Montpellier HSC – When Game of Thrones came into life in France

Written by Subhajit Sengupta on February 27, 2018

Every season in every league has its own story but what makes it worth buying is the irresistible drama in it. The season of 2011-12 was all about drama in Europe. In England, the sleeping giants Manchester City won their maiden Premier League trophy on the last day through a couple of breath-taking injury time winners by Edin Džeko and Sergio Agüero. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund won their second consecutive Bundesliga title under Jürgen Klopp. Real Madrid crossed the 100 points hurdle for the first time in La Liga under José Mourinho and Juventus won their first Scudetto under Antonio Conte since gaining promotion from Serie B in 2006-07 en route becoming the first team in Serie A to finish a 38-match-season undefeated. But the most intriguing thriller of all took place in France. The team was Montpellier, our French Black Swan, presented to you by Subhajit Sengupta at Goalden Times.

April 2nd, 2016, Venue:  Upton Park. Seven Crystal Palace players formed a wall as Dimitri Payet stood against the ball about 20 odd yards from the goal. With an average height of above 6 feet 2 inches, the wall seemed unbreachable and the goal mouth was practically invisible but it hardly mattered for the man who was in the form of his life. Seconds later he guided the ball into the top corner of the net with an unstoppable power and razor sharp perfection. The goal was a glimpse of his brilliance perfected by years of practicing in one of Europe’s most fertile football environments – France. Across the European leagues, France exports the second highest number of players (highest being Brazil1). The English Premier League alone had 36 French players in the 2015-16 season2. It is needless to say that Europe has gained a healthy number of French artists over the years however that statistics has harmed the top division league of France heavily. One of the oldest top division football leagues in Europe, Ligue 1 is ranked fifth according to the current UEFA coefficient trailing behind La Liga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (England) and Serie A (Italy).

Although established in 1932, the current promotion and relegation system and number tally of participating clubs in Ligue 1 has been rigid since 1964 and since then Ligue 1 has become an exciting league in itself. Though Ligue 1 has managed to increase a fair amount of collective budget over the years, majority of the clubs has maintained a tradition of being managed to perfection with very little budget. Exploring youth talents from academy, nurturing lesser known potentials and making them big names of future is what Ligue 1 is good at. From Raymond Kopa to Michel Platini, from Zinedine Zidane to Thierry Henry, Ligue 1 has given it all only to see them flourishing to their best elsewhere. However, post 20th century, Paris Saint-Germain have managed to attract plenty of proven talents to Parc des Princes as they started a successful process of restructuring their squad to leave their underdog stature behind.

What makes Ligue 1 so much predictable is that only a handful number of times; there has been a season of major upsets, the latest of which happened in the season of 2011-12. One of the four founding members of professional football in France, (the eternal underdogs), Montpellier went all the way to the top, going against all the odds.

The year 2011 had another very important aspect in terms of television viewers. George R. R. Martin’s epic novel series hit the television screen that same year and half the world went crazy about it; thinking what might be the next unthinkable twist awaiting them in the next episodes. The people of France however, were luckier. Because that same year a somewhat similar story came into life there in the form of the beautiful game. The story came to conclusion after 38 weeks so they didn’t have to wait for George R. R. Martin to finish his work. And as we all know, truth is always stranger than fiction. The drama that went on for 38 weeks on the lush green pitch was even more unpredictable to make a deduction even for an author of Martin’s stature. Let’s take a look back to that dramatic season of Ligue 1 in the backdrop of Martin’s novel; not the way he wrote, but the way we saw it.

The drama consisted of 20 houses fighting for the throne: “L’Hexagoal”, unlike Martin’s seven but we will predominantly be looking at the heroics of Stark House (Montpellier) and their journey of taking over the throne.

