While RC Calais (N3) challenges Strasbourg (L1) this Saturday, December 21, 2024 (9 p.m.) at the Stade de l'Épopée, Réginald Becque, then captain, looks back on the fabulous adventure of CRUFC in 99/2000 which led the club to in the final against Nantes at the Stade de France.
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The image has forever marked the history of French football. On May 7, 2000, it was FC Nantes (D1) who won the final of the Coupe de France against CRUFC (CFA). But, as a symbol, Mickaël Landreau, the captain of the Canaries, is not the only one to brandish the trophy.
With him, under the eye of Jacques Chirac, Lionel Jospin and Aimé Jacquet, there is Réginald Becque, the surprise guest of this final photo. He says: “we lift the cup together with Mickaël, it was symbolic for this event which brings together the professional and amateur worlds, remembers the Calais captain at the time.”
We realized the happiness we had given people.
Réginald Becque, captain of CRUFC in 99/2000at France 3 Hauts-de-France
The CRUFC completed an incredible epic during which it notably brought down LOSC in the 32nd round (then in D2), but above all two elite teams: Strasbourg in the quarter (1-3) and Bordeaux in the semi-finals. (1-2).
Almost 25 years later, things have changed. The CRUFC disappeared in 2017 for financial reasons. After the merger of two clubs, RC Calais was born in 2023 and has just reached National 3. And the memories of the course of the 99/2000 season are inevitably in the heads of supporters as Strasbourg (Ligue 1) presents itself this Saturday, December 21, 2024 (9 p.m.) at the stadiumANDpopped in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France. 12,000 people are expected.
“Today the context has changed, there are a lot of federal contracts, we train in the morning. It’s much more professional, indicates Réginald Becque. In 2000, all the players had a job on the side. I was an order picker at Roche Diffusion, a company which fitted out bar restaurants. It was the president's cousin who hired me to work because it was not with match bonuses that we could live decently.”
The conditions were very different: “We only trained three times a week and there hadn't been any grass on the field since October. But it was a bit supernatural. Every round, we prepared to win. J I experienced many good moments in my career as an amateur footballer, notably I was French CFA champion (now National 2) but this is the climax.”
“We played at the Julien-Denis stadium, there were 3,500 seats, probably a bit limited in terms of security. Then, we went to Boulogne, which we also managed to fill. There was a bit of competition between the two teams but many Boulonnais had become supporters of Calais.”
The final against Nantes, lost on a disputed penalty in the 90th minute, will leave a bitter taste. “We lead 1-0, the stress was to live up to the event. We had already beaten two L1 teams, but there it was the Stade de France, with the TV, the president of the Republic…”
Réginald Becque has worked at the FFF for 7 years. He will be in front of his screen to follow the meeting this evening. With, of course, a nice dose of good memories in mind…
