Bordeaux primed to undermine Lyon title bid

December 13, 2009

French league leaders Bordeaux welcome Lyon to the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday knowing that victory would take them eight points clear of their title rivals at the top of the table.

Both clubs have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, but Bordeaux’s league form is much better and with the winter break approaching they have a prime opportunity to deal their foes a timely psychological blow.

The reigning champions recovered from a first home defeat in over two years against Valenciennes to record back-to-back wins at Nancy and at home to Paris Saint-Germain, but Lyon have just one win in their last seven league matches.

Lyon, the dominant side of the decade who won seven straight titles between 2002 and 2008, warmed up for the clash with a 4-0 Champions League win over Hungarian side Debrecen in mid-week, but coach Claude Puel rejected suggestions his team were in need of a lift.

“It’s not a question of relief or of being reassured or I don’t know what,” said the former Lille manager.

“The previous matches are out of our system and we’re concentrating on the games ahead. Now, with Bordeaux, we change the register and the competition. We’ll have to recover well for the match on Sunday.”

Laurent Blanc was able to field a second-string XI for Bordeaux’s final Champions League assignment, a 1-0 win at Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa.

The first-team stars are expected to return on Sunday, with midfielder Yoann Gourcuff set to play despite having missed training on Wednesday with toothache.

Lyon will likely be without their France international winger Sidney Govou, who was forced off with an injury in the 29th minute of their victory at home to Debrecen on Wednesday.

Govou hurt himself in the build-up to Bafetimbi Gomis’s 25th-minute opener and was replaced by Bosnian starlet Miralem Pjanic, who stands by to deputise.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris required stitches after a clash of heads with Debrecen’s French striker Adamo Coulibaly but his injuries are not thought serious enough to jeopardise his participation against Bordeaux.

Second-placed Montpellier, who spent the last five seasons in Ligue 2, could close to within a point of Bordeaux at the head of the standings if they win at Toulouse on Sunday afternoon.

Bottom side Grenoble, who picked up their first win of the season at home to Toulouse last weekend, visit Sochaux, while PSG hope to have Turkish striker Mevlut Erding back from a knee problem for the visit of Saint-Etienne.

Fixtures

Sunday (1600GMT unless otherwise stated)

Monaco v Lille, Paris Saint-Germain v Saint-Etienne, Sochaux v Grenoble, Toulouse v Montpellier, Lyon v Bordeaux (2000GMT)

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Bordeaux, claude puel, coulibaly, debrecen, dominant side, final champions league, France, france international, french league, Germain, Grenoble, Hugo Lloris, laurent blanc, league leaders, Lille, maccabi haifa, Monaco, Montpellier, Nancy, PARIS, paris saint germain, prime opportunity, saint etienne, second string, seven league, sidney govou, stade chaban delmas, straight titles, Toulouse, valenciennes, Yoann

Bordeaux primed to undermine Lyon title bid

December 12, 2009

French league leaders Bordeaux welcome Lyon to the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday knowing that victory would take them eight points clear of their title rivals at the top of the table.

“It’s not a question of relief or of being reassured or I don’t know what,” said the former Lille manager.

Laurent Blanc was able to field a second-string XI for Bordeaux’s final Champions League assignment, a 1-0 win at Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa.

The first-team stars are expected to return on Sunday, with midfielder Yoann Gourcuff set to play despite having missed training on Wednesday with toothache.

Lyon will likely be without their France international winger Sidney Govou, who was forced off with an injury in the 29th minute of their victory at home to Debrecen on Wednesday.

Govou hurt himself in the build-up to Bafetimbi Gomis’s 25th-minute opener and was replaced by Bosnian starlet Miralem Pjanic, who stands by to deputise.

Marseille will look to bounce back from their own Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, 3-1 winners at the Stade Velodrome on Tuesday, when they host Boulogne on Saturday.

Top scorer and captain Mamadou Niang was forced out of the match against Real with a shoulder injury and could be out for up to six weeks.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps hinted on Thursday that the Senegalese forward’s absence could prompt him to enter the January transfer market.

“I don’t rule it out, but buying someone who would give us something extra, particularly in attack, is expensive and I don’t think it would be possible,” said Deschamps.

Second-placed Montpellier, who spent the last five seasons in Ligue 2, could close to within a point of Bordeaux at the head of the standings if they win at Toulouse on Sunday afternoon.

