On the eve of meeting Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday for a derby which promises to be heated, Romain Hamouma, legend of the Greens and currently coach of the attackers, gave valuable advice to his team.
He knew these heated derbies. In a decade spent at Saint-Étienne, Romain Hamouma played numerous Lyon-ASSE. A true legend of the Greens, after his retirement, the striker returned to his favorite club to train the young attackers at the training center. But since the appointment of Olivier Dall'Oglio at the head of the Saint-Etienne club, the Frenchman often intervenes with the professional group to bring all his experience.
After more than 300 matches with the green jersey, Hamouma left his mark on the derbies… as evidenced by his missed corner (which cost Depay's goal, during the legendary 5-0 in 2017), but above all his four goals facing the sworn enemy. So after two years spent in Ligue 2, ASSE is preparing to find its long-time rival. And on the eve of this special match, nearly 3,000 Saint-Etienne supporters showed their support for the last training session before the clash.
“Be actors, not spectators”
An opportunity also taken by Romain Hamouma (37 years old) to also give voice. “It’s a session where we’re going to gain confidence, I want you to be as focused as possible. Ignore that, have fun, enjoy it because it’s rare to experience,” he said. -he entrusted to his attackers.
For this very special match, where the Stéphanois will not be able to count on the support of their supporters, the 37-year-old staff member wants all the players called up to play this match like hell. “The Derby, play it to the fullest, don't be spectators of the Derby for those who will play it. Be actors in the Derby. Trivialize failures, we don't care. Everyone is going to have failures. Play with the heart, treat yourself,” he told his players. Enough to motivate them a little more one day before one of the most important matches of the year.
