Benjamin André during the Champions League match against Valencia -

JOSE JORDAN / AFP

  • Fourth in Ligue 1 last year, Losc qualified for the group stage of the Europa League, of which he will know his opponents this Friday.

  • Not sure, however, that the northern club plays the competition to the fullest since its priority will be to finish on the Ligue 1 podium to find the Champions League.

  • Michel Seydoux, former president of the club, explains why he did not make the Europa League a priority for the club.

Officially, the Losc will play it thoroughly.

Qualified for the Europa League after finishing fourth in a season aborted by the Covid, the northern club will know its opponents in the group stage this Friday during the draw organized in Nyon (Switzerland).

Promised, sworn, like all French clubs involved in this competition since its creation, Losc will do everything to go as far as possible.

The list of French clubs speaks for themselves: no success in the event since 1971, date of birth of the C3.

A schedule picked up due to the Covid

And very frankly, it's hard to see how Lille will change the course of things this year.

Especially with a group stage also picked up this season due to the Covid which kicks off the competition a month later than usual.

Suddenly, Lille will have to deal with six European games in eight weeks or by playing in Ligue 1 at the weekend.

More than ever, we will probably have to choose between Europa League and Ligue 1. In principle, the club will rely on the historic championship to find the much more prestigious Champions League as quickly as possible.

But since no one in the club will say it so openly, we went to ask the question to the former Lille.

And we were not disappointed.

President of Losc from 2002 to 2017, Michel Seydoux does not go by four ways.

Seydoux told his coaches to favor L1 over Europa League

“We always find it nice to play a European Cup but then we see if we have the means to play it.

And if we do not have the means, well we do not play it, “answers the former leader very frankly.

Moreover, at the time, Seydoux did not hesitate to go to the coach's office to tell him the color.

“I always told him that we could not do everything and that my priority was to finish on the podium in Ligue 1 to play the Champions League because that's what brought money to the club.

"

If the allocations of the Europa League have increased in recent years, the second European Cup remains light years from the Champions League financially.

“In my time, the Europa League reported nothing.

Worse, it was costing us dough.

You went to the other side of the earth and you weren't given anything to do it (laughs).

We often played in unfamiliar, untraceable and inaccessible stadiums.

It was costing us and it pumped us energy.

In the end, it only brought us prestige but it was not enough ”, continues the former boss of Losc.

Players who are fans of the Europa League

If the leader did not find his way financially in the Europa League, the players brought back tons of memories.

Midfielder at Losc from 2003 to 2011, Stéphane Dumont's eyes widen when you talk to him about the C3.

“I only have good memories of it.

We discover different footballs.

I still remember matches in Liverpool or even in Fenerbahçe.

These were great moments and the players were doing everything to advance as far as possible in the competition.

It's really fun to play and it also allows the entire workforce to be involved, ”confides the one who is now an assistant coach at the Reims stadium.

"Even when you win an Intertoto Cup deep in Portugal, you are super happy"

Moreover, no matter the pumping of energy, no matter the lack of prestige compared to the Champions League, no matter what the leaders think about it: the players like to play this kind of matches.

What a certain… Michel Seydoux easily recognizes.

“The players didn't give a damn about what we said.

They played and gave their all no matter what.

We couldn't choose for them.

My feeling clashed with reality.

There is not a player who does not want to play a European Cup whatever it is.

Even when you win an Intertoto Cup at 3 am in the depths of Portugal, you are super happy, ”concludes the ex-manager.

Sport

LOSC: Attackers unable to "kill the adversary" and regrets for Galtier

Sport

Mercato Losc: Which striker will leave Lille by October 5?

  • 20 minutes video

  • Europa League

  • European Cup

  • Michel seydoux

  • LOSC

  • League 1

  • Soccer

  • Lille

  • Sport