Souquet: “When you go with the Gym jersey to Bastia…”

The last goal of a Bastia – Nice in official competition, it was he who scored it. It was January 20, 2017. Co-leader of the L1 with Monaco, the Gym was held in check at Furiani (J21 1-1) and was losing ground on its princely neighbor. He is Arnaud Souquet, aka “Souquetinho”. Two magnificent seasons with the red and black jersey from 2016 to 2018, 70 matches under the clock (2 goals), memories in my head and an affection for the red and black club in my heart. Now in the United States, at the Chicago Fire, the defender has remained true to himself: he was called upon before the Aiglons returned to Corsica and he responded, holding his position. With a sympathy and good nature that stands the test of time…

“That, you can say, there was rivalry…”

Arnaud, you are the last scorer of a Bastia – Nice to Furiani…
Head and more! From a corner from Wylan Cyprien, from memory. It brings back good memories because those were great years. This 2016-17 season remains, for the moment, the Club’s most notable in the modern period, in terms of points, victories, ranking (a final 3rd place, editor’s note). But it’s certain that there will be an even better one that will make us disappear a little. That’s the beauty of football.

You have experienced the Bastia – Nice rivalry. How would you explain it to younger people?
Ah that, you can say it, there was rivalry… The supporters cannot see each other, we felt it. At home, it was already tense. At their place too. The Corsican context is not simple, but when you go there with the Gym jersey, it’s something else again. If you went there saying to yourself: “I’m afraid of the context,” you were beaten in advance. Which was not our case. It was hot before the match but on the pitch, it was not a tense match. There was no bad move. The atmosphere outside was electric but if I’m honest, I love these atmospheres. As long as it remains reasonable, it’s good to live. These are matches with a particular flavor. You play for that too.

Was it the same when you went there with Montpellier?
It remained hot in relation to the context and the fact that we had to save ourselves. But other than that, no, it wasn’t the same. The rivalry between supporters is the little extra thing. Nice – Bastia, this is a match that you must not lose.

What place do these years in Nice occupy in your career and in your life?
Today, the 2016-17 season remains the best I have had in football. Beyond that, you had this atmosphere, this group which lived well. It’s difficult to explain, but you have years like that, where you feel a kind of collective strength. There was a very good atmosphere with everyone.

“Dante, Balotelli, Belhanda… It was a crazy team”

You arrived from Dijon, with a lot of competition for your position…
That’s it. I arrived as Ricardo’s number 2. I joined the team when he was injured, then we played together, because he was playing a step higher, just in front of me, when he returned. I think I’m playing 35 games this season, in all competitions. We had a good group. We managed to do better than Claude Puel’s season just before, which had already been very good (the Gym finished 4th in 2015-16).

On a more personal level?
I was in a group where I worked every day and where I progressed. As a young player, I just had to work hard and look at what was around me. I was still lucky to be with Dante, Balotelli, Belhanda… It was a crazy team all the same, when you think about it. On paper, it was crazy.

What sticks in your mind?
The atmosphere. Every month, we would have a team meal together. Then there were huge players. Mario, for example, his external image has nothing to do with the teammate he is. When you play with him, he is very tough, very “performer”. Outside, he’s lively, he laughs, he relaxes everyone. It was the same with Dante. Besides, seeing Dante still playing now, it delights me. I tell myself it’s beautiful. This is an example of professionalism and high standard. An example to follow.

You arrived the same summer…
The guy played in the World Cup, his arrival in Nice was already incredible. And he’s been here for 10 years. He has just had his meniscus done and after a month, here it is again. How beautiful it is. He is monstrous!

“I wish the supporters the best, because they deserve it”

If you had to cite a memory?
I have a collective one but it’s not necessarily the most obvious. We remained undefeated for a very long time and I remember very well our first defeat in Caen (1-0, after 9 wins and 2 draws during the first 11 chapters of the season). A match where we are fooled by experience. I remember Vercoutre in the goals who drove us crazy. More generally, I keep the whole season in mind. It was exceptional. We had an incredible first game, we were autumn champions, but we came across another very strong team the same year: a Monaco who also walked on water. This is the only frustrating part. Paris was there in between. I remember everything: the derbies, the home matches against Marseille, Monaco, even Paris which we beat. From Europe, Ajax (in Q3 of the Champions League) where I scored, Napoli (in the play-offs). When I think about it, it’s still incredible. There was real collective fervor. The stadium was often full. The atmosphere was crazy. People were having fun because they saw the game, we were having fun. It was really perfect.

And this despite a tragic summer…
The summer was marked by the attack on the Prom’ (which cost the lives of 86 people on July 14, 2016). It was important that people found pleasure again. We also did it for those who had left in this tragic moment. It all started with a header from Malang against Rennes on the first day, in a terrible match that we won (1-0). Everyone was dressed in white to pay tribute to the victims, there was not a sound. My wife is from Nice, that obviously had an impact on her. Me too. It all started there, in a very heavy atmosphere, with the heart on the jersey and the balloons for the missing.

Do you still follow the Gym?
Always. That interests me. I have seen the club change over the years. There, I am attentive to the team set up by Franck Haise, who arrived with his ideas and what he was able to do in Lens. We are on a project that could be very interesting, with a quality team. I also look at the players, those with whom or against whom I played. There is Gaëtan with whom I was in Montpellier. I think there is something good to be done. It’s a club that has grown. Now we need even more regularity. This is the most difficult.

Any last words?
I just wish the supporters the best, because they deserve it. Nice is a city that grows with football, a passionate city, a southern city. We need this warmth, this electric atmosphere. To the players, I wish them the best for the season. I think there is a way to do something really good!