This will not be the first time that Eric Di Meco defends Laurent Nicollin. In 2021, he already declared: “ His son Laurent is in this vein, an “old school” president, owner of his club, who makes it grow, while keeping this family aspect which has always pleased me.«
In the middle of last week, in the program “Rothen s’ignée” on RMC SportJérôme Rothen did not fail to knock out the President of the MHSC. He insinuated in particular that he was less passionate than his father and criticized his choice to appoint Jean-Louis Gasset at the head of the first team, rather than trusting a Jocelyn Gourvennec or a Habib Beye.
Eric Di Meco, consultant for the show, positioned himself as Laurent Nicollin's shield and saluted the atypical values of our club:
“There are a lot of clichés in Rothen’s pleading. Clichés on elderly people, on the family side of a club… Montpellier is a special club in Ligue 1. We have debates all year round on this football based on shareholders that we don't see not even with delegated presidents just there to take money and who don't care about the rest. Here, we have one of the last clubs, with Brest and Reims perhaps, of football from the last century and it's a recipe that works.
50 years old, it’s a young Montpellier club. Yes this year, he was predestined to play the role, we knew that he would be in danger. Jérôme Rothen explains to us that Laurent Nicollin is less passionate than his dad, I don't see where he can say that. It's not the same style but you have held this club at arm's length for years and generations, you have to be passionate. I don't think he's doing this out of obligation. We cannot judge a president in this way, it is gratuitous, and above all, you cannot prevent him from applying the recipes that have always worked at the MHSC.
It’s a special, family club. I was in Monaco in the championship, in the stand, I was next to their manager, he was the same as when I was still playing, and we talked about the good old days. Habib Beye, yes it would have been good for him to find a Ligue 1 club but arriving with Habib Beye's precepts at a club like Montpellier is not today's football. You need a coach who knows this environment and Jean-Louis Gasset, with what he achieved in Marseille last year, he has the ideal profile. And next season, you will go with someone else but to date, it was too complicated. »
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