The Holy Houses

The Starks come from the coastal lands of the Mediterranean Sea. The house is ruled by Eddard Stark (Louis Nicollin), a French entrepreneur who believed strongly in the ideology of the great Napoléon Bonaparte: “When small men attempt great enterprises, they always end by reducing them to the level of their mediocrity.”3 The long history of the house contributed to the lord’s reluctance of pedigree of conquering the throne. Since its inception in 1919, Montpellier had little luck and consistency. Changing its name time and again and dissolving the club to clear the debts, getting relegated to as low as third division and even losing their professional status leading the club to play in the amateur league, they have tasted it all but a consistent run of glory. Their first major success came in 1929, even before professional football existed in France. They won the Coupe de France that year which is known as the “Redemption of La Paillade” when they were in the process of rebuilding their image after being relegated to the second division for the first time in 1925, after being found guilty of financial misfeasance. After Louis Nicollin took over the charges in 1974, he tried to stabilize the long running financial crunch of the club. Fifteen years of his convincing effort finally led the General Council of Hérault to help the club with financial support. Slowly but steadily Nicollin’s regime was bringing hope to the southern coast land once again after six decades of disappointing run. The love of the tenant’s encouraged the lord too and he used his treasury in the hope of good effects. He brought in the then revered knights like Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, Roger Milla and Carlos Valderrama to fill in the trophy cabinet of Stade de la Mosson but the results were far from convincing. Apart from their second Coupe de France title in 1990, the king was left empty handed for the next decade and a half. And thus, the gates of the treasury were kept closed and a desperate search for a worthy lord commander was in process. The lord was adamant this time and put an end to importing foreign knights to decorate his army and announced that the new lord commander had to work solely upon the homegrown pawns making the job description even more difficult. No one could have possibly fitted the job description better than Jon Snow (René Girard) who had so far managed several French national teams across different age groups. Nicollin appointed René Girard as the lord commander of Montpellier in the summer of 2009. Girard had no prior experience of managing at top division league but he was good with the youth crop and that was exactly what the Starks were looking for. Girard’s methods came into immediate effects as his team finished fifth in his opening season in the league table in their first season back in the top tier. This was the best run they had in Eddard Stark’s regime so far. There are no prizes for guessing that Jon Snow had already left a positive impression on the Stark House. And so, he was given the license to access the treasury and put it to good use. Girard needed a lethal finisher up front very badly. He wasn’t someone who’s well known to have read prophecy very well but somehow, he did. Breaking the club transfer record by spending €2m, Girard brought a 24-year-old knight named Olivier Giroud from Tours, a second division club in France. Giroud having a formidable scoring record in the second division league became the trusted slayer in Girard’s army. In the end of Girard’s second season when Montpellier finished in the modest 14th position, everyone including Nicollin thought that all hopes are lost and they had again come to maintain their disappointing inconsistency but Girard could still see the silver lining as his team finished second in the French League Cup. Girard had always believed that it’s not the sharpness of the blade or the quality of the steel that makes a deadly sword but the hands of the knight that swings it. Girard’s army didn’t have any of the best knights of Europe and yet they had the potential to upset the best, but to conquer the iron throne Jon Snow needed “A Few Good Men”. The Starks were sceptical about spending any more gold but because of the positive impression that Jon Snow already left, the lord allowed him to use the gold he received in exchange of selling one of his pawns. The money was enough for Girard to bring in one experienced knight to the Stark house – the Cameroon left-back Henri Bedimo. One of the other knights who later became one of the most loyal protectors of Girard’s army joined for free – the Brazilian defender Vitorino Hilton. Jon Snow’s army was ready to invade Westeros but deep down, they knew they didn’t have half the men or ammunition to reach what they were burgeoning for.

Montpellier
Presentation of Olivier Giroud at Montpellier

Post 20th century, Westeros was completely dominated by House Baratheon (Lyon). They won the Ligue 1 for a consecutive seven times. But then Bordeaux and Marseille brought in the wind of change as they won the title in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively. The wind was blowing far too heavy in the next season as well and this time it was coming thick and fast from the house Lannister in Paris. Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) had been named the new lord of the house and with that they built the best army of France. Javier Pastore, Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi, Mohamed Sissoko, Jérémy Ménez, Salvatore Sirigu, Maxwell, you name it, they had it. A sum of above €100m was spent to rebuild the army and then there was Montpellier whose net transfer spend for the same season was zero. The sleeping giants of France were ready to conquer the iron throne of France, ending their 18-year-drought. A drama of high intensity was about to be staged between the two most uneven contenders for the ultimate glory.

