Espaly creates the feat! Facing Dijon (N), reduced to ten, the National 3 team qualified for the round of 16 after a penalty shootout full of suspense (1-1, 4-3). A memorable victory for this small club from Haute-Loire and its 1,500 supporters.
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“It’s a real Christmas present.” His voice broken but his eyes sparkling with happiness, Lionel Vaillant, the coach of Espaly (Haute-Loire), savors with emotion this historic victory for his team against Dijon (1-1, 4-3 on penalties). This feat propels his National 3 players into the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. This unexpected success, celebrated by nearly 1,500 crazy supporters, will remain in the annals of the Haute-Loire club.
“The Coupe de France is magical”
The Espaly coach lives up to his name by leading his team to a historic feat. For him, it is an immense source of pride: “It’s rare to have moments of happiness like this in a coaching career. The Coupe de France is magical. It gives you emotions that you can’t find anywhere else.”
After a tense match, punctuated by twists and turns, Dijon, reduced to 10, opened the scoring in the 70th minute. But the Espaly players did not panic. “When Dijon scored, we saw heads drop a little, but we said to ourselves that we had to give everything. We had nothing to lose,” says the coach. Three minutes after Dijon opened the score, Arber Gjeci equalized with a powerful strike (73rd). A goal which gave hope and galvanized the players, transforming the atmosphere at Viouzou into a real furnace. “The public played a decisive role. It carried us. to get the equalization”.
“Nothing could happen to us!”
After extra time, the decision was made on penalties, a cruel test where the slightest misstep could be costly. “The penalty shootout is the hardest and most stressful part,” recognizes Lionel Vaillant. But it was in this kind of moment that Espaly's state of mind made the difference. “We always had the idea that we were going to do it. We were scheduled to do it. And that's the magic of the Coupe de France: we lose a player, we concede a goal, we equalize, and then everything comes down to a thread,” explains the coach.
The adrenaline rose a notch when the Espaly goalkeeper, heroic throughout the match, stopped a first Dijon shot. But the tension had not yet subsided. Both teams missed shots, and the suspense remained unbearable. “Before the session, the whole stadium started chanting 'Espaly! Espaly!’, it was incredible. This song gave us crazy energy and transformed us. Nothing could happen to us at that time,” continues the coach who lives up to his last name.
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Explosion of joy from Espaly supporters after the penalty shootout against Dijon in the Coupe de France
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© Maxime Pitavy / FTV
In the end, it was Espaly who managed to take the lead, winning the session 4-3 and thus securing their place in the round of 16, a qualification that many thought impossible before kick-off.
For Lionel Vaillant, this victory is a reward for the entire club, from players to volunteers. “A whole season's work paid off today. We have a club where everyone gives their all, from the volunteers to the president. It’s not easy to manage when you’re an amateur club, but tonight we were rewarded.” But the coach remains lucid: “Our main objective remains to keep the club in National 3. This is the priority. But what’s good about the Coupe de France is that it highlights everyone.”
As the round of 16 looms, Vaillant is already dreaming of a draw against a Ligue 1 club. “We hope to face a Ligue 1 club, because it would be a celebration, and the club would be rewarded. These are the moments that mark a career. And all this adrenaline, we want to experience it again.” Answer tomorrow, Sunday December 22, day of the draw for the 16th finals.
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