This Saturday, September 28, AS Monaco celebrated its centenary in the most beautiful way with a stunning victory against Montpellier in the final seconds of added time, sealing a memorable success (2-1). A grandiose party attended by 13,065 spectators, in the presence of Prince Albert II, President Dmitri Rybolovlev and many club legends.
Advertisement
What an incredible evening! Adorned in red and white, the Stade Louis-II exuded grandeur and nostalgia. On the occasion of the centenary of AS Monaco, the club invited the great figures of its history, united under the benevolent gaze of Prince Albert II, moved to see them again.
After visiting the Performance Center in La Turbie a few hours earlier, around fifty former players, coaches and trainers such as Delio Onnis, Ludovic Giuly, Jean-Luc Etorri, Arsène Wenger, Claude Puel, Gérard Banide, Danijel Subasic, Eric Abidal, Ali Benarbia, Emmanuel Petit, Marco Simone and Andréas Zikos, all together performed a lap of honor at the edge of the pitch to greet the public as well as the Prince’s box before the start of the match.
Even before kick-off, another exceptional moment captivated the audience: three skydivers from Team Skydive Monaco made a spectacular entry by delivering the match ball from the Monegasque sky. Lucien Cossou, the eldest of the legends present, received the ball from the hands of the paratroopers before passing it to Winsley Bolmin, the youngest resident of the Academy.
The fictitious kick-off was then given with great fanfare by Prince Albert II, Dmitri Rybolovlev, Lucien Cossou and the young Winsley Bolmin. A solemn moment, full of symbolism, where generations crossed paths to honor the history of a legendary club.
Montpellier, a guest who came to disturb the party
The first minutes of the match were to the advantage of Adi Hütter’s men, with a strike from Breel Embolo which narrowly missed (7th). But against all odds, it was Montpellier who opened the scoring. In the 16th minute, Rabby Nzingoula shook the Monaco net, wrong-footing a defense that was a little too advanced. The shadow of a cold snap then hung over the Stade Louis-II.
AS Monaco could have cracked. It took an incredible save from Mohammed Salisu on his line (17th) to prevent Montpellier from doubling the lead. This was the turning point. Stung, the Red and Whites rushed to the attack and Folarin Balogun, the American dynamiter, equalized with a left shot, brilliantly adjusted to the near post (32nd). The stadium exploded, AS Monaco returned to the game.
A tense match
Far from settling for a draw, the two teams continued to attack. Each side went blow for blow in a breathtaking second half. A shot from Vanderson narrowly missed finding the fault from the restart (47th). Téji Savanier responded tit for tat but Philipp Köhn was uncompromising in his cages (49th).
As the clock ticks down, the Monegasques have increased their attempts. Balogun, again, thought to give his team the advantage in the 65th minute, but his shot crashed onto the post. The tension rose and the opportunities followed one another on both sides. Montpellier’s stable defense continued to repel the attacks of the Rouge et Blanc. Salisu saw his header saved on the line by Wahbi Khazri, while Savanier, from a free kick, made the public shudder by finding the square (85th).
Lamine Camara, hero of the centenary
The match seemed headed for a frustrating draw. But that was without counting on the talent of a young man: Lamine Camara, who thrilled the supporters in the last minutes. After eight minutes of added time, when all seemed lost, Camara recovered the ball at the edge of the area and fired a sharp shot. The silence before the explosion… the ball lodged in the back of the net, with the help of the post (98th). Deliverance for AS Monaco!
The Rocher club then led 2-1. The Stade Louis-II was exultant, the celebration was total. A few seconds later, the referee finally whistled the end of the match, releasing indescribable joy for both the players and the spectators.
The centenary was celebrated in the most beautiful way, with a close victory, as a nod to the tumultuous and glorious history of a legendary club.
« It’s a collective victory, even if it’s an important goal! Usually I play lower down, in the defensive midfielder position, but here the coach brought me in front and told me that I had to project myself and offer opportunities to the team. I tried it, and it smiled on me! I tried my luck and there I was, putting the ball in the back of the net. Then I see everyone running towards me on the field, it was incredible.
Obviously, because it was an important match with the Legends of AS Monaco who were there. It was therefore essential for us to bring home the three points this evening. The scenario smiled on us, and we will try to continue like that », declared a happy Camara at the end of the meeting.
Adi Hütter’s reactions
His feelings after the match: “ It’s simply football! You can imagine that we didn’t want to play a draw here because it would have been a disappointment. But in the final moments, you score in the 98th minute thanks to Lamine Camara.
The emotions were really strong, everyone wanted this victory and we are very happy to have won it tonight. The red card helped of course, but as a coach you always have to believe in your players until the end, even when the fans thought it was over ».
His opinion on the Lamine Camara match: “ Lamine is a very young player, he had a very good reaction tonight. He played for Metz last season, which was relegated. It’s a good transfer for us, he’s made a big development here and today he’s the one who decides the fate of the match, I like these kinds of players ».
What the centenary match represented in his eyes: “ I am happy for the supporters, the players who have been at the club as well as all the coaches. When I learned that Arsène Wenger was there, it’s a big family here and this victory is a gift for all these people present ».
An evening forever etched in history
When the final whistle blew, the evening was not at the end of its surprises. Under a long, absolutely exceptional audiovisual and pyrotechnic show, lighting up the Monegasque sky with fireworks and lasers, players and spectators did not hide their emotion.
Prince Albert II, always loyal to his club, congratulated the players with a broad smile. President Dmitri Rybolovlev also praised the work of his men. As for the fifty club legends, from Lucien Cossou to Ludovic Giuly, they all applauded this new page in the history of the Rocher club.
We can say it, this 100th anniversary match will remain engraved in the memory of all lovers of the club, a day when the past and the present came together to celebrate a bright future.
With this victory, AS Monaco joins Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 with 16 points. After six days of the championship without defeat, the Principality club will travel to Zagreb for its second challenge in the Champions League on Wednesday October 2.
