“Montpellier, it was a love story”: his departure, his new life in Qatar… Andy Delort speaks to Midi Libre

Andy Delort talks about his departure from the MHSC and his choice to go to Qatar. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Having left the MHSC with a bang in August 2021 after three seasons, Andy Delort returns to a story that ended in a fishtail. Traitor for some, opportunist for others, the Sétois, fifth scorer in the history of La Paillade (106 matches, 47 goals), delivers his version of a still raw divorce.

Your departure from Montpellier remains as an injury for many MHSC enthusiasts. Are we still talking to you about it, almost two and a half years later ?

We all know, Andy Delort in Montpellier was a love story. Everything went well whether on or off the field for a period. Afterwards, it’s a sensitive subject. But I only keep the good stuff.

What do you say to those who accuse you of not having respected your word when you were captain and had stated that you would stay at the club the very summer of your departure ?

Unfortunately, it’s football and my life. It’s my choice and I didn’t want it to end badly in Montpellier with everything I had done, we must not forget that. This annoys me a little because we only keep the negative side of the start. You have to remember that I am Montpellier's third top scorer in Ligue 1.

It was my choice and that of my family because I wanted to taste Europe, at a level above. Besides, it was the right choice since with Nice, we are in Europe and I'm having a good season while Montpellier had a more complicated one. On the pitch, I gave everything and no one can say otherwise.

Laurent Nicollin also said it recently. It’s unfortunate that it ended like that but that’s life, these are choices that we have to make. After the three seasons and the stats I had, I could allow myself to dream and have a little better.

I couldn't go back

Do you remember this video in which you responded to a supporter that you were going to stay, a handful of weeks before your departure ? Do you understand that this could have shocked ?

I understand. But, unlike a lot of players, I'm honest and when I say something, I mean it at that moment. Initially, I was supposed to sign for Olympique de Marseille and no one would have asked me why I left Montpellier. Then, when we talked about it with Laurent (Nicollin) and things started to heat up with OM, the president understood it and gave me his agreement. I couldn't go back, the players knew I was going to leave, Gaëtan (Laborde) was leaving. It was the end of the cycle and I had made my decision. People have the right to comment but I will not get into the game of saying that things went badly with Montpellier. I only remember happiness, it was my family, my club.

You said recently on RMC that you felt that the season with Olivier Dall’Oglio would be complicated. What did you perceive ?

Not necessarily but Michel Der Zakarian had left, new players were arriving. In terms of recruitment, and this is just my opinion, I didn't feel that there would be osmosis. With Gaetan (Laborde), Florent (Mollet), Téji (Savanier), Jordan (Ferri), it was a family and a team that resembled Montpellier. At that point, I didn't really feel that way anymore. No longer Marseille, which made eyes at me. Sometimes there are things you can't control.

Making of

His departure from the MHSC, on August 28, 2021, three days before the end of the transfer window, ignited La Paillade. Since then, Andy Delort has never responded to any media in the region. Give his version, evoke this inconsiderate love that suddenly became sometimes blind hatred: the repeated requests had remained a dead letter, whatever he said. Until his new activity as a consultant for RMC led the radio to offer his interview. For almost twenty minutes of interview by telephone from Qatar, on November 30. The noises of Doha as a backdrop, far from Montpellier.

You said that you did not regret leaving and Laurent Nicollin said the opposite. Who should we believe ?

(Laughs) Both are right. I regret that the story ended like that. At that moment, I had made the choice for myself, my family, my career but it hurts my heart to have left too.

This is what I would like to explain to the supporters. Everyone said it was war with the club or Laurent. But it was never tense. Everyone understood my decision. They were disgusted that I was leaving because the story between us was good, but it's football and it remains only football.

Was it hard on Téji Savanier, who had difficulty digesting it ?

He understood it. People compare me to Téji because we are from the region, we are a bit attached in the same way to Montpellier. Except that Téji wants to stay because he feels good and he doesn't want to go elsewhere. At that time, I was ambitious. There is something that I don't understand, which is that I am being blamed for leaving when I had had great opportunities that I had refused a year before.< /p>

Also read: Football: Andy Delort leaves Montpellier and officially becomes an OGC Nice player

And with Laurent Nicollin ?

It’s a love story with Montpellier and there are breakups that go badly. With Laurent, things never went badly. When it’s one or the other’s birthday, we call each other, I had it again at the start of the season, we love each other and we will always love each other. It’s a special relationship, it was he who brought me here even though some people didn’t want me. When Téji comes, I am 200% invested in making the connection. The fans insult me ​​today but they know that there was no one closer to them than Andy.

You also tried to come back or at least make contact last summer.

It’s complicated to say that I wanted to come back. Everyone talked about it, I thought about it too. We discussed it with Laurent but we saw that it was going to be complicated. That’s why it didn’t happen. I know that it would have gone well because when Andy Delort plays, it is with the heart, for my family and my club. No one can say otherwise.

Qatar

Seventeen appearances, two goals in the Coupe de France and supporters who had taken a dislike to him: Andy Delort's move to FC Nantes between February and June 2023 will not have been conclusive. The striker ended up joining Qatar at the start of the summer. A new exotic exile, after Mexico and the Monterrey Tigers (September 2016-January 2017). In the Gulf, at Umm Salal, a club in the capital Doha and the twelfth team of his professional career, Delort says he is living again. « I'm feeling good again, I'm decisive, that's the most important thing,” he believes. After ten matches, the former Nice player has a total of five goals (4 assists) in the Stars League, a local championship whose level remains unknown. « There are six foreigners per club. Afterwards, they are local players, the level is therefore difficult to judge », analyzes, for his part, the scorer.

You finally surprised by reaching Qatar. Didn’t you have any offers in L1 ?

I had some but as things had gone badly in Nice in the end, I wanted a change of scenery with my family. It went badly in Nantes too but we saw afterwards that it wasn't just the Andy Delort problem, it was the whole team. And when I left for Nantes, I had 10 goals in L1, the season before 20. You don't lose your football in six months. There was a deeper evil in these clubs.

Today, have you put an end to L1 at 32 ?

In football, you should never say never. I feel good physically, I'm enjoying playing again whereas the last eight months, in Nice or Nantes, things went very badly. I am enjoying training again and scoring goals. I take time with my family too, that’s also why I made this decision to leave.

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