the fifth year, I joined the staff alongside my friend Luigi Alfano, as goalkeeper coach.
Was it your first retraining idea?
Yes. I played until 35-36 and as I neared the end of my career, it was something that plugged me in. I liked it, but not completely. Not 100%. I wanted to do something else and I joined a company of agents with in particular Rayan Touil, whom I know well, someone of integrity. And I found my place by specializing in recruitment, detection. Scouting, finding young talents, I really like it. I created my structure. I go to see matches, I analyze, I follow the players, their progress.
You travel a lot ?
That’s what pleases me too. There are a lot of good players in the region but there are some everywhere and not just in France. I like going to Africa. I am starting to have a good network. I have been pinpointed on players. This is how I was able to discover Boubacar Fall and El-Hadji Dieye who are in Saint-Etienne.
What did you like about Boubacar Fall?
His profile. He has the physical and technical capacities to claim the high level. I gave my information to several L1 clubs including Saint-Etienne, and it was done with ASSE. A person had moved to Senegal and had validated his profile.
El-Hadji Dieye comes from the same club?
That’s it. I had moved there, in the suburb of Guédiawaye, because I had seen interesting videos. And seeing it live, I was really won over. It goes fast, it hits, it takes depth. He’s a winger, a side player who makes big differences. He still has some gaps but it’s normal, he is 19 years old. And I think he’s progressing well. Especially in the finish, the centers.
Claude Puel launched it in Strasbourg …
He came in at 4-1, it was not easy. But it shows that his adaptation was quick and that he has already made good progress with Razik Nedder, in reserve. I went to see him in a friendly this summer, against Toulon. He had scored after recovering the ball. And against Ain Sud, I was recently at L’Etrat. He had a good game with an assist for Maxence Rivera. In addition, it was on a release from Boubacar Fall. We have good feedback. The club is happy with him. El-Hadji as well as Bouba, moreover.
So you still take care of both players?
I am, yes. I have a very good relationship with Rayan Touil. He’s their agent. He is a licensed agent. It’s a trustly person. He attaches great importance to details, he is picky and takes care of the players on a daily basis with professionalism.
What are your next trips?
I return to Senegal, to several clubs. And I have to go to Ivory Coast soon. It’s a job where you have to move but that’s good: I love it!
to summarize
“There are a lot of good players in the region but there are some everywhere and not only in France. I like going to Africa. I am starting to have a good network. I have been referred to players. It is so that I was able to discover Boubacar Fall and El-Hadji Dieye who are in Saint-Etienne “, confides in particular Jody Viviani.