Fifth-placed Auxerre, meanwhile, are hoping to have last season’s top scorer Ireneusz Jelen fit for the trip to Lorient on Saturday, after the Polish marksman returned to training following a bicep injury.

Fixtures

Saturday (1800GMT unless otherwise stated)

Le Mans v Valenciennes, Lens v Nice, Marseille v Boulogne, Nancy v Rennes, Lorient v Auxerre (2000GMT)

Sunday (1600GMT unless otherwise stated)

Monaco v Lille, Paris Saint-Germain v Saint-Etienne, Sochaux v Grenoble, Toulouse v Montpellier, Lyon v Bordeaux (2000GMT)

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: claude puel, coulibaly, debrecen, dominant side, final champions league, france international, french league, Germain, Grenoble, Hugo Lloris, laurent blanc, Lorient, maccabi haifa, MADRID, Marseille, Montpellier, Nancy, PARIS, paris saint germain, prime opportunity, Rennes, second string, seven league, stade chaban delmas, valenciennes, Yoann

PSG coach threatens rival over Makelele slur

September 29, 2009

Paris Saint-Germain coach Antoine Kombouare said that Christian Gourcuff “deserves a smack in the mouth”, after the Lorient manager claimed PSG midfielder Claude Makelele was “past it”.

The Parisians were held to a 1-1 draw at Lorient on Saturday, during which former Real Madrid and Chelsea man Makelele was fortunate to avoid a red card for a foul on Sigamary Diarra in the first half.

Gourcuff, the father of Bordeaux star Yoann, declared afterwards that Makelele was “past it and has no place on a football pitch”, prompting an extraordinary outburst from Kombouare.

“You must respect the man (Makelele) and his career,” Kombouare told RMC radio on Monday.

“Someone needs to stub Christian Gourcuff’s cigar out. I’m very annoyed. You can say what you like about the player but it’s forbidden to attack the man. Christian Gourcuff should talk about football and stop thinking he’s someone else.

“I get the impression that this guy is bitter. Is he worried about something? Excuse me for these words, but in my opinion a guy like this deserves a smack in the mouth.

“I’m really annoyed and I’m making a stand about what Gourcuff said. Furthermore, I’ve left him two messages and he still hasn’t called me back.

“I can understand what he said at the end of the match, that Claude Makelele committed a lot of fouls, that sometimes he pushed things to the limit and that he deserved a red card for what he did to Sigamary Diarra. No problems. When you’re angry you react like that, I speak from experience.

“But I do not accept him attacking the integrity of a player, my player. When he says that he’s past it and has no place on a football pitch, I say ’stop’. He is disrespectful, has gone too far and will have to answer to me. There are things I cannot accept.”

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Antoine Kombouare, Bordeaux, CHELSEA, Christian Gourcuff, cigar, Claude Makelele, diarra, football pitch, fouls, Germain, gourcuff, integrity, Lorient, MADRID, match, midfielder, outburst, PARIS, paris saint germain, parisians, psg coach, radio, real madrid, slur, two messages, Yoann

Gourcuff will return to Milan if they rate him: father

January 17, 2009

ROME (AFP) – The father of Bordeaux’s France international midfielder Yoann Gourcuff said Friday that his son, currently on loan with the French outfit, would return to AC Milan if the Italians show they have "confidence" in his abilities.

"Yoann belongs to Milan. He can stay in France – but only with Bordeaux if the team strengthens itself and qualifies for the Champions League," Christian Gourcuff, who coaches top flight side Lorient, told the Gazzetta dello Sport sports daily.

Christian Gourcuff said that Bordeaux did not necessarily have to hang on to highly-rated coach Laurent Blanc for his son to stay with the Girondins.

"In football, everything is possible. The release clause in his contract (15 million euros) is ambiguous and there is also the possibility of a loan," he said.

Asked what would persuade his 22-year-old offspring that he would be best served by returning to Milan, Christian Gourcuff said: "(Obtaining) the confidence of the person who sends him out onto the field.

"In Bordeaux, he has the confidence of the coach. That is the essential thing.

"At Milan he turned in some good showings but gave the impression of not having found his rhythm. In fact that’s because he did not have the confidence of (coach Carlo) Ancelotti. who counted on older players and limited (squad) turnover.

"You cannot not play a 21-year-old – his career is at stake. We all agreed a loan out was necessary."

At Bordeaux, Gourcuff has been playing superbly and the club trail champions and leaders Lyon by just one point.

Written by: AFP