This weekend, the Nîmes Olympique should have welcomed Montpellier for the derby back to the Stade des Costières (32nd day of Ligue 1). Postponed because of the coronavirus epidemic, we offer you, as a small consolation, to relive five striking derbies especially on the Nîmes side. Enough to bring back fond memories to Crocos supporters.
The last match of the Nîmes Olympique dates back to March 7 and a defeat in Metz (2-1, 28th day). Since the cessation of the championships linked to the health crisis, the barragiste should have played in Nantes (March 14, 29th day), received Bordeaux (March 21, 30th day) move to Lyon (April 5, 31st day) and especially face this weekend, Montpellier for the return derby.
A confrontation which in the context recalls that of 2009 where the Nîmes were fighting for their maintenance in Ligue 2, and a success against Montpellier at the end of the season had revived them to save themselves in extremis. We invite you to come back to five remarkable derbies between Nîmes and Montpellier.
Already in the semi-finals!
The two cities have never faced each other in such an important match. On one side, Nîmes Olympique which is one of the best French clubs of the moment, on the other side the Montpellier Olympic Stadium which will be a few weeks later D2 champion. In front of the 41,494 spectators at the Vélodrome de Marseille stadium, the Crocodile Constantino Pires opened the scoring from the 14e minute. In the second period, Pierre Barlaguet (66e) gives a double lead to the players of Kader Firoud and it is the future Nîmes Sekou Touré (1964) who saves the honor of the Montpellier people in the 70e.
Among the players of the ill-fated SOM formation is also the young Henri Augé (19 years old), who will wear the Nîmes jersey from 1968 to 1975. Three years later (the first Reims – Nîmes 3-1 final), the Gard club returns to Colombes. This April 16, 1961 is a big date for the NO since, when the curtain rises from this semi-final of the Coupe de France, the Nîmes juniors of Marcel Rouvière crush Olympique Lyonnais (5-1), in the quarter-finals of the Gambardella cut. A competition they will win in curtain raising the final of the Coupe de France where, on the other hand, the seniors will lose 3-1 to Sedan.
The eleven Nîmes: Roszak – Bettache, Charles-Alfred, Bandera – Barlaguet, Oliver – Chillan, Constantino, Akesbi, Cassar, Rahis. Coach: Kader Firoud.
The craziest derby
During the 1985-1986 season the two teams played in the 2nd division and tried to play the leading roles to find the elite. They fight in particular with Alès, Sète, Lyon and even Saint-Etienne. On March 21, 1986, the Crocos moved to the Mosson in front of only 4,249 spectators. Those absent were wrong because the match became the most spectacular of all the clashes between the two rivals.
The visitors outrageously dominate the first period and lead 3-0 five minutes before the break, thanks to goals from Orts (1st), Espeisse (28th) and Perez (32nd) before coming back up. “We backed off and we finish at 4-4. I think Alain Lopez deflects at least three in our goals”, recalls Franck Lucchesi.
Only the fourth goal from Hérault, which meets Perez’s second goal (55th), is officially awarded to the Nîmes defender. Valadier (39e), White (43e) and Kiss (51e) are the other scorers of the MPSC. The Hungarian who was also entitled to a joke from Franck Lucchesi, player who disputed the most derbies: nine in total, without ever winning one.
“I infiltrate the surface and Laszlo Kiss holds me by the shirt. I took it off and I held it out as if I wanted to give it to him. The Mosson audience had whistled at me”, says the one who played in both camps. That evening, the Crocos came close to winning on the land of the Pailladins where the last success dates from 1977. At the end of the season, Montpellier finishes fifth and Nimes, sixth.
The eleven Nîmes: Morisseau – Mc Donagh (Place, 25e), Poortvliet, Devot, Lucchesi – Lopez, Herrero (Carrot, 72e), Perez, Espeisse – Goudard, Orts. Coach: Marcel Domingo.
