Paul Rouget, Media365: published on Monday December 23, 2024 at 5:13 p.m.
The 16th final of the Coupe de France between Auvergne amateurs Espaly and PSG could take place at Marcel-Michelin, home of Clermont rugby players, rather than at Geoffroy-Guichard.
They dreamed of it. Fallers of Dijon on penalties Friday in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France (1-1, 4-3 tab), fans of Espaly (N3) had to watch on Sunday and wait for the outcome of another session , between Lens and PSG in Bollaert, to know the identity of their opponents. And it will indeed be the Parisians, winners by the same score (1-1, 4-3 tab), who they will face in mid-January.
The Haute-Loire players will, however, not be able to host the title holders, and record winners in the competition (15), in their Viouzou stadium, on the mountainside, with its 460 seats, but will have to emigrate to a larger enclosure. And not in Saint-Etienne, contrary to what one might have thought. Their president rather mentioned a rugby stadium…
“Bring Auvergne to see PSG”
“Today, we are only working on one hypothesis, that of playing at the Marcel-Michelin stadium in Clermont,” Christian Perbet told L’Equipe. “From an economic and identity point of view, that makes the most sense. Geoffroy Guichard would be difficult to fill And then, we really want to bring Auvergne to see PSG. I am convinced that the Auvergne public will respond and that we will be able to fill this stadium with 19. 000 seats. It is a venue which is used to hosting European Cup matches, this would allow everyone to be welcomed in good conditions.”
The Parisian coach will not be lost, as he assured Bollaert on Sunday evening, when asked where Espaly was. “If I’m not mistaken, and my French geography doesn’t fail me, it’s close to Lyon, a little south of Lyon, right?”, he replied with a smile, before concluding: “Not that stupid, coach, huh?”