Then the hunt began on 7 August, 2011.

Winter Is Coming (Gameweek 2)

The first real test came early in the second week when Montpellier went to visit Grand Stade Lille Métropole, the backyard of one of the rising powers in France, House Targaryen (Lille). In Martin’s novel, the Targaryens had dragons. In reality they had certain Eden Hazard and Dimitri Payet and their firepower could burn any opponent in a matter of seconds. Girard’s men were shaky, vulnerable and far more defensive minded, conceding 21 fouls in the process yet they kept Lille’s frontline away from creating any danger. Then in the 70th minute, the finest sword in the battle drew the first blood. Olivier Giroud’s powerful left footed shot scored the decisive winner which earned them an important away win against a far more superior enemy, which rejuvenated Girard’s entire army. Girard used the sudden boost of confidence into some real positive effects as his side made it three wins out of three matches at the start of their campaign.

The Old Gods and the New (Gameweek 4)

There is no easy way to reach the top. Be it football or a sword fight. No matter how small the opponent is, they’ll use the last drop of their blood and sweat to give their opponent a hard time. Especially that effort becomes even more visible when two uneven sides meet each other. When House Baratheon invited the Starks at Stade de Gerland to the battle of superiority, it certainly became a huge test of strength and stamina for Girard’s men. To win a battle against a royal army, the pawns needed a strong predefined strategy that Girard lacked and like every great sides, Lyon knew how to capitalize the weaknesses of the opponent.

In spite of presenting an even fight, troubling the home custodian Hugo Lloris eight times, they lost the match 2-1. The attitude though came as a satisfaction for René Girard. Like every win is joyous, every loss brings learning lessons and a loss this early in the season would give them more time to restructure and repair the damage. That’s something Girard was counting on.

Baelor (Gameweek 8)

Girard’s restitution process came into great effect as Montpellier went onto the pole position after seven weeks. Surely it was something of an achievement but staying there is a different story altogether, especially when you have some powerful rivals lurking behind. Next in line was the strongest army of France – House Lannister. Montpellier so far had the best home record; they’ve won all three of it. The face-off wasn’t supposed to be as easy as it had been so far but somehow the Starks didn’t pay much attention to it. Losing to the Lannisters would be a normal thing for them. For Eddard Stark, the throne was never his top priority but staying in the race for a consistent period of time was. His reluctance contributed to the lack of mental toughness into Girard’s army and finally Girard’s unbeaten home run fall on its face. Antoine Kombouaré’s men came to Stade de la Mosson and did what was expected of them. They literally demolished Girard’s army with as little as 38% ball possession. Two of their newly recruited knights Kévin Gameiro and Javier Pastore showed the lethal sharpness of their blades and stroked thrice to clinch the victory and went to the top position after eight weeks. Though the result didn’t bother the Stark house, the lord commander Girard took the insult quite personally. The result gave Girard a long run of sleepless nights as he spent hours watching the flaws in his strategy. And when he was convinced that his preferred 4-3-3 defensive strategy won’t work against their superior opponents, he made sure that a new fighting strategy had to be implemented. This was the time when Jon Snow built an unbreachable wall. Geoffrey Jourdren, Vitorino Hilton, Garry Bocaly, Henri Bedimo and Benjamin Stambouli vowed to become the loyal protectors of the wall and the responsibility of slaying the trespassers was handed to John Utaka and Olivier Giroud. A modified version of “verrou system” was implemented. The system was subjected to nullify the opponent into a seductive embrace before thrusting in the dagger in a quick, precise counter-attack. A 4-2-3-1 formation with an extra layer of defensive protection provided by Joris Marveaux was devised. The formation was deployed in such a way that it was capable of switching to attacking 4-3-3 to expose the defensive vulnerability of their opponents at times.

