Golazothe Podcast of Sports.fr and French Football Weekly, is based on the book The Night of the Cursed Published by Karim Nedjari in 2018 to tell the constitution of the group of 22 of the French team for the 98 World Cup and therefore the sidelining of six players. Lionel Letizi, Martin Djetou, Pierre Laigle, Sabri Lamouchi, Ibrahim Ba and Nicolas Anelka were called by Aimé Jacquet in a group of 28 for the start of the preparation before taking the door on May 22, 1998. A month and a half before the triumph at the Stade de France against Brazil (3-0).
“Ibou” Ba and Martin Djetou both experienced a hell of a descent into hell thereafter. The right winger was the new darling of tricolor football after a big season in Bordeaux. He then carried out a correct exercise at 13 assists at AC Milan, but his deleterious relationship with Marcel Desailly, his teammate among the Rossoneri, and an altercation with Didier Deschamps, the other executive of the France group, probably cost him his place for the World Cup.
Djetou, he, Roc of AS Monaco champion of France 1997 under the orders of Jean Tigana, lived very badly his eviction in 1998. His friend Emmanuel Petit was very surprised by the choice of the staff. The native of Abidjan trained at RC Strasbourg needed a year to reappear and Claude Puel relaunched it by associating it with Sabri Lamouchi in front of La Défense, during the superb title of the Monegasques in 2000, with Fabien Barthez Captain, Marcelo Gallardo elected best D1 player and a David Trezeguet at 22 goals.
Roger Lemerre balances at The team…
One month before Euro 2000 (June 10-July 2), Martin Djetou is called by Roger Lemerre, his former coach at the Joinville battalion (the team of footballers in military service). Jacquet assistant, Lemerre was promoted to coach of the Blues after the 98 World Cup. “Martin, can you come to Tignes?” I have Dugarry who may be injured ”asks him the coach. Djetou does not understand why he is in a ballot with the left winger of the team…
“Coach, I'm in the 22 or 28?” Because it was too hard the last time “legitimately explains Martin Djetou. Roger Lemerre then concluded: “I am happy with this conversation between men, obviously she stays between us”. The day after, The team title: “Djetou refuses the French team”. A new stab for the central defender, who will experience an end of a nightmarish career after his arrival in Parma in 2001, as our last episode tells Golazo.
