As long as there is life, there is hope. It’s a little (a lot) what most Girondins de Bordeaux supporters have to say to themselves to still believe in the maintenance of their team. Relegated to four points from the play-off and five from the first non-relegation player with a very unfavorable goal average just five days from the end of the season, the Marines and Whites are heading straight for Ligue 2 at this stage. And today, those who see them win this Sunday (3 p.m.) in Nantes in the Atlantic derby can surely be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Among them, there is surely a certain Gérard Lopez. Indeed, if there is a man who will believe in it to the end, it is him and not because he is the president-owner. No, it’s simply because a miracle in the race for maintenance, he has already experienced one. It was four years ago with Losc. And to give a little balm to the heart of Bordeaux supporters, the situation of the Dogues was even more desperate than that of the Girondins this season. On April 21, 2018, the evening of a spanking received at the Vélodrome against OM (5-1), Christophe Galtier’s players then on the Lille bench were five points behind the first non-relegation player four days from the gong .
Confusing similarities to the end?
For the record, Losc even remained at the time on eleven games without a win (four draws and seven defeats) in Ligue 1 before miraculously chaining three successes (Metz, Toulouse and Dijon) to obtain its maintenance, while playing his last match at Saint-Etienne for butter. Miracle, we told you. “Frankly yes, there are no other words. We experienced a real miracle that season, remembers François Stock of Mastiffs of the Net. I also notice that there are a lot of similarities with what the Girondins are experiencing today”.
This Lille supporter is surely thinking of the management of former executives in the locker room, of these desperate teams on the defensive level or even of the changes of coaches during the season without any real effect. [même si depuis Christophe Galtier a fait plus que ses preuves]. Francois Stock:
I won’t go so far as to say that the players had returned to a form of self-management at the time, but they had really taken responsibility for themselves. This is the impression we had from the outside. They had finally become aware of the situation. »
Who will be the Bissouma of the Girondins?
And then, of course, in every miracle, there is the part of fate. This thing that we do not expect or more and which ends up happening. For Losc, it came down to an incredible goal by Yves Bissouma against Toulouse on the 36th day of Ligue 1. “Ten seconds out of time”, for François Stock. Lille were down 2-1 at the Stadium in a life and death match against Téfécé before the Malian equalized with an extraordinary free kick from nearly 30 meters. Two minutes later, Nicolas Pepe gave the victory to his team and tipped the Dogues season on the right side. That year, Yves Bissouma scored three goals, including two in the last four days. Miracle, we told you (bis).
While waiting to find their Yves Bissouma – Jimmy Briand was not far from it against Saint-Etienne with his winning goal disallowed in the 89th minute of play – the Girondins will try to maintain this hope of maintaining Nantes. The parking lot in Bordeaux will also still be well filled. It’s not just anecdotal because there too, despite much fresher relations with Dogues supporters at the time, Gérard Lopez had managed to keep them mobilized until the end like the Ultramarines, the largest group of Bordeaux supporters. , this season. And Losc then even offered them the trip to the Pink City.
Nearly 800 Lille residents had crossed France to push, “a great moment”, recalls François Stock and on rereading the events, it is very far from being a detail. All Girondins supporters dream of the same scenario today. And of the same miracle.
Benoit Costil expected in the goal in Nantes
Who will be in the Bordeaux cage this Sunday, Gaëtan Poussin or Benoit Costil? Will the first still be maintained despite his mistakes in the last two games or will we see the return of the second, the banished? According to information from 20 minutes, it is indeed the French international goalkeeper who should regain his starting place against Nantes at La Beaujoire. David Guion would have announced this Friday to his group even if no one the Bordeaux coach kicked in touch in a press conference and no one wants to officially confirm this decision to the club.
Benoit Costil has not played again since the incidents with certain Girondins supporters in mid-March, without it being known whether it was a sporting choice by David Guion (which the Marine et Blanc coach claims) or a political decision of the management to buy social peace with the Ultramarines. Contacted by 20 minutes to discuss the Lille miracle but also the situation of Benoit Costil, Gérard Lopez’s entourage simply answered us on the second subject: “Contrary to what we have heard and read, Gérard Lopez has no problem with Benoit Costil. He repeated it again to the staff this week, the coach is free to choose. »