The Prince of Winterfell (Gameweek 14)

The new strategy reenergized the entire squad and with time it came into perfection as Girard’s men remained unbeaten in the next five games. The next big challenge awaiting them was in the form of House Tyrell (Marseille). The nine times crowned lord of Westeros came to Stade de la Mosson to halt Montpellier’s progress but this time Girard made sure that his men wouldn’t be treated as the underdogs. The competition was never even in terms of quality of the two opponents but Montpellier delivered what the lord commander instructed them to. A brilliantly organized backline nullified Marseille’s continuous waves of attacks. The visitors came close 19 times out of which five shots were on target compared to Montpellier’s 8:1 ratio of goal bound shots but they remained inseparable until the 62nd minute when the home crowd was rewarded with a Souleymane Diawara own goal. The all-important three points kept Girard’s men alive in the hunt but the race was only beginning to get intense.

The Winds of Winter

As the season unfolded, the four top title contenders Lille, Marseille, Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain were left very much disturbed by a sudden addition of the fifth dimension. Much to everyone’s surprise, Montpellier were at the second position at 37 points trailing behind Paris Saint-Germains only by three points after 19 games4. Behind them were Lille, Lyon and Marseille at 36, 35 and 31 points respectively. The team that started the season with 80/1 shots in the bookies note5 had suddenly drawing all the sweats from the title contenders. There was no Red Woman, yet Girard saw the prophecy through the flames that his king was crowned as the lord of all the kingdoms. His lord on the other hand had his priorities clear. He needed his lord commander to ensure that his army stays in the battle long enough to be considered as consistent. They have spent enough time in the lower division league. Now the priority was to fight against quality opponents and abolishing their underdog stature. During the mid-season break, Louis Nicollin was asked to share his views on his men’s journey so far and what if they finally touch the glory? Known for his eccentric and outspoken nature, the lord responded: “Montpellier champions of France? If I was Marseille, Paris, Lyon, Lille or Rennes, I’d stab myself in the ass with a sausage! What an embarrassment it would be for them.”6 Additionally he promised to adapt the outrageous hairstyle of one his younger knights, Rémy Cabella. Trying a new hairstyle wasn’t something worthy of a bet, but at the age of 69 trying a blue coloured Mohawk certainly was.

Additionally he promised to adapt the outrageous hairstyle of one his younger knights, Rémy Cabella. Trying a new hairstyle wasn’t something worthy of a bet, but at the age of 69 trying a blue coloured Mohawk certainly was.

Elsewhere in the capital, the lords were feeling uneasy. They had already invested more than the sum of four years of annual budget of Montpellier to restructure their army, yet they were chasing them neck-and-neck. The situation was more complex than it sounds. If it weren’t for Montpellier, the lords of Paris wouldn’t have been so concerned. Finishing behind them would surely be the greatest embarrassment they had to endure and certainly they weren’t ready to take it. On 30 December, 2011 the Lannisters played their final card. Carlo Ancelotti was appointed the new hand of the king in the capital town. The wisest man in all the 20 houses, the most prolific advisor of all, the Tyrion Lannister of George R. R. Martin was given the strongest army of the country to finish the rest of the job. They were already on top of the table. All Ancelotti had to do was ensure that they stay there until the end. With two of the sharpest and fearless brains involved in deducting the “Shortest Path Algorithm” to the throne, the second half of the season became the most eventful half season in the recent history of Europe.

Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken (Gameweek 20)

The start of the second half of the season didn’t come easy for Girard’s men. Lyon’s army came to the Stade de la Mosson in the opening fixture to repeat the first leg’s result but it was Girard’s turn for redemption. The prophecy didn’t lie. Girard’s men dominated the entire match with and without the ball. Their 17 attempts on goal against Lyon’s two reflected how well Girard orchestrated his men with such limited resource. Finally, just after the hour mark, Giroud was put through Geoffrey Dernis’s pass and he used his weaker right foot to put his team ahead. While Girard had his eyes on the throne, the lonely slayer Olivier Giroud kept his feet on the pedal of his self-glorious run of becoming the top goal poacher of the season. Out of nowhere from the second division league football, Girard had presented him with the valyrian steel and he sure did know how to use it.

