After eliminating Martigues in the round of 32, Bourgoin-Jallieu inherited Olympique Lyonnais in the next round. A derby on paper unbalanced between a Ligue 1 team and a resident of N3, but a meeting with a very particular flavor for Bourgoin-Jallieu, who will host.
It was the dream draw for Bourgoin-Jallieu, one of the five N3 clubs still competing in the Coupe de France and which will host Olympique Lyonnais in the round of 16. “The players ate pizza together to watch the draw,” says Djamel Kolver, president of Bourgoin. “Everyone was happy so we can’t wait to play this match. It will be the derby given the proximity and our links quite tight. We have been partner clubs for more than 10 years so it will be a great poster.”
In N3, Bourgoin-Jallieu also plays in the group of the OL reserve team. “We are all supporters of Lyon given the proximity. There remained Lyon or Paris, they were two great posters so that's very good. The players are motivated like never before. The qualification was a great event and a great source of pride for the club and the city we were hoping for a good showing for the next round and we got it. There will be fervor, it’s Lyon, there’s everything to fill the stands.”
“Many of our players are supporters”
Bourgoin-Jallieu played his first 32nd round of the Coupe de France this weekend. They will play a Ligue 1 team in the next round for the first time. “It was a little bit unusual because we didn't expect to qualify, so some went on vacation and we didn't all experience the draw together,” explains Jimmy Nirlo, the captain, who mainly talks about finding the N2 and wants to take the Coupe de France as a bonus this season.
“OL is the driving force in the region, many of our players are supporters, Nirlo also recognizes. So Ligue 1 is always great, but OL has a special flavor.” The Bourgoin captain, who played in Ligue 2 at Bourg-en-Bresse, already faced OL a few seasons ago. “Between knowledge of the high level and OL there is a big difference,” he said. “I saw it when I was in L2 at Bourg-en-Bresse and we faced OL, There’s a big step.”
Nirlo concludes: “It will be a great celebration for everyone. Lyon is the best in L1, all the stars will have to align to compete. We hope to have a great celebration while keeping the feet on the ground. My priority for the draw was to avoid a N2 away, that would have been the worst for us. I hoped to draw a team closer to us. I preferred to draw Espally to have a match. open Now a match against. OL or PSG, they are ogres, we must not dream too much our chances are tiny.”
