Marius Trésor: “I will watch the World Cup at home quietly in front of the TV” #MaParole

What a career! 516 matches played in the league and 65 in France. In 15 years, Marius Trésor, first captain of the French Caribbean team, had an outstanding career. A few days before the World Cup in Qatar, we asked him in the third episode of #MaParole what he thought of the choice of Qatar and if he was optimistic for France.

1 Ajaccio-Marseille

Sainte-Anne, land of champions. On #MaParole we have already interviewed Mathieu Bastareaud, who talked about this town, fertile ground for great athletes. Well, it was also in Sainte-Anne that Marius Trésor grew up. His parents work in the sugar cane fields. He spends a lot of time playing football on the beach. At the time, he made his balloon the traditional way, with wet newspaper. At the age of 8, Marius Trésor joined Juventus de Sainte-Anne. He thrived at this club until he was 18. With Juventus, he was champion of Guadeloupe in 1969. Spotted by AC Ajaccio, he ended up after several reminders by mail to join the club. At the beginning he tracks him down, agrees to play defense and gradually establishes himself as a key element of the team. In two years, AC Ajaccio has gone from 16^And place in the French championship in 6th place^And. In 1972, Marius Trésor was named French Player of the Year by France Football.

After three seasons at Ajaccio, Marius Trésor opted to join OM. With his typically Marseillaise name, the Guadeloupe footballer was quickly adopted. For eight years, Marius Trésor will experience the ups and downs of Olympique de Marseille. For the tall ones, there is the Coupe de France won in 1976. Marius Trésor, captain of the team, has the honor of raising it in front of the then President of the Republic, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. The minimum is the relationship with the staff when in 1979 Marius Trésor wanted to leave for Bayern Munich. Transfer refused.

2 Girondins-Seville

After his eighth season at OM, the footballer joined the Girondins de Bordeaux, was of Claude Bez. In the 1980s, the Girondins dominated French football and Marius Trésor felt completely happy in this team full of panache. Especially since thanks to the Girondins, he continues his career in the French team. After Argentina in 1978, he took part in the Blues’ epic in Spain in 1982. The famous semi-final of 8 July 1982 in Seville remains a trauma in the history of French football. Marius Trésor says he never digested this defeat. Because it wasn’t just the arbitration that was the weirdest. We remember Patrick Battiston on the ground, having lost consciousness after the attack by goalkeeper Harald Schumacher, not sanctioned at all. A shame ! But in addition, the French dominated 3-1 at the start of extra time. The Germans recovered and finally beat the Azzurri on penalties. Great disappointment for Marius Trésor who suspects FIFA of sabotaging the match.

Marius Trésor and Michel Hidalgo in May 1982 in Lyon before the World Cup in Spain

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©Luc NOVOVITCH / AFP

3 Global in Qatar

After 15 years of football at the highest level, Marius Trésor started having serious back problems. He was unable to take part in the Girondins’ games that led to victory in the French championship in 1984, but he has not been forgotten. On the contrary. On victory night, May 2, 1984, when he was in terrible back pain, he marched with the winners at home.

Logical therefore, after having officially said goodbye to football for health reasons, that Marius Trésor remains in the staff of the Girondins. The Guadeloupian intends to live for a long time in the Médoc, surrounded by his family.

With the World Cup looming in Qatar, we asked Marius Trésor for his opinion on the choice of the hotly contested site for humanitarian and ecological reasons. We are talking about 6,000 workers who died on construction sites. Stadiums will require air conditioning and due to a lack of accommodation fans will have to travel from Dubai or elsewhere.

We also asked Marius Trésor what he thought of the current French squad. Football has changed a lot since the 80s. Money and celebrity reign supreme. Footballers have become unreachable personalities, they travel on private jets and arouse both admiration and criticism.

►January 15, 1950

Birth in Sant’Anna

►September 16, 1969

Arrival in Ajaccio

►October 1973

First goal in the French team

►9 October 1976

First Caribbean captain of the French soccer team

►Juillet 1982

Semi-final against Germany in Seville (World Cup)