The Mountain and the Viper (Gameweek 24)

An unforeseen situation suddenly halted the Lannister’s persistent winning run when OGC Nice earned a point against them after a frustrating goalless draw in the Allianz Riviera. Elsewhere Montpellier cruised to a 3-0 win over Ajaccio that narrowed the three points gap to one. The next fixture became the mother of all battle, on paper and on field as well. This was Ancelotti’s best chance to prove those football pundits right who cried “Montpellier will wilt, they won’t hold up” in confidence. For Girard, it was more of a test to prove if it was all luck that had favored him all this while. On 19 February, 2012, 44,398 spectators witnessed a match that had drawn more attention than the fiercest derbies of Europe. When Girard’s men came to Parc des Princes, Ancelotti knew that this wasn’t the same Stark house they were known for. Girard’s men on the other hand gave it all to avenge their first leg’s shame. The battle went neck and neck until in the 41st minute, Alex with a thunderous strike drew the first blood. The response from Girard’s men came immediately right at the dying seconds of the first half. Younès Belhanda’s powerful header leveled the scoreline and it was all square at the break. In the second half, both the teams went close to scoring but it was the custodians from the either ends who were stealing the show. Finally, in the 82nd minute John Utaka met Olivier Giroud’s flighted delivery to make it 1-2. But it was never over until it really was. Guillaume Hoarau, the super sub scored his first of the season in the 88th minute which made it all even again. After 24 gameweeks, the message came loud and clear from the Stark’s camp: The Lannisters might be the strongest house in the run for the glory but they need to stop Girard’s men before reaching anywhere near “L’Hexagoal”. Now that the Lannister’s turn was over to confront the Starks in an open battle, they had to rely upon other houses but there were few houses left who could stop the Starks now.

And Now His Watch Is Ended (Gameweek 25)

The chilly nights went on to become longer in the capital as they had to endure another high-scoring draw against Lyon in the next game week. It was the battle of superiority between the former and the future greats that neither wanted to lose and in the end, they ended up being even. The result allowed Montpellier to take the pole position in the table as they had already beaten Bordeaux 1-0 early in the gameweek. So, after 25 weeks, Montpellier was at 53 points and the title favourite Paris Saint-Germain was at 52. Only 13 more weeks were left for Girard to hold on to his consistency and Ancelotti to keep the faith of his lords.

Kissed by Fire (Gameweek 26)

Finally, in the 26th game week, the sun rays came piercing the dark clouds over the capital, and the Lannisters saw the silver lining once again. The absence of Girard’s key slayer Olivier Giroud due to suspension came into damaging effect as Jonathan Tinhan’s late equalizer was only able to secure a point against Dijon while Ancelotti’s men once again climbed to the pole position after demolishing Ajaccio 4-1. With only 12 weeks remaining, PSG were at 55 points leaving Montpellier behind at 54.

The Rains of Castamere (Gameweek 28)

As the drama was inching close to its conclusion, the late cameo from house Arryn (AS Nancy) added more spices to it. After Ancelotti’s men failed to capitalize the chances against Caen and came up with a draw, Nancy turned out to be the saviour for the Lannisters from making it much worse. When Girard’s men travelled to Stade Marcel Picot, they were eyeing the opportunity to take the pole position after gameweek 28 but they were stunned as the ill-tempered counter showed two of Girard’s key wall protector receiving marching orders from the match official and André Luiz scoring the decisive winner from the penalty spot against a 9-men-Stark army. The result kept the Lannisters on top of the table with a two-point-lead over the Starks.

