AS Saint-Etienne : “I am really anchored by ASSE” | ASSE News

Hello Antoine, can you describe your feelings two days before facing AS Saint-Etienne in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France?

It’s a joy. It was already from the draw. This is all that Saint-Étienne provokes as a sensation. Especially for me with my family and friends. It’s already a joy, after that it will be a pleasure on the ground.

What does ASSE represent for you?

I have spent my whole life in Saint-Étienne. I have my family there, my best friends too. I spent my entire teenage years there, then I left for football at the age of 15 in Aurillac then in Clermont etc. But I spent a good part of my life in Saint-Étienne and Sainté is my favorite club. I played at Saint-Charles La Vigilante when I was younger.

Loïc Perrin’s club…

Yes exactly. Afterwards I went to the Olympique de Saint-Etienne. ASSE is my favorite club, the one I have been with since I was very young. We cannot dissociate the city of Saint-Étienne and the AS Saint-Étienne club. I am really anchored by the ASSE club.

“It’s true that it’s quite exceptional, in terms of enthusiasm… At each training session there are a lot of cameras, it’s a change from the championship”

You are two players from the region and linked to Saint-Étienne in the Bergerac workforce (note: with Samir Bakir), how do you approach such a match when you are from Stéphanois?

It is true that it is quite exceptional. In terms of enthusiasm, at each training there are a lot of cameras, it changes the championship. There are more requests from friends, from people I met at the Olympics too. People I haven’t spoken to in a while. It is a great pleasure to know that on Sunday I will play against my favorite club. There are also people from Tézenas (from Montcel) who have reconnected with me. It makes them happy. We get a lot of compliments. Everyone wishes me lots of good things and to beat the Greens!

Bergerac is having a superb season in both the league and the Cup, what are the mid-term objectives?

There is no specific goal. We play match after match. We do not say to ourselves: “in two weeks we will play such a team”. We played Moulins which was second in the championship just before the Saint-Étienne match. We did not have the ASSE match in mind. We were keen to play a big match at Moulins to bring something back from there, what we did with this 0-0. We don’t worry about it and we don’t set ourselves a goal. We see match after match.

What are your team’s strengths and weaknesses?

What makes our strength above all is the solidarity of our team. Everyone fights for each other, no detail is overlooked. It is this collective strength that makes the difference today. We don’t only have strengths of course, but for weaknesses, I don’t know (laughs).

“Whether it’s Pascal Dupraz or Loïc Perrin, they don’t want to see their club go down in Ligue 2”

How do you view the situation in Saint-Etienne at the moment?

It’s complicated, as a supporter it hurts the heart to see ASSE last in the championship. Afterwards, having seen the match against Angers, it’s quite encouraging all the same. There are returns from the African Cup of Nations, new players arriving. Whether it’s Pascal Dupraz or Loïc Perrin, they don’t want to see their club go down to Ligue 2. I know that everyone will do everything to save the club.

Which player do you fear the most in the Saint-Etienne squad?

Offensively, it would be more the players who can make the difference on their own. What’s great for us is that Khazri won’t be there. But I know that Boudebouz, Nordin, Thioub, Bouanga are players who can make a difference. It’s very difficult to face these kind of players.

Who do you personally expect to score in this encounter?

I saw that against Angers it was Thioub who was on the right side. We don’t know if Sainté will stay five behind or will play four, but I think it will be Thioub on my side. There is also Nordin who can play in that position, who is a good side player who constantly tries to make differences to cross or go inside. He is a small, fast and technical player who is therefore always difficult to defend on him.

“It’s a shame because this kind of match must be a party”

At the level of the stands, the fact that the stadium cannot be full following the decision of the prefect, we suppose that this is a big disappointment for you?

Yes already there was our Bergerac Gaston Simounet ground where it went very well against Metz and against Créteil. We were starting to have our habits in this area and we still have to change. We’ve done it before but it’s a shame because this kind of match has to be a party and the fewer people there are, the more complicated it is. It spoils the party a bit. I saw that there were 500 additional places available so it’s already a little better. But if we could have had more people it would have been great for the party.

You told us that you received a lot of messages, will your friends and family make the trip to see the match on Sunday?

Yes there is my family coming, my best friends too. After the date and time of the match make it difficult for others to travel to come. There were plenty of people who wanted to come but on a Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in Périgueux it’s a bit complicated. There are people in my family who have been able to put their Monday down but there are others who cannot too much. It’s a little unfortunate.

“I know what the Saint-Etienne supporters represent […] It’s a shame to deprive yourself of it for a match because it’s a party”

The Saint-Etienne supporters will not be there, is this still a disappointment for you?

Totally. It’s a regret. I went to the stadium at Geoffroy-Guichard, I know what the supporters represent in terms of noise, sensations, emotions. It’s a shame to deprive yourself of it for a match because it’s a party, it’s detrimental for both teams. I saw the derby, when in the stands you can’t hear anyone, it’s a shame. These matches must be a party and without the supporters it is a little less.

Finally, what do you see for Sunday?

I don’t like to go too far but we will take any positive scenario. We will give everything to pass, that’s the goal anyway. In addition, ASSE must play for the championship, so we have to stay focused on that (laughs). The Cup takes a lot of energy but after that it’s how you feel (laughs).