From Pascal Pain, hero of May 11, 1985, of a duel with Mulhouse (1-0), of a return to D1, to Vikash Dhorasoo, finalist of the 2006 World Cup, via Teddy Bertin, defender-gunner , and Denis Troch, one of the nine coaches of the Jean-Pierre Hureau era (1978-2000), all will remember the memory of a great leader, a great man.
Pascal Pain (HAC striker from 1982 to 1989): “I will remember so many things. Jean-Pierre Hureau was, first of all, a very great president, honest, of his word. Well, he was a little harsh when it came to finances, but in the company of Alain Belsœur, he held the reins of the club. When he made me sign my first professional contract, the club’s headquarters was still on Boulevard de Strasbourg. That’s how old it is! He loved the HAC and gave his life for the club. I always kept in touch with him. »
Denis Troch (HAC coach from July 1997 to October 1998): “He will remain as the president who allowed me to coach a Ligue 1 team for the first time. And I remember that mid-season (1997-98), we were in great danger. I was really starting to doubt. And there, he comes to see me and tells me not to worry, that at HAC, we were used to fighting and that everything would end well. On arrival, in the classification of the return phase, we finished in the lead with Marseille and in tenth place in the classification. Throughout my career, this episode has served me well. »
“When the president arrived at the refectory, we all had to stand up”
Teddy Bertin (HAC defender from 1991 to 1997): ” I am very sad. It was with him that I signed my first professional contract, he was the one who launched me. He was simply a great man. He was upright, whole, passionate, honest. He had such charisma. We, the young people, had a special relationship with him. He took us under his wing, redirected us when necessary, when we went out a little too much for example. And then there was this somewhat tense period, in 1996, when he refused to let me sign for Bordeaux, at the same time as Ibou (Ba). I scowled, but hey, I also understood that he doesn’t want to see all the players he had launched leave at the same time. I will always have great respect when thinking of him. »
Vikash Dhorasoo (HAC midfielder from 1993 to 1998): “For us, the former players, for football lovers more generally, it is an immense sadness. I loved him very much, I loved spending time with him and his wife Maria (Editor’s note: died in 2023). And then he was one of those historic presidents, the locals, the ones we met in town. At the Brasserie Paillette, people mainly went there to see him. I remember the first time I saw him at the training center. At that time, when the president arrived at the dining hall, we all had to stand up. It was a mark of respect. And then he said to me: “Hello Mr. Dhorasoo”. I felt important. Subsequently, he was always proud of my success, because I was from here, from Le Havre. »
Agnès Firmin Le Bodo (deputy for Sports in 2006, under the mandate of Antoine Rufenacht) : ” I am very sad. I regularly came across Jean-Pierre Hureau, whom I had known for at least thirty years, at the stadium during the HAC matches. I met him in the stands a few months ago: he kept this great elegance and remained in love with the HAC and his city. He always had a kind word for everyone. And then, he remains associated with the Paillette brasserie where we used to celebrate electoral victories. This is the case of that of 1995 (Editor’s note: the RPR Antoine Rufenacht then took the reins of the town hall of Le Havre) with an atmosphere of madness. Jean-Pierre Hureau was there. I will remember it all my life. Like this image of him with his wife in their restaurant, the Bistrot des Halles, both very endearing. »
