Ligue 1: popular audiences, family club, new stadiums, Der Zakarian and Dall'Oglio on their benches… Montpellier and Brest discover a new rivalry

If the duel had been bitter between Doumbia and Estève at La Mosson, Brest had won over the MHSC in the first leg (1-3), on November 26. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Recent history has often linked Brest and the MHSC, opposed this Sunday January 14 (3 p.m.) in Brittany, for the 18th day of Ligue 1.

It's cold in Brittany. A bitter cold, like everywhere in France, which could still die down this Sunday afternoon at the Francis-Le Blé stadium. In the enclosure of the Stade Brestois 29, there almost at the end of the tip of Finistère, the reunion with Montpellier promises to at least warm up the atmosphere in the light of a rivalry of’ a new genre.

The MHSC did not become Lorient for the Brestois, any more than the latter replaced the Nîmes in the hearts of Hérault. But the last few years, like the recent stone-breaking of the Breton supporters' bus after the first leg (1-3) on November 26 at La Mosson, have fanned embers that had not existed until then.

Ligue 1: the ranking and results of the 18th day

Or at least created an embryonic history between two clubs that are similar.  And not only because they both aim to build a new stadium, and come up against constant obstacles, or combine former players in key positions.

"Two clubs are closely linked by the way they are run"

"I see a family club, led by a French president (Denis Le Saint, editor's note), who started from the lowest to make his fortune, like the Nicollins, estimated Steve Mounié, Brest striker trained in la Paillade, in these columns on Saturday. These two clubs are closely linked by the way they are managed but also by their very popular supporters."

The two Ligue 1 teams also share the same taste for coaches. In 2021, Olivier Dall’Oglio and Michel Der Zakarian exchanged places on the benches, after the latter indirectly saved the former from the descent by winning on the last day in Nantes.

Also read: Brest – MHSC: "Our second part of the season can be very exciting”, assures Jordan Ferri, the Montpellier midfielder

Der Zak ended up returning to Hérault two years later. Not without ODO, in the meantime at the head of the MHSC and welcomed at Le Blé by hostile banners, came to inflict two scathing setbacks, 4-0 and especially 7-0 in August 2022.

The King overturned the table

Apart from the memory of this afternoon beyond reality, during which the Pailladins had scored five goals in 31 minutes before a “Madjer” by Valère Germain as a conclusion, what remains today ? Few traces, if any, swear by the people of Brest.

"That doesn't mean much to me, because I wasn't there, but it’s not trivial to take seven at home. Now, no player has spoken to me about it, and we have not discussed the subject with the staff, promises Éric Roy, coach who arrived in January 2023 at the head of the Ty’Zefs.

In one year, the ex-OM midfielder and especially Nice have driven away the ghosts of SB29, going from maintaining to fourth place in L1 by becoming the bane of his competitors this season (seven victories and two draws against teams from the second half of the ranking).

Also read: Ligue 1: "I wouldn't be against a return", the confidences of Brestois Steve Mounié before facing the MHSC

Arriving escorted by real skepticism, Roy overturned the table and opinion with the force of flexible and skillful management, creating a group, installing Pierre Lees-Melou as sentinel and accumulating results.

Der Zak : "The end does not spoil our passage"

"He erased Der Zak", says a Brest follower, despite an 11th place in 2021-2022, second best ranking in the history of the club. This assessment would have been tarnished according to him by "the harshness" and the last few months "complicated with a locker room that no longer assimilated his method".

"Even if our second season got off to a bad start and we were poorly ranked when we got released, that doesn't spoil our time", believes for his part Michel Der Zakarian, right in his boots and his Paillade, where he began his second mandate, last February, with a success… against Brest (3-0), then undefeated since Roy's appointment.

Also read: Ligue 1: with Nordin and Savanier but still reduced, the MHSC group to travel to Brest

Since then, the curves have crossed with Montpellier often diminished or silent offensively and relegated to 13 points behind its opponent. But on the new embers of Brest, everything can be blown away in an instant.

I subscribe to read more