“Enzo Scifo was a big brother to me”
Present in the spans of the Stade Louis-II on the occasion of AS Monaco’s great victory against Bordeaux (3-0), the former Monegasque left-back took the time to recount his seven years spent in the Principality. Maintenance.
He spent seven years at the foot of the Rock, known the algecos of La Turbie, evolved under the orders of Jean Tigana and Claude Puel and won two titles of champion of France in 1997 and in the year 2000. Young promising left-back trained in Standard de Liège when he arrives at AS Monaco, Philippe Leonard has known everything in the Principality, throughout the 135 matches played with the Diagonale (5 goals, 1 assist).
A bit of Di Meco, a lot of Enzo Scifo… and smiles!
The joys of victory, fierce competition, generations of exceptional players and the Belgian selection. On the sidelines of Monaco’s success last Sunday against the Girondins (3-0), the successor of Eric Di Meco, spiritual little brother of Enzo Scifo, agreed to operate the memory machine. And to discuss the semi-final of the League of Nations to come between the France team and his country, Belgium. With a lot of sincerity, and a great sense of humor. Extracts.
Of course, I had the chance to meet great players in the locker room. Some who were very young and who subsequently became phenomena, such as Titi Henry and David Trezeguet in particular. Others were confirmed, like Marcelo Gallardo, Marco Simone, Sabri Lamouchi, and I forget some. It was a real pleasure to have known these players, but what happened quickly!
Former left side of AS Monaco
Hello Philippe. How does it feel to come back here to the Stade Louis-II?
Spending seven years of my career in this club, where I have known titles, victories, defeats too, it marks. So it always makes me happy to come “home”. In addition I see that there are a lot of developments in the Stadium, and even the lawn, it was not as beautiful as it is now in our time (smile).
You have known great players and two French league titles (1997, 2000). What do you remember from your time in the Principality?
Of course, I had the chance to meet great players in the locker room. Some who were very young and who subsequently became phenomena, such as Titi Henry and David Trezeguet in particular. Others were confirmed, like Marcelo Gallardo, Marco Simone, Sabri Lamouchi, and I forget some. It was a real pleasure to have known these players, but what happened quickly! Now when I speak, I say “back then”, and that hurts (laughs).
You got to know Enzo Scifo at AS Monaco. As a Belgian player, what does this come to you?
Enzo with us in Belgium is an icon. I have an anecdote about my arrival at AS Monaco. We had an appointment with the Red Devils (the Belgian selection, editor’s note). There was a planned opposition between the Espoirs and the A. Enzo came to greet me by asking me if the rumors about my arrival are true. I replied: “Yes yes it’s good I signed for four years”. He obviously congratulated me and then it was he who really facilitated my integration here. Because I am a rather silent person in life, you put me in a corner and I do not move. Enzo introduced me to Fabien Barthez, Sonny Anderson, Manu Petit, Franck Dumas and all the locker room executives. All these guys that I got to know. Without forgetting Eric Di Meco of course.
He was evolving in the same position as you, left side. Comment was it?
From a rooming point of view, it was the king! He’s someone who marked my career, because I saw him do hard tackles, and I told myself that being the replacement for a guy like that, it was a chance. I love his way of playing, of being aggressive, sometimes a little too much (smile)! But being in the field or in the locker room with guys like that was great.
When I arrived, he really took charge of me. He introduced me to everyone, explained to me how it worked, because it was my first club abroad, I came from Standard de Liège. (…) I think it speeds up my learning here and meeting people through Enzo makes my integration easier, that’s undeniable.
About Enzo Scifo
To come back to Enzo Scifo, did he play a big brother role for you?
When I arrived, he really took charge of me. He introduced me to everyone, explained to me how it worked, because it was my first club abroad, I came from Standard de Liège. He had been through this before. I think it accelerates my here and the fact of meeting people via Enzo, that facilitated my integration, it is undeniable.
You have also evolved under the orders of great coaches. Tell us about them …
When I arrived, it was Mr. Tigana who was the coach and Claude Puel was a physical trainer. But I must say that the one who marked me the most is really Claude. From a mentality point of view, never letting go. When he became a physical trainer and even after as a trainer, he played toros and games with us. And if you get the misfortune of stamping him he claims to put a tackle on you. He was not afraid to come and set foot. No more need, it is he who made me progress the most, because he allowed me to surpass myself. Even when I was physically behind compared to young players trained in Monaco, when I already had four years as a professional in Belgium, he made me work. He also made me progress at the tactical level, so he particularly marked me.
The victory for the title of champion in 1999-2000 marked me. We knew it was important for the Principality. We were told at the start of the season that it was important for the princely family. And I think we had the best season in the history of AS Monaco, with a good average of 9,000 spectators at the Stade Louis-II. But above all, we were playing real football!
About the 2000 title
Do you have a locker room story that comes to mind?
The first is when I arrived in the locker room for training in the algecos in La Turbie. It was raining. Eric Di Meco arrives and opens the door, and there “the sky” falls on his head. He then turns to Jean Tigana and says: “Oh Jeannot, we’re not going to train today, have you seen the weather?” At that moment, Tigana pokes her head and says: “Ok, we will wait a bit”. We had to put in water to prevent it from everywhere. And there I said to myself: “We are still at AS Monaco, what the hell? (Laughs) Finally I got used to it and I did seven years in the Algecos. It was striking.
A great memory that marked you …
Victory for the league title in 1999-2000. We knew it was important for the Principality. We were told at the start of the season that it was important for the princely family. And I think we had the best season in the history of AS Monaco, with a good average of 9,000 spectators I believe at the Stade Louis-II. But above all, we were playing real football! There comes a match where I am suspended, and where we know that we are already champions. I arrived, I was in a suit with a nice shirt, and I ended up throwing myself in the jacuzzi, otherwise Martin Djetou and Fabien Barthez were going to do it for me. I remember very well, I even kept pictures of this moment. I took off my jacket and made a bomb. I jumped with President Campora. A great memory too.
To talk a little more about current events, what is your view on the collaboration between AS Monaco and Cercle Bruges?
It is a very good choice because the Belgian championship, even if it is a little below the Big 5, remains a very good place for the progression of the young people. So I think AS Monaco made a very good choice to come and acquire Cercle Brugge, and send young people there who will be able to harden up and perhaps become very good players more quickly. Because the Jupiler Pro League remains a demanding championship. Physically you have to be present, because the aggressiveness of the opposing teams means that you have to get directly into tune so as not to be walked on. It is a much faster learning process and it is therefore very smart on the part of AS Monaco.
This week there is a Nations League semi-final between France and Belgium, what does that mean to you?
I don’t know when we will be able to find a generation as talented as Belgium now. So now is the time to win something! Passing through France is already complicated, and behind there will be Spain or Italy. But with the players that we have in selection, who all participate in the big leagues and in the big clubs, it would still be a shame to miss the opportunity to win a trophy. For us, a small country of 12 million inhabitants, we really want this generation to gain something.
Find out how Belgium reached the finals of the League of Nations …@BelRedDevils | #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/E5uaBkHOwR
– UEFA EURO 2024 (@ EURO2024) October 5, 2021
Certainly they did better than their elders in 1986 who had finished 4th in the World Cup. They finished in third place in 2018, but you can’t be satisfied with that when you have so much talent. You have to win something, and why not win the Nations League, or even better, the World Cup in a year, that would be wonderful. In any case, it will be a nice poster on Thursday. No matter how you play, we have to win (smile)!
Here we hope for the opposite with Wissam Ben Yedder and Aurélien Tchouameni in the ranks of the Blues …
Haha, I understand. May the best win.