It's an anecdote that makes you smile but which, at first reading, is intriguing. In an interview with L'Équipe, a former Gazélec Ajaccio defender said that one of his ex-coaches boasted of having helped Aimé Jacquet prepare for the 1998 World Cup final. Yes, the famous France-Brazil at the Stade de France. A revelation which is enough to arouse curiosity: what if a little-known technician had really suggested a tactical idea to the Blues coach before their greatest triumph?
Jean-Michel Cavalli, Jacquet’s “secret advisor”?
Because the coach in question is none other than Jean-Michel Cavalli, a well-known figure in Corsican and Algerian football. Roderic Filippi, his former player at Ajaccio, said that Cavalli assured him, with the utmost seriousness, that Aimé Jacquet had called him the day before the 1998 final “for a final tactical tip”. And while we're at it, he would also have attributed the authorship of the 3-5-2 system… which Pep Guardiola would have, according to him, taken over later. A barely believable locker room tale, but told with aplomb.
Cavalli, we know him well in Algeria. His time at the head of the Fennecs, between 2006 and 2007, remains a painful memory: double elimination for the 2006 and 2008 CAN, FIFA ranking in free fall, and a team without soul or project. The man liked to talk about “renewal”, but his defensive tactical choices and his inconsistencies plunged the selection into a dark period. When he left, Algeria was on the brink of collapse before being revived by Rabah Saâdane.
Cavalli, the man who claims to have won the 98 World Cup with the Blues.
The Cavalli myth, between ego and exaggerations
This is not the first time that Jean-Michel Cavalli has appeared on stage. The former coach likes to rewrite his story, even if it means slipping into that of others. Whether he claims to be the inspiration for Jacquet or the precursor to Guardiola says a lot about his character: a mixture of ego, folklore and involuntary self-deprecation.
Today, Cavalli is more of a picturesque figure than a respected strategist. In Algeria, some still wonder how he was able to convince the federation twice. Perhaps with the same audacity as when he said he had influenced the destiny of the Blues. After all, inventing victories is still the area where Jean-Michel Cavalli remains unbeatable.
