Christian Gourcuff, one of the most emblematic coaches of French football, who spent nearly 40 years in the world of football, looks back on his career in a book entitled Christian Gourcuff,...Maintenance Christian Gourcuff: "Football is moving further and further away from the values of sport" Nantes coach Christian Gourcuff, on July 2, 2020 at La Jonelière AFP/Archives Text by: Farid Achache Follow 5 min Christian Gourcuff, one of the most emblematic coaches of French football, who spent nearly 40 years in the world of football, looks back on his career in a book entitled Christian Go

Maintenance

Christian Gourcuff: "Football is moving further and further away from the values of sport"

Nantes coach Christian Gourcuff, on July 2, 2020 at La Jonelière AFP/Archives

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

5 min

Christian Gourcuff, one of the most emblematic coaches of French football, who spent nearly 40 years in the world of football, looks back on his career in a book entitled Christian Gourcuff, my quest for the ideal game. The one who notably coached FC Lorient answers RFI's questions.

Advertising

RFI: After 40 years in football, you have retired. Was it hard to hang up?

Christian Gourcuff: No, as I went along, I took a step back and I don't miss it at all. I still have a passion for football, but the sport has changed a lot. I live in the memories, in the emotions that I have experienced throughout my career.

You say that opportunism has taken over in this sport. That is?

It's not just in football, it's a reflection of society. There is such a notion of financial interests, which has changed many things, that there is now a lot of opportunism in football, with networks, lobbies, sometimes favored by club structures. All this makes everyone want to put forward their interests at the expense of passion. This is also what we see in civil society. There is no longer room for a more romantic view of life. Football is run by people who are primarily interested in money and success. They are not passionate. It has an impact on young players, fans, media. Growing interests generate individualism. This goes against what makes the essence of football, it's obvious. Fortunately, there are still people who put forward passion.

The collective is no longer fashionable then?

Not really. Creating a collective requires time, investment and we can see that this is no longer possible today. It takes a minimum of time to work. A coach needs time to impose his paw, to work on recruitment. We are in the ephemeral and in the broufe. In my opinion, work values are neglected. A coach wins two games and he is exceptional. If he loses two, he is in danger. It's nonsense, and then there's a whirlwind all around with the media and fans grabbing it. There is also the lobby of agents who govern the market. It is the same logic as the economic sector.

Christian Gourcuff - My quest for the ideal © game AMPHORA

In your opinion, since when does this evolution, which gives pride of place to money in your opinion?

I have seen this evolution mainly in the last ten years. The status of the clubs has changed. There are holding companies that run. We don't even know who is behind it. We are very far from the values of a club as we conceived twenty years ago. It takes more and more money, sometimes with scammers. We are moving further and further away from the values of sport.

You miss PepGuardiola's Barcelona, an example for you.

This is the latest example of a club that has existed on a history and a philosophy. There was a training policy, with Iniesta, Xavi and even Messi, who arrived early and imbued with this philosophy. Xavi and Iniesta were a breath of fresh air when I watched them play. They had the technical quality, intelligence, and humility necessary for collective play. We cannot collectively play with excessive egos. The media, the public are now looking for personalities. These are not personalities, but excessive egos. Xavi and Iniesta were football, everything for football and the collective. They have been exceptional. The Guardiola years, it was fascinating to see the harmony that was around the club. It was a harmony between the coach, the players, the management and the fans. No need for big speeches, when we looked at Barcelona, we thought there was something more.

You quote Guardiola. What is the profile of the ideal coach, if it exists?

I don't think there is an ideal coach. The coach is part of a philosophy and must be in line with it. I think that if we look at the history of the big clubs, it is often when there is harmony between the coach and his environment. We talk about Barça, but there is also Ajax Amsterdam. In my opinion, a coach succeeds mainly in a good environment. If we take the example of Guardiola, he does not have the same success at Manchester City. Yet he works no less well. It's true, he had time to set up his team, implement his ideas, which is rare now. But City does not reach the level of Barcelona harmoniously. It's the harmony that makes football superb.

This is the big mistake of PSG who think that always changing the coach will make him win the Champions League?

PSG is yet another story. The interests of this club are above all communication. They have been in a short-term bidding war. We had to succeed very quickly. Twice, PSG could have won the Champions League. But between us, it is not because you win the Champions League that you will be placed in the hierarchy of the big clubs of the world on an emotional level. PSG is above all marketing, and absolutely not a club with a philosophy.

Christian Gourcuff: "Football is moving further and further away from the values of sport"

Christian Gourcuff: "Football is moving further and further away from the values of sport"

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest