It all started with a joke. A valve instantly followed by those precious bursts of laughter that the Etoile players so badly need, less than two weeks after the disappearance of one of theirs, Rémi Mestrallet, in a car accident at the age of 23 years. “From a member of the family”, even told us the former HFC player, Mohamed Ouchmid, with tremolos in his voice, shortly after an impromptu photo shoot in front of three or four of his partners.
The merry band, busy rooming him copiously, left again for a new giggle when Jean-Guy Wallemme also mingled in what seemed to be an inevitable room with friends. “Hey, Momo, tell them they take a photo with the ball instead, because that won’t be believable. Seriously, he never takes a ball in his head and poses like that? “
After a good hour and a half of training, the Etoile FC coach told us about his satisfaction. “with more than interesting content “ of the last match at Louhans-Cuiseaux (0-0). Wallemme confided in the preparation of this derby against Hyères, and reminded us of the need to finally deliver this “reference match” his team needs so much. While keeping, therefore, an eye on “Momo” Ouchmid. A player that he admits to mark in the pants. A bit like he did with the Ligue 1 forwards, in the heyday of RC Lens.
Wallemme: “the prototype of the break-it attacker …”
“I told him that I was not going to let go, explains the former captain of Sang et Or by evoking his relationship with Mohamed Ouchmid. Because I knew and because I still know players today who, without having their potential, evolve in higher divisions. Athletically, he is strong, he knows how to keep the ball, he has both feet, his head game is not that bad, because even if it is not huge (1m76), he has good timing. And he’s a catchy guy. On arrival, he is the prototype of the break-it attacker… “, Judge Wallemme.
Before adding: “he can do even more. So Ligue 1 or Ligue 2, I do not know, but above, for sure. And that’s good, because that’s exactly where we want to go “. There, where Mohamed Ouchmid also wants to go. There, in this third division that the star winger has also already attended with the club of Est-Var.
“During the match there is no friendship”
It was in 2014 and the young player, then aged 21, tasted a few snippets of National matches with Étoile FC. Before winning in a role of holder on the side of Marignane, then Martigues, in what was then called the CFA (French amateur championship). Two seasons in the Bouches-du-Rhône therefore, followed by a return to the Var, to evolve a season under the colors of this Hyères FC, visiting Louis-Hon this evening.
“At the time (in 2016-2017), the HFC coach was André Blanc “ (the two met two seasons later, when Ouchmid returned to Etoile FC), the 29-year-old winger recalls. “Since then, that has changed a lot. But there are probably still a few players that I know, and it will be a pleasure to find them “, Ouchmid announces. “Even if colleague or not colleague, during the match, there will be no friendship “, warns the starist a few hours away from this derby, the impact of which he minimizes.
“To be fair, no derby is really hot. Yes, it’s a derby, but there are only three points to take.”, tempers the twirling midfielder. “And me, the only thing I want is to win. So score against Hyères or against Grasse (as he did on the sixth day), I do not care”.
Yes, winning is all that matters today. Win to find the smile. Even to frankly laugh, if a certain “Momo” Ouchmid had the funny idea of scoring… with a head.
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