Even if it was only the blow of an evening, the memory remains bright: on September 30, 2009, FC Zurich of Bernard Challandes had won 1-0 in front of AC Milan in the cathedral of San Siro.
This victory in a meeting counting for the second day of a group stage which also united Real Madrid and Marseille, was acquired on a goal from elsewhere from Hannu Tihinen. “He succeeded in a sort of Madjer in the air, image Bernard Challandes to describe the brilliant tailgating of the 10th minute of his Finnish defender. And with hindsight, we cannot say that Tihinen was a great technician.”
But this goal to Zlatan Ibrahimovic allowed the FCZ to impose itself on the stronghold of a team that had aligned that evening three World Champions – Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo and Gianluca Zambrotta – and a Golden Ball – Ronaldinho-. “This match, I lived it like a great suffering, continues Bernard Challandes. The stress state well there insofar as we very quickly realized that the exploit was possible. I remember that the referee had added .. .7 minutes of overtime. At the time it was almost a record. And that Zambrotta had found the post in those final seconds. “
“The most extraordinary match of my career”
The final whistle sounded like a real deliverance for Bernard Challandes. “To this day, it remains the most extraordinary match, in the truest sense of the word, of my coaching career, admits the current Kosovo coach. For a kid who dreamed day and night of football, leading a team to victory in San Siro has something unreal about it. “
Beaten 5-2 by Real Madrid two weeks earlier, FCZ could not really capitalize on the success of San Siro. He then bowed twice to Didier Deschamps’ Marseille to finish this group stage, the only one for the moment in his history, in last place. His Super League season was far from living up to expectations. Reigning Swiss champion, the FCZ finished in seventh place. A 1-0 defeat on April 17, 2010 during the 31st day at Letzigrund in front of the “red lantern” Aarau cost his place to Bernard Challandes who was replaced by Urs Fischer.
As for AC Milan, which was then headed by Leonardo, this 2009/2010 campaign in the Champions League will not leave an unforgettable memory. Qualified for the knockout stages thanks in particular to their successes in Marseille and Milan, the “Rossoneri” were painful to see during their double confrontation against Manchester United: a 3-2 defeat in the first leg at San Siro and a rout 4-0 on the return to Old Trafford. To add to the punishment of the AC Milan tifosi, it should be remembered that 2010 was that of the triumph of Inter by Jose Mourinho …
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