PODCAST
Othniel Dossevi is one of the legends of Paris Saint-Germain. His name does not sound familiar ? Yet this striker played a key role in the club's destiny. He is the first goalscorer in the history of PSG to have scored at the Parc des Princes.
In 1972, Paris Saint-Germain had just fallen back to the third division after its divorce from Paris Football Club. President Henri Patrelle seeks to recruit, without spending too much. And he spotted a player with an atypical career: Othniel Dossevi. Born in Togo, Othniel arrived in Tours in 1963 with his parents. He played at the local club, then joined Clermont, in the 3rd division, tells Julien Froment in the fourth episode of "Partner n ° 1, the birth of a big club in Paris", a podcast produced by Europe 1 Studio.
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Its objective: the aggregation of letters
But football is clearly not his goal. Othniel Dossevi is above all an intellectual. His dream is not to become a professional player but to obtain the aggregation of letters. Henri Patrelle is however determined to count him among his players. To convince him, the president of PSG then makes him an offer that Othniel Dossevi cannot refuse: he offers him a small apartment in Paris, a little money and he promises to present it to an official of the Normal School. Superior of Letters at Saint-Cloud. In other words, it offers him the best possible conditions to prepare for aggregation.
Othniel Dossevi is seduced. Quickly, he found a balance at Paris Saint-Germain. He reads La Pléiade during the week, puts on crampons at the weekend and with him, the season is successful. Thanks to a helping hand from fate, the club even climbs into the second division.
The goal that changed everything
And on November 10, 1973, Othniel Dossevi definitely entered the history of the club. For the first time, PSG crowd the lawn of the Parc des Princes facing the Red Star Football Club. It's an opening match, it takes place at the end of the day just before the match everyone is expecting, Paris Football Club against Nancy. And yet it is the PSG that will make sparks that evening!
In the stands, there are 33,872 spectators. And on an innocuous action on the Auteuil stand side, Othniel Dossevi enters the legend: "I know that the defense of the Red Star was very rough, the attackers were less well protected than today, you had to be quick and skilful to jump, to avoid tackles from defenders, ”remembers the striker. "A deep call and I throw myself to dive over the goalkeeper"
Othniel Dossevi thus becomes the first Paris Saint-Germain player to shake the nets of the Parc des Princes! And Paris finally won three goals to one. What to give desires of greatness to Daniel Hechter, who has just taken the head of PSG! He now has a crazy dream: to climb to the first division the following season. It will quickly become reality. As for Othniel Dossevi, he also achieved his goal: to obtain the aggregation that same year. The footballer will become a humanities teacher!