The 1996 feat
Three years after their last Division 1 clash, the trajectories of the two teams are completely opposite. The Nîmes Olympique has just fallen in National and is stuck in the second part of the table while Montpellier is permanently installed at the first level of French football and even plays this year the leading roles.
The two teams meet in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France for a remake of the 1961 edition. With the “Old Lady” the Gardois live an enchanted parenthesis after having already eliminated two D1 clubs: Saint-Étienne and Strasbourg . On paper, the players of Michel Mézy, then coach of Montpellier, are widely favored.
So much so that the illustrious president “Loulou” Nicollin already rooms and announces that he will return on horseback to the Paillade in the event of defeat. But in front of 21,366 spectators massed in Costières et bouillantes, the dream became reality on April 14, 1996. A historic success that took shape from the 9th minute, with the goal of Abder Ramdane, the only one of the meeting, who capsized the red people. As 35 years ago, the Nîmes have again reached the final of the Coupe de France and this time bowed to Auxerre (2-1).
The eleven Nîmes: Sence – Bochu, Ecker, Préget, Touron, Zugna – Belbey (Gros, 83rd), Jeunechamp, Perez (Gervais, 82nd) - Marx, Ramdane (Sabin, 48th). Coach: Pierre Barlaguet.
Mandrichi, the savior
After six years in National, NO returned to Ligue 2 during the 2008/2009 financial year. After having brought back a point on the outward journey (1-1), the Reds receive their worst enemy at the Stade des Costières on the 31st day. Red lantern with six points behind the 17th, the locals are playing their survival. Victory is imperative.
Montpellier, fourth, is trying to catch up on Lens. Led 1-0 at the break, the Crocos of Jean-Michel Cavalli reversed the situation. In the 53rd minute, Jonathan Ayité equalized before giving way to legend Robert Malm. Ten minutes before the end, the Togolese launched Jean-Jacques Mandrichi on goal who cheated on Carrasso.
“This goal gives hope for the maintenance. If we draw, it is sure that we go down to the end”, comments the one that supporters called “Mandrique” at the time. A goal that the latter have not forgotten. “When I come to Nîmes, we talk about it all the time. It is nice to see that in life when we do the right thing and give everything, people are always grateful”, concludes the native of Bastia. In the end, Nîmes runs away in extremis during the final day and Montpellier enters Ligue 1.
The eleven Nîmes: Puydebois – Liron, Roumégous, Zarabi, Sidibé – Bayod, Ech-Chergui (Cavalli, 78th) Keita, Mostefa – Ayité (Malm, 70th), Mandrichi (Collorédo, 82nd). Coach: Jean-Michel Cavalli.
The return to Ligue 1
Even if this derby is not the most striking in terms of spectacle and result, it is very symbolic. More than 26 years later, the Stade des Costières is once again hosting a derby in Ligue 1 since the NO is back in the elite of French football.
Severely beaten 3-0 in the first leg, Bernard Blaquart’s men want to display another face in their lair. This Sunday, February 3, 2019, exactly 18,045 spectators have acquired the cause of the Olympic Nimes, since Hérault fans are prohibited from traveling.
In a terrible wind, the Nîmes public exulted from the second minute of play when Loïck Landre scored with a helmet following a corner by Téji Savanier. The minutes go by, the Nîmes recoil and the cleaver falls. This devil of Andy Delort, who passed through Nîmes in 2009/2010, equalizes a quarter of an hour from the end. Bernardoni takes out several displays to keep the draw point. This success, so precious, in a derby is getting closer. We were impatiently awaiting this weekend of April 11, but the pleasure was postponed. It may only be better!
The eleven Nîmes: Bernardoni – Alakouch, Landre, Briançon, Maouassa – Ferri, Savanier, Valls (Bobichon, 88th) – Thioub (Bouanga, 70th), Alioui (Guillaume, 79th), Ripart. Coach: Bernard Blaquart.
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