Euroscene: The scene was the Beaujoire Stadium, Nantes, on a warm midsummer evening during the France '98 World Cup. Standing outside the ground, two hours before the kick-off of Brazil v Morocco (Brazil won 3-0), one noticed the microphone-and-camera scramble suggesting the arrival of a VIP.
Just as one was wondering if it were Pele or Michel Platini, there emerged the recognisable French face of Guy Roux, long-time coach of French first division side Auxerre. French football fans stood up to applaud while others shouted words of encouragement at him.
Roux has been, and probably always will be, a prophet in his own land. He is the very stuff of sporting legend, a man who has been at the helm of Auxerre for over 40 years since the April 1961 day when he wrote to club president Jean Garnault, asking for the job of coach. Roux had just come to the conclusion he was not good enough to make it as a professional player. Accordingly, he offered to coach the then amateur Auxerre for the princely sum of €130 or equivalent per month. Furthermore, he would agree to forego on match bonuses.
One thought of Roux last weekend as Auxerre defeated Troyes 2-1 away in the French first division to move into third place, seven points behind leaders Lens with a game in hand. At 63 and just 50 days after emergency surgery for a coronary bypass, Roux is back in charge of Auxerre who are unbeaten since November and which, with Roux on the bench, two weeks ago beat leaders Lens.
The story is told that when, during his childhood, someone asked Roux to draw heaven, he came up with a drawing of a football pitch and two sets of goal posts. At the moment, his Auxerre nursery has produced one of the most keenly sought after talents in European soccer in 20-year-old Djibrill Cisse. When Cisse turned out for France's under-21 side against Belgium last Wednesday in Boulogne, the main stand was packed with representatives from English, German, Italian and Spanish first division clubs.
Old man Roux has tried to cool the ardour of Cisse's pretenders by putting a huge, €45 million price tag on his head. If Cisse develops into the real thing, he will not be the first to emerge from under Roux's tutelage. Manchester United stars past and present, Eric Cantona and Laurent Blanc, owe much to the intuitive wisdom of Roux as does the former Belgian playmaker, Enzo Scifo.
Along the way, too, Roux led Auxerre to an historic league/cup double in 1995, thus culminating his leadership of the club from the ranks of Sunday morning amateur football to the UEFA Champions League. Given Auxerre's recent form, too, more Champions League action could be on the way for Roux and Auxerre. "Heaven" is a football pitch, two sets of goalposts and a UEFA Champions League flag?
