1998 World Cup-winning centre-back Frank Leboeuf sat down with Get French Football News to talk about his two former clubs linked by a common owner, Chelsea FC and RC Strasbourg Alsace.
Strasbourg have been mounting a Champions League push. How surprised are you that the club are doing this well?
Big time surprised. In the beginning of the season, it wasn’t that great and all the fans were very worried about the fact that BlueCo came up and changed maybe the spirit of the club. Everybody has to be delighted with the results and the way the young lads are playing. And on top of being interesting and entertaining, they keep on winning and winning games. Of course, I’m delighted. Now, I’m suspicious of how it’s going to work next season if those players that are so good are leaving the club because they have to join Chelsea and because Chelsea think it’s better for them to be [in London]. What’s going to happen to Strasbourg? So you have to be happy but at the same time worried a little bit about the future. So far, so good.
Which Strasbourg players have impressed you the most? And which ones do you think might leave for Chelsea?
Well, of course, the first name would be Andrey Santos, because of the season he is having. It is only fair to think that Chelsea are going to have their eyes on him. I would say him. What’s going to happen to the goalkeeper DjordePetrovic? He’s doing great as well. There are so many, but Chelsea are going to look at it. It is the purpose of what Strasbourg have become. So, if those players are good enough, they’re going to join Chelsea. Now you have to make sure that they’re ready, because it’s one thing to play for Strasbourg, which is kind of a family club, where the fans don’t expect too much from the players, and to play for Chelsea where the expectation is huge. [It’s a] different level. The media is going to watch you. If you make a mistake, if you’re a goalkeeper, or if you miss a goal as a striker, everybody’s going to mention it. If you do that with Strasbourg, you can avoid being criticised. It’s not going to happen with Chelsea.
What were your thoughts when Liam Rosenior was appointed as Strasbourg’s head coach? And have they changed at all?
I have to be fair, I didn’t know him. Well, I thought new ideas, new board, new coach. Let’s see. And I have to say, well done, well done. So far, he has to speak a little more French, but otherwise, everything is perfect [laughs]. I like that, it’s nice to have Carlo Ancelotti, David Moyes, and even now with Pep Guardiola, those former players who are between 55 to 65 and have those experience. But you have to find a new generation. And Rosenior seems to be one of them. And he has ideas, he has philosophy, and I like coaches who are stubborn but not stubborn enough to die with their ideas. I’m thinking about Enzo Maresca, for example. In preseason, he was trying to play a certain way but realised he didn’t have the individuals for that. He changed his mind, and that was great… Hopefully, he’ll change and go back to the more vertical way of playing. But he’s also part of the new generation ...
