Sunday, against Limoges, the versatile Usamist will play his last professional match at Parnasse.
”You want this match to last your whole life…” Benjamin Gallego, 35, at the end of his contract with Usam, will play his last match at Parnasse on Sunday against Limoges. Last match in Nîmes for this one-club player, who began his professional career in 2010 in Gard. For his 284th D1 match, the centre-half/pivot could reach the 500 goal mark (498 to date). “I knew that because I had an old man with a beard and gray hair who told me.”, he laughs, talking about his father, Frédéric. Dad, ex-teammate, captain, coach… here is their “Benji”.
Seen by his father Frédéric
”As a child, Benjamin was both wise and unreasonable”explains the father, Frédéric, 68 years old, former ”player, manager, coach, president and even referee” from Clermont-l’Hérault. This club with which his son made history: ”As a youth, with Rebichon, they went to the final of the French championship.”
First steps in Clemont and last ones in Nîmes for the future ambassador of the club, end clap despite the requests (Toulouse, Dunkirk, Chambéry): ”As I told him: ‘Usam is your club, it’s the same state of mind as Clermont, but at another level”. Usam is made for him and he is made for Usam.”
Seen by ex-Nîmes Jean-Philippe Haon
”I put up with it for seven years, then?” Roomer, big burst of laughter in his voice, former Usamist Jean-Philippe Haon, 43, evokes “his” Benji, with whom he was teammates at Usam between 2010 and 2017: ”I have great memories of him, both on and off the field: generous, reliable. He’s someone you can count on and a great handball player who, in my opinion, has been underrated.”
A character who cannot leave one indifferent, according to the former captain: ”In your career, there are players and men who leave their mark on you, and Benjamin is one of them. I attach a lot of importance to the player, but also to the human being.”
Just one problem, if there was one? Still laughing, Haon finishes: ”He never stops. When you want to rest, he doesn’t rest. When you’re on the move, it’s not easy to support it 24 hours a day…”
Seen by his friend and captain, Julien Rebichon
Who better to place than Julien Rebichon, his refereeing partner, to testify about Benjamin Gallego, with whom he started handball at the age of… 3 years old, in Clermont-l’Hérault: ”We always shared everything together. Before being teammates, we are first and foremost friends. We have known each other since birth. At times, I almost slept more with him in a hotel room than with my wife. (laughs). When you go on the road and you have the European Cup at the same time…”
The last dance together, at Parnasse, is for Sunday: ”I would have liked us to end up together (him until 2025). Afterwards, there are the hazards of sport. I’m sad it’s over handballistically. he was a great man on the pitch. There aren’t many who would have gritted their teeth like him with significant injuries. He is a constant warrior, a historic man of Usam. He is immortal.”
Seen by his coach, Yann Balmossiere
Yann Balmossière will have had Benjamin Gallego under his command in his role as assistant, then head coach of the Green team. He is rave about it: ”He’s the player coaches dream of having on their team. He is both talented and easy to coach. It’s a real pleasure to train him. He is very generous and unifying, he thinks more about “we” than “I”.
A true locker room leader. A true leader, period. Asked about the player who had impressed him the most during his career, former Nîmes Guillaume Saurina cited Benjamin Gallego, ”always the banana, present even if he is injured, lively, in addition to being a great handball player”he noted.
”He’s not someone who hides, that’s what I appreciate in the exchange with him, we can say things to each other in a very sincere waynotes Balmossiere. He is a leader by example, both in actions and in words.”
