FC Nantes. “I saw the birth of Beaujoire” remembers Kombouaré

Two days before the trip to Brest, Antoine Kombouaré took out the memory box to evoke Beaujoire, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

“ I saw the birth of Beaujoire. My first memory is the inauguration. I was a player for FC Nantes and we beat Romania 1-0 in bitter cold » he remembers. And the weeks that followed hadn’t really warmed him up: “ It was drafty, we didn’t like it. It was big, but not hot. Since then they have covered the sides, but it’s not a stadium that made you want to start. »

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But it was as a coach that he experienced his greatest emotions there. “ Between the Coupe de France semi-final against Monaco, and the first European Cup match against Olympiakos, there is a matchadmits Kombouaré. Against Monaco, with the penalty shootout, the heart started beating very hard. In addition, qualification allows you to play at the Stade de France. »

If today the Beaujoire is regularly filled with noisy fans, this was not always the case. Particularly in the 1980s when Antoine Kombouaré was a player. “ At that time, we didn’t have the supporters we have now. It was a demanding audience. We had difficulty winning and the crowd was difficult, we were jeered at half-time. These are not very good memories but they remain well anchored.»