In 1979, FC Nantes won the first French Cup in its history. A trophy that remains in the annals of the club, and which is still talked about today. Philippe Laurent remembers this final very well. Today in charge of Canary Museumhe first digs into the club’s archives, then into his memory, to retrace this historic moment for the club on the banks of the Erdre.
Present at the Parc des Princes that day, he remembers a very special atmosphere in the Parisian stadium, which saw the FCN face Guy Roux’s AJ Auxerre, then a resident of the 2nd Division. “I remember that the stadium was more for Tom Thumb. It was a tense match, because FC Nantes knew they could win their first Coupe de France. A trophy awaited by President Fonteneau, ”says this early fan.
In a tense match, Nantes finally won after extra time (4-1), with in particular a hat-trick from Eric Pécout. The FCN then raised its first trophy in the Coupe de France. A moment that marked Philippe Laurent, then in the stands: “It was not hostility, but there were almost whistles in the stadium when the cup was lifted. Loïc Amisse, then a player from Nantes, remembers this meeting very well. “We were favorites and it was eagerly awaited in Nantes, recalls the winger at the time. These are strong moments for a player. We were crying at the end of the game. »
“One morning, we realize that the trophy has disappeared”
The victory of FC Nantes is celebrated with great fanfare, the next day, in the streets of the city of the dukes. Players parade in an army truck. A “fantastic” atmosphere, especially on the Place Royale, where the crowd was there to celebrate the success of the Canaries. A first Coupe de France trophy which will not stay long in the corridors of Jonelière, the Nantes training center. “One morning, we realize that the Cup has disappeared”, explains Philippe Laurent.
To alert the press to their strike movement, steelworkers from Longwi, in the north of Lorraine, are photographed in possession of the famous trophy. “They had done this to mark the occasion of their action. And then in the middle of August, they returned to La Jonelière to return the cup ”, and in passing, offered porcelain plates to club employees.
All’s well that ends well… Not completely in fact. Because the trophy remains untraceable today. According to Philippe Laurent, he would have, in reality, only spent a few weeks at La Jonelière, before disappearing definitively. The mystery remains intact.