“We dream of things, and they do them.” Qualified Thursday evening for the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France by leaving Monaco after having already eliminated Toulouse, the coach of Rouen (National), Maxime d’Ornano, above all paid tribute to his players. “These are the best emotions,” he said after his team qualified on penalties (1-1, 6 shots on goal to 5) against a disappointing Monaco.
In the overheated atmosphere of the Robert-Diochon stadium, its players stood up to the Ligue 1 leader, just as they had fined the Toulouse title holders in the previous round. “The players are fabulous. We dream of things and they do them. It’s magnificent,” confided the coach, very moved.
“It is above all a human adventure. It’s a collective adventure, it’s a highlight for the club, so take advantage of it,” he told his players before the meeting. D’Ornano also praised the performance of his goalkeeper, Léonard Aggoune, usually a substitute and who stopped two opposing attempts in the penalty shootout. “He’s a hothead. He’s a happy guy in a group, he’s a great number two in the season because he helps number one a lot. This is his adventure and he is living it well. He wins the match for us, so it’s great,” he said.
In the quarter-final, Rouen will host a team that is less strong on paper, Valenciennes, the current bottom of Ligue 2 with only two victories in 23 days. But the Normandy coach is more wary of it than he is happy about it. “We endure the draw. For me, it will be the hardest match because we have just beaten two Ligue 1s, so everyone will perhaps see us as favorites,” he warned.
