• Tweeter
  • republish

Gernot Rohr in the company of Nigerian players. Reuters

The French-German Gernot Rohr, at the head of Nigeria, will be opposed to Cameroon in the round of 16 in Alexandria on Sunday, July 6th. The former defender and coach of the Girondins de Bordeaux has also been coach of Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso. Meeting with a fan of African football.

From our special envoy to Alexandria ,

" I hope to be here again next week ," jokes Gernot Rohr with this little accent that suits him well. The man who masters both the language of Molière and that of Goethe finishes this interview with a broad smile. Attentive, courteous, refined, he wishes you a good evening and a good appetite, a UFO in the world of football.

Bordeaux, land of success

The Franco-German landed in France in 1977 at the age of 24 and settled on the banks of the Garonne. And it is the Girondins he will know his hours of glory with including three titles of champion of France (431 games played). It crosses at the time Giresse, Tigana, Lacombe, Batiston, or Treasury. He then joins the technical staff of the Girondins where he has under his leadership, future world champions 1998: Zidane, Lizarazu and Dugarry.

Gernot Rohr becomes the coach of Nice and raises the club at the highest level. One of his finest feats of arms. " The most undisciplined German and the most disciplined French, " according to a phrase of Bernard Lacombe, had arrived on the Promenade des Anglais in January 2001.

His first African experience, Gernot Rohr the life in Tunisia, the star of the Sahel in 2008. At the time, the one who made a final of the European Cup with Bordeaux as a coach does not have a problem of adaptation thanks to his African wife. " It was almost logical (laughs), I was not out of the way with the mentality. I did not regret it, "he says. Adding: " And I have always been surrounded by African players in Bordeaux. Since then, he has traveled Africa .

With Gabon in the quarterfinals of the CAN

Gernot Rohr leads Gabon in the quarter-finals of the 2012 CAN, before becoming the coach of Niger and Burkina Faso. " I have a huge memory of my time in Niger. A country of absolute poverty, but an incredible human adventure with extraordinary people. We lived a CAN together, it was a small miracle .

" It's not always easy in Nigeria, " says Gernot Rohr, who has brought some form of " serenity " to the Super Eagles who missed the 2015 and 2017 CAN due to non-qualification. " I picked a lot of young players who came under the age of 17 and 20. I left aside the rather complicated characters .

Will Nigeria, Africa's triple champion, be the culmination of her career in Africa? " We could say it. I hope to go far with this team, "says Gernot Rohr who is proud to have participated in the 2018 World Cup in Russia with the Super Eagles and gives the feeling of being fulfilled here in Egypt. His goal: to finish on the podium.

Respect for the hierarchy

" Often, we say:" this Franco-German will bring a little rigor, " jokes the former defender, son of a footballer, married to a Malagasy, who was illustrated from 1972 to 1974 at Bayern Munich Franz Beckenbauer. But Gernot Rohr admits that with his faculties of adaptation, and understanding, he was able to easily go to others and in front of problems. " In Nigeria, it's not difficult to coach. My players are respectful. There is this notion of hierarchy that comes into play, "he explains. However, he was already entitled to strike threats before the second match of the pools for reasons of bonuses. His persuasiveness to pay.

Of all his African years, Gernot Rohr remembers qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after a win over Zambia. Finally, we ask him for an anecdote lived on the African continent. " I'll have to take some time to choose the best, " he says with a smile. At our next meeting, we will not fail to remind him.

Also read: Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup