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David Ledy, Racing Fussballgott, Retires

This is a new chapter in the history of more than a century of Racing born in 1906 which closes in the spring of 2020. After the departure of Jérémy Grimm, whose contract has not been renewed, another symbol of the club Lower Rhine turns the page. Definitely him.

At almost 33 years old (September 22), David Ledy hangs up his crampons. The “Fussballgott” (god of football), as the Alsatian supporters nicknamed him, lived everything with the tenant of the Meinau: the first descent to 3e national level in 2010, the end, a year later, of a 78-year-old professional era and the start of the resurrection.

On August 22, 2011, when Titanic Racing hit the iceberg of the compulsory liquidation, sailor Ledy was the only professional rider to stay on board. With a quarteron of musketeers from the training center and a few filibusters recruited in National and CFA, he will scoop and hit hard to prevent the blue ship from sinking.

“There weren’t many people on board the boat”

Two days earlier, François Keller, the unemployed reserve trainer who voluntarily took over the helm, and the one who will become his figurehead announced that Aspach’s “kid” was re-stacking. “During the 2011 descent into hell, there weren’t many people on board the boat. If François and I had not been there, perhaps there would be no more, “suggests the center.

Next season, the Haut-Rhinois just removed from the field will support the other ex-Racingman, his great friend and brother-in-law Anthony Sichi, as coach of the U17 nationals of his last club, FC Istres, short-lived Ligue 1 resident (in 2004-2005) today in National 3: “Istres is like Racing nine years ago: undergoing restructuring. I rely a lot on François (now director of the RCSA training center). This is an example, both as a coach and as a manager. Our relationship goes beyond friendship. Whenever we come to Strasbourg, he receives us like lords. “

By initialing a four-year lease in 2011 with a RCS dismissed for amateurism, David Ledy takes the risk of a first-class funeral. Attractive by his eleven goals from the previous season in National, dapper sirens tried to seduce him. But he rejected their advances out of loyalty to his Strasbourg “little fiancée”.

“I am proud to have stayed, even more as an Alsatian”

“This question (from a dive into anonymity), I have been asked a lot,” he agrees. “By staying, I probably gave up on a more glorious career. But I don’t regret anything. I accept my decision. I’m even proud of it, even more as an Alsatian. Fall in 5e division, it was crazy for Strasbourg. Result: today I have a close relationship with my heart club, where I arrived at a very young age (as an intern in 2006, at 18). “

“Marc Keller’s tribute made my heart warm”

The racing giant, now Lilliputian, then rubbed football from below. The “Fussballgott” does not care and has fun. “We were the ogre of CFA2 expected everywhere. It was the best season of my career, sportingly and humanely. I announced that I wanted to score 20 goals, I succeeded (*). During the three post-liquidation seasons, we experienced unforgettable moments, of joy, but not only. Some have been complicated too. Before I decided, in the spring of 2014, to terminate my last year for family reasons and to sign in Martigues, we were even a bit lucky, even if, for my part, I suffered a lot after a fracture of the collarbone: the club should have dropped back to CFA and was drafted. “

Almost a decade later, “Dav” is still plagued by regret: “Not having said goodbye to the Meinau. With my hasty departure to the south, I could not greet the supporters. But I have woven a magic bond with them. I respect them enormously. They are always so grateful to me. When, on the day of the rise in Ligue 1 (in spring 2017), President Marc Keller, who has done an excellent job since 2012, declared in front of 30,000 spectators that if the club was there, it was also thanks to David Ledy and his gang made my heart ache. “

Without losing his humility, the striker measures the trace left in an enclosure which dedicated a song to him, adapted from Pierre Groscolas’ hit, ‘‘ Lady (Ledy) Lay ’’. “I may not have been one of the great players in Racing in L1, I even lived through the darkest period of the club, but it is precisely because I helped him to get out of it. extract that in my own way, I am part of its history. “

This is also the reason why his name will forever be written in capital letters in his big guest book.

(*) He scored 26 goals in official matches, including 20 in the league.

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