In 2009, under the colors of Alcorcon (Spanish D3), the number 10 Vertavien Jeremy Lempereur eliminated Real Madrid Karim Benzema in the King's Cup. The memory is intact.
The story is as old as the world is David against Goliath ... Iberian football version this time. On the other side of the Pyrenees, the superiority of the Barça-Real ticket goes through the ages and the number of teams to have jostled the hierarchy is counted on the fingers of one hand. Suffice to say that when the modest club of Alcorcon, third division boarder, offers himself, with the way, the scalp of one of the two behemoths, the shockwave is up to the feat. It was in 2009, in the middle of autumn.
"At 4-0, Benzema came to bring me his jersey"
Alcorcon, a suburban club from Madrid, is the big winner with this double showdown against Real and his stars in the 32nd round of the King's Cup. In his ranks, Jérémy Lempereur, a 21-year-old French native of Savenay. " I did not realize that we could play them," he recalls with a smile. I thought they would put their team B or C. Normal against a D3 ... "
Media solicitations are growing as fast as the pressure on the approaching first leg. It takes place at the municipal stadium of Santo Domingo, " a very small stadium of 5000 places". For the event, the club and the city install additional stands " there were people on the electricity pylons. It was the derby, it was crazy, says Jeremy Lempereur. The Real players arrived by bus with the helicopter above, there was Raul, Benzema, Guti ... "
Before the kick-off, Jérémy Lempereur and his teammates are afraid of being ridiculous. But their coach finds the right words to give themselves thoroughly: " Even if it is not the typical team, they are all international. Forty-five minutes later, Alcorcon leads 3-0, already a feat. " There was a sense of self-sufficiency," Vertou's midfielder recalls. There were only the two central defenders. Laterals and midfields came back while walking ... We sent waves on their backs. "
In the second half, the Madrilenians get upset, a fourth goal will end the hopes of teammates Karim Benzema. " At the warm-up, I went to ask him if I could get his shirt back after the match. He told me no problem. At 4-0, with the ground invaded, he came to give it to me wishing me good luck for the future. He was so cool because I had it in his place, I would have twisted ! "
In the return leg, in front of a Santiago Bernabeu stadium convinced to see his stars reverse the score, Alcorcon qualifies after a short 1-0 defeat. " The stadium was packed full. I thought we were going to take 10 ! " 30 minutes from the end, Lempereur makes his entry " I had to close the spaces on the side of Marcelo, it was impressive, everything he was going to 10,000 ! He also remembers Pepe: "I had a duel with Pepe, he put his arm, I immediately realized that I will not pass. "
With hindsight, the green midfielder savored. "See you later, I was lucky to experience that". If time passes quickly , the Emperor can plunge into his memories as soon as he wishes thanks to Karim Benzema's jersey. In the meantime, he admits to "secretly dreaming of an epic" with Vertou.