Greg Coupet apologizes…kinda

I didn’t have time to talk about it but last week, after Lyon’s win over Valenciennes, Gregory Coupet told the press that “it’s more difficult to win at Valenciennes than at the Vélodrome”. Seen as how it’s been ten years since the last win of Marseille over Lyon at the Vélodrome, you can expect the France National Team keeper to be a little cocky since he never lost at the Vélodrome. Eric Gerets answered him yesterday at the press conference by thanking him and saying that the press clipping of his declaration had been splashed over the locker-room, to help “motivate” Marseillais players. Not that they ever really needed motivation to play Lyon. Now, Greg is backing down, saying that the journalist understood wrong what he meant.

“I said that it would be a match easier to get ready for, Just for the fact that the stadium can hold 60.000 people, there is a real atmosphere and it is a high-profile match. Let me say that I have great respect for Marseille and I would never allow myself to say that it is easy to win at Marseille. It is always a pleasure to make the trip to Marseille. I have never done this kind of thing, I am 35 years old and it’s not at this age that I am going to start doing these things. Currently, Stadium stands are ablaze all around the country and I wish to say that I am not here to stir anything.”

Gregory Coupet has not been known for his lack of diplomacy so I can say that his declarations of wednesday were all in good faith and that he really doesn’t want to turn this match into something that it’s not supposed to be.

Category: French Ligue 1