Lubomir Moravcik, you signed for Saint-Etienne in 1990. After how long did the club make you understand that the derby against Lyon was very important?
Lubomir Moravcik. : “I understood immediately that there was a rivalry between the two cities, which are about fifty kilometers apart. The matches against PSG and OM were also a reference at the time, the stadium was always full. At the time, Saint-Étienne was a bigger club than OL. In addition, André Laurent, the ex-president, had ambition and hired a lot of players in 1990: Sylvain Kastendeuch, Jean-Pierre Cyprien, Jean-Claude Pagal or Loïc Lambert. Since then, things have changed, especially from the moment when Lyon has chained its seven titles of champion of France. “
What memories do you have of your first derby against OL?
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LM : “It’s too far, but I remember in particular my goal in Lyon in March 1991 (1-1). I found myself alone against Gilles Rousset, the Lyon goalkeeper. It was not a good goal but he counted a lot (laughs). Each time, the atmosphere was great. We, the players, we felt this tension. Me, I liked the matches with this intensity and sold out. When the derby came, I was remember that people in town kept telling me: ‘We have to beat the Lyonnais’. Lyon is a bigger city than Saint-Étienne and it was logical to want to bring them down. “
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In all derbies that you played, which one marked you the most?
LM : “Against OL, it was difficult to win. At the time, there were many draws in a row. So the derby that marked me was the victory (3-0) at home in 1994 (editor’s note: Etienne Mendy’s double and a goal from Pascal Despeyroux) .It pleased me that Pascal scored because he was not used to finding his way to the goal, it was normal because he was playing number 6. After this success, ASSE took 20 years to beat Lyon again at Geoffroy-Guichard . Every year, the local newspapers called me to tell me that the last victory was from my time. ”
Opposite, there were very good players during these derbies: Pascal Olmeta, Bruno N’Gotty, Manuel Amoros, Eric Roy, etc … Did the Lyon player give you the most difficulty on the pitch?
LM : “Rémi Garde played for a long time Lyon and it was always him who revolved around me. In addition, he was the captain, therefore the symbol of this Lyon team. He was boring to play like all the number 6 that I faced in France: Didier Deschamps in Marseille, Raphaël Guerreiro in
Lubomir Moravcik here in the duel with the ex-Parisian Julio Cesar Dely Valdes.
Credit: Getty Images
Do you think that the Lyon project definitely exceeded that of Saint-Etienne during this period?
LM : “Things turned around 1995, when OL finished second and us at the limit of relegation (note: 18th). Marseille had to repeat a season in D2 and we were saved thanks to that. At the time, President Aulas was there and Olympique Lyonnais already had ambitions. In Saint-Etienne , André Laurent wanted to do the same thing. But after his departure in 1993, there was a cut. Unfortunately, things went in the wrong direction. Then there is this 1995/96 season (note: that of the downhill in D2), of which I am not proud. I had been suspended during the last four matches. “
Besides your goal in 1991, there was there another personal action which marked your Saint-Étienne-OL derbies?
LM : “I do not don’t know why, but I remember that during the home defeat in 1992 (1-2), I tried an extraordinary volley. But Gilles Rousset had made an incredible save. If Lyon won this that day, it was thanks to him. In fact, I crossed paths with him later in Scotland, when I was at Celtic Glasgow and he at Heart of Midlothian. I scored this time around and we talked after the match. I told him: ‘You see, you made a big stop when I was playing in Saint-Etienne and there I beat you’ (laughs) “
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What, on the other hand, is your worst derby memory?
LM : “Frankly, I don’t have any. On the contrary, I always liked these matches There was tension and lots of motivated supporters. But concerning Lyon, one particular memory comes back to me: Bernard Lacombe called me in 1995 to tell me that he wanted to sign me for Lyon. I don’t know if Bernard remembers it, but I remember it well (laughs). When you’re a player and you’re having a bad season collectively, it’s rewarding to know that you still have good odds. I was 100% from Stéphanois. At the time, there was also Metz who wanted to hire me. “
Finally, how do you see the meeting this Sunday?
LM : “Two weeks ago, I was in Saint-Etienne for the inauguration of the Robert-Herbin training center and the 90 years of the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard . I was invited because I am an ambassador for the club. Today there are dif difficulties (note: ASSE is 20th). Against Lyon, it will not be easy. We have to raise our heads and I hope that the supporters will push the players to play the right game. ASSE must score points as quickly as possible. I really like this club and this region. I still have a lot of friends there. The first results that I look at are those of Saint-Etienne, then Bastia and Celtic. I like these three clubs, but Saint-Etienne is my first foreign club so it’s still something special for me. So I hope that the Greens will at least make a draw to get back to the fore.
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