You Win or You Die (Gameweek 30)

The hardest men to believe are those with double standards. George R. R. Martin developed the character of Petyr Baelish that same way. When he was with the Lannisters, he did all he could to earn their trust then he went against them and tied up with the Starks to watch the Lannisters burn.

Just when everyone thought that the twists are over, the drama unfolded a new horizon. After gameweek 29, PSG’s two points lead on top was levelled when they came up with a draw against Bordeaux and Montpellier beat Saint-Étienne. The next game week became a tricky one for the Starks as they were to pay the visit to Stade Vélodrome, the home of “Les Olympiens” and elsewhere the Lannisters were up against the Arryns.

Like everyone else in France, Ancelotti had little idea what Petyr Baelish was up to. They shocked the potential champions with a 2-1 win and that provided Starks with an extra bit of opportunity to capitalize on the opportunity. Girard’s slayers turned out too strong to handle for Marseille. A 1-3 victory put Montpellier back on top with 63 points. With eight games left, Ancelotti’s men fell behind in the second place with 60 points. Once again it seemed like the drama was far from over.

Mockingbird (Gameweek 32)

The story of gameweek 30 got almost reversed in the 32nd week. Montpellier’s journey to Westeros was again halted by an unlikely opponent. FC Lorient came from five straight losses to shock Girard’s men on the Sunday evening of the 32nd gameweek. Out of nowhere, a ray of hope ignited the Lannisters, who had their next fixture against AJ Auxerre. A win would put them on top and that too at the closing point of the league, a win never mattered this much to Ancelotti’s men yet they failed to register one. The strongest army in France yet again failed to capitalize the situation when it mattered most. Auxerre, who were fighting their own battle of relegation, frustrated Ancelotti’s men to earn a point at Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps. The gap was narrowed to two points with six games remaining. Montpellier was still leading the points table with 66 points and their closest opponent PSG were at 64.

The Dance of Dragons (Gameweek 34)

With six games left, both Starks and Lannisters were eyeing 100% record for the next available 18 points. One missed shot would take one of the team to bite the dust while other would conquer the throne. Either of them was praying for the other to fall and the God of all the kingdoms chose the braver one over the stronger. When PSG went to visit Grand Stade Lille Métropole, Ancelotti knew it surely that three points wouldn’t come easy. The Targaryens were only trailing behind the Lannisters in the third place and aiming to establish their permanent dominance. Ancelotti deployed his strongest army to ensure no further damage would stop them to invade Westeros. Ancelotti’s army struck the first blow when Javier Pastore scored right after the game re-started in the second half. Despite using all their finest warriors, the Targaryens couldn’t break the deadlock but then with 20 minutes remaining, their mighty dragon spit fire. Mamadou Sakho was given the marching orders for an unfair challenge on Eden Hazard. Minutes later he scored from the penalty spot to make it all square. Eight minutes later Nolan Roux silenced the visiting crowd to make it 2-1. Montpellier had already beaten Toulouse and extended the lead on top by five points. With four weeks to reach the conclusion, Montpellier was at 72 points leaving PSG behind at 67.

Valar Morghulis (Gameweek 38)

The season finale of every intense drama has its best part hidden in the climax. It is that one episode when the most unthinkable incident takes part and how we all look forward to it!

On 20 May, 2012, the last Sunday of the most dramatic football season in France was about to begin with all the teams playing their last game simultaneously. Montpellier at 79 points, three more than their closest competitor PSG, needed only a draw to be crowned as the champions of France. After such an eventful campaign, it was highly unlikely that they would lose their grip in “L’Hexagoal”. But this wasn’t a drama after all. In football, the most unlikely events take place in a matter of minute.

