“Crazy”, “unreal”… They tell the epilogue of the last derby at Roazhon Park


Raphinha learns that the 3rd Rennes goal is validated and Lafont room. – Damien Meyer / AFP

  • Sunday, at 1 p.m., at Roazhon Park, it’s Breton derby between Rennes and Nantes.
  • In the last game there, there had been a completely insane reversal of the situation.
  • The actors of the time recount this moment of incredible emotions.

In the hubbub of a boiling Roazhon Park, Imran Louza approaches the microphone of Canal +. Head down then glare, the Nantes midfielder launches, disillusioned: “I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say… It’s sad. How we can lead 2-1 ten minutes from the end and take two [buts] on the end? It’s not normal, it’s not normal… ”The player slips away without another word. On January 31, 2020, Rennes won 3-2 against the
FC Nantes at the end of an additional time remained in all the memories. The Canaries of Christian Gourcuff, who led 2-1, are overthrown in three minutes. At the 90th + 5, Benjamin Bourigeaud equalizes. Barely two minutes later, the unthinkable occurs. Raphinha’s goal, although initially reported offside, was finally validated by video assistance and then the match referee, Mr. Benoît Millot. Madness takes hold of Roazhon Park, the sky is falling on the heads of Nantes.

“The two goals took place completely on the other side of the field,” said Camille, a Rennes supporter present in the Roazhon Celtic Kop that evening. It was surreal, because no one really knew what was going on. If Raphinha was offside, we didn’t know. I have the impression that no one really believed it. When the referee validated the goal, it was crazy, the guys were jumping in all directions. A friend grabbed my jersey, he was hysterical. “

In his commentary booth, François Marchal, accompanied by consultant Sidney Govou, has not forgotten this Rennes-Nantes, “one of the last games allowed with the public”. “In my memories, we didn’t see any slow motion either. Like everyone else, we were hanging on to the decision of the VAR and Mr. Millot. François Marchal did not shout about Raphinha’s goal because he had “immediately seen the flag rise”. An image comes back to him today: “That of the referee who shows the central circle. There, it switches into an irrational thing. There is a crazy emotion. There are people running all over the place. “

“A lack of respect”, according to Patrick Collot

In the euphoria, Raphinha embarks on a frantic race and takes the opportunity to stick her tongue out at Alban Lafont, creating a small scuffle. “There were even members of the Rennes management in the field, it was a real lack of respect for us,” says Patrick Collot, former assistant to Christian Gourcuff. I really did not live that well. It’s one of my worst memories with the
FCN [de septembre 2018 à février 2021]. It was unreal. “Especially since the Canaries, with yet” a decimated team and a new-look defense [Khrin-Wague en défense centrale] “, Had several” possibilities to kill the match “.

Raphinha scores the 3rd goal, but Nantes claim an offside … – DAMIEN MEYER / AFP

Alain Rousseau, the speaker, admits to having “let go a little more on the third goal finally validated by the referee”. “I was between the two benches, I didn’t dare believe it. It was like a play with on the one hand a huge disappointment and Christian Gourcuff sinking into his seat, and on the other the euphoria of Julien Stéphan [ex-coach de Rennes]. “At the microphone of Canal +, François Marchal is on a wire. “We have to transcribe two emotions: Rennes madness on the one hand, and Nantes chaos, with Gourcuff in particular, on the other. “A Nantes coach who said at the time:” In forty years of career, I have never seen that! “



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