PSG had their final fixture in Stade du Moustoir against FC Lorient and Montpellier too had to travel away from home to Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps, the home of AJ Auxerre on the banks of the Yonne River. After trailing by a goal in the first half, Ancelotti’s men fought back, like they always do and they won the match 1-2. At the final whistle, an unlikely tension creeped into the Lannisters house. All the matches started at the same time and were expected to end at relatively the same time but finally it didn’t happen like that. The climax couldn’t have been more interesting. The Auxerre ultras had taken the charge of Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps. Having already being relegated, they refused to accept that a side having similar stature like them was about to be crowned as the champions of France. Veteran midfielder Olivier Kapo gave the home side a shock lead after 20 minutes heading Roy Contout’s corner past a stranded Geoffrey Jourdren. The ambience was already fearsome in the arena and then more fuel was added to it when John Utaka scored the equalizer 12 minutes after Auxerre had taken the lead. Souleymane Camara made some space down the left, his cross was low and hard and found John Utaka unmarked at the back post and the Nigerian poked the ball into the net from close range. Five minutes after Montpellier’s leveler, the game had been stopped due to crowds maddening interference. The home fans went out of control and started showering eggs, toilet paper, tennis balls and flares. Around ten minutes passed before the game restarted, and it was already running four minutes behind title rival PSG’s final fixture. As the news of PSG’s game came through, Girard’s men felt the urgency of the added security of a second goal. A nervous energy was prevailing at Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps. The crowd did their best to unsettle the nerves of Girard’s men but they weren’t ready to let go of the glory having come this close. After Delvin N’Dinga’s goal-bound shot was followed by flare being thrown onto the pitch, the game had to be stopped once again and this time it was delayed by over 20 minutes. Then the riot police took control of the home stand and the game once again got back underway. Finally, at 76th minute of official match time, John Utaka received the ball on the edge of the box and turned onto his left foot and fired the ball low past Auxerre’s custodian and sent the travelling La Paillade fans into dreamland. Montpellier had done it. They were the champions of France. The throne belonged to them now. As René Girard’s men lifted “L’Hexagoal”, his most brutal slayer Olivier Giroud reached his personal milestone as well, becoming the joint top scorer of the season. Younès Belhanda was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year and along with him Vitorino Hilton, Henri Bedimo and Olivier Giroud was named in the UNFP Team of the Year. The new lord of the 20 kingdoms kept his word and joined in the celebration with thousands of fans sporting an outrageous orange and blue coloured Mohawk.

Montpellier
Oliver Giroud celebrates with Louis Nicollin, the man in orange and blue coloured Mohawk
Image Source – Playbuzz

The joy was short-lived though. Girard made an excellent work to retain the majority of his squad in the next season but the English giants Arsenal offered a lucrative deal and hijacked the key front man, Olivier Giroud, from Girard’s fantasy workers. The season also offered Girard’s men the maiden opportunity to compete with the elites of Europe in the Champions League but he lacked the experience to display a similar run there. “When you play in it for the first time, you’re caught up in the turbulence,” he said. “It was very complicated. And that made it a bit scary.”7 Like Béla Guttmann once said: “A coach is like a lion tamer. He dominates the animals as long as he shows self-confidence and has no fear. But when the first hint of fear appears in his eyes, he is lost.”8 Girard lost it before his men did. Montpellier failed to qualify for the knockouts having failed to win a single match in the Champions League. Moreover, they finished the next season a below par ninth in the Ligue 1, which made him to swap his chair from Stade de la Mosson to Stade Lille Métropole.

Despite a short-lived fairytale, Montpellier’s winning run came as a landslide in the European football context. “I think our triumph is a real shot in the arm for French football. It just goes to show that everyone can beat everyone and that money isn’t the be-all and end-all. We’re a club of mates, a club that brings young players through and gives them a chance”9: Girard was quoted after his historic triumph. Many who thought that Montpellier didn’t deserve this, it is needless to say that they’re unaware of the beauty of the game. Girard’s men once again proved a well-orchestrated bunch of youths, when maneuvered to perfection, can create a perfect balance between skill and mental toughness and become unbreakable even for the strongest of opponents.

References

Subhajit Sengupta

About Subhajit Sengupta

Subhajit is a die hard Chelsea fan who loves to follow, study, discuss and analyze the beautiful game. He can be reached at @subhajitcfc