The Centenary, 1978, his record… Exclusive interview with Jean-Luc Ettori
He is a one-club man, the very definition of loyalty, THE Legend of the Rouge et Blanc! Having played 755 matches in almost 20 years of his career at AS Monaco, Jean-Luc Ettori has left his mark on generations of players and supporters of the Club. It is therefore to talk about his best moments spent at the foot of the Rock that the former Monaco goalkeeper spoke with the Club as part of the festivities for the Centenary. 🎙️
Hello Jean-Luc. To begin, how does it feel to see all these faces again?
I already have a unique sense, because I must be one of the few to have played with the four generations represented today! So I don’t know if I am the link between them. But what is certain is that I have memories in common with all of them, and that’s great!
In any case, you are the most capped player in the history of the Club with 755 matches under your belt. What does that mean to you?
It’s a great source of pride, because AS Monaco is not just any club, it’s the club of the Principality! So being a loyal player among the most loyal is an honour. It means that all the coaches who have followed one another have trusted me… and that I may have had a bit of talent deep down (smile)!
Tell us a little about the beginning of your adventure at the foot of the Rock…
So I arrived in Monaco at a young age at the training center, in 1975, where I played two years with the reserve team in the third tier, managed at the time by Mr. Forcherio, Pierre Mosca and then Gérard Banide. Then in 1977, following the injury of Yves Chauveau, who was the starter at the time, I played and I never left the team again! And then we were French champions in 1978.
Precisely, AS Monaco were crowned champions just one year after its return to the elite. How do you explain that?
If you take the team of the time, even if these names don’t necessarily mean anything to the youngest of today, there was Courbis, Gardon, Vitalis, Moizan, Chaussin, Jean Petit, Nogues, Dalger, Onnis… there were some big names! And then we were united like the fingers of a hand, so it was great.
Is it this almost family-like bond that made this group successful?
That and defending the colours of Monaco! If you talk to anyone from that generation, everyone had a special affection for this club! We were a bit alone against the rest of the world (smile).
Is it a source of pride to be the most decorated player, as well as the most capped?
Of course, even if I wasn’t alone. But that’s what we were there for! When you start playing football, you want to play in Division 1 at the time, then in a competitive team. That was the case at AS Monaco, so it was essential, even if the results when I started weren’t as important. But then with the arrival of Arsène Wenger in particular, we were there to win!
Exactly, you have known extraordinary coaches during these 20 years at the Club!
Indeed, it started with Lucien Leduc, then with Gérard Banide and Lucien Muller with whom we won the Coupe de France in 1985. Then there was Arsène, who stayed 7 years at the Club, and with whom Monaco took on a European dimension. Jean-Louis Campora’s great strength is to have always known how to surround himself with great talent, and that is a real skill! We must take our hats off to him.
What was so special about him as President?
First of all, he was respected, and then his love for the Club was contagious! It was great for us. There was a real responsibility to represent the Principality, it was instilled in our minds. You only had to see when he arrived in the dressing room, everyone was standing!
You experienced the rise in power in Europe, with this 1992 Cup Winners’ Cup final, which will forever leave regrets given the context…
We are not going to hide behind the Furiani tragedy (which had taken place the day before, editor’s note), and yet I am Corsican, so it affected me directly. But I would say that we missed playing our type of match, after having had a great campaign. We had met Feyenoord Rotterdam, AS Roma… it was a great competition!
It’s a shame because we missed playing our way in this last match. The regret I have today is having played in a huge stadium, the Stadio de Luz which had 120,000 seats, with only 35,000 fans. So there wasn’t really the scent of a final, beyond the context. It’s a shame.
Despite everything, you showed the way to future generations!
I don’t know if we paved the way for those who came after, because it was the very essence of the Club to perform and progress every year. And that’s still the goal today, so it’s great!
If you had a moment to remember from this rich history with AS Monaco?
I would say the goal in the 90th minute by Gérald Passi on a pass from Ramon Diaz in the Coupe de France final against Olympique de Marseille in 1991! A beautiful right-footed strike in the last minute against OM, magnificent, right (smiles)?
A final word for the Club supporters who keep you in their hearts…
They have no choice (laughs)! It’s not always easy to be a supporter of AS Monaco, especially since they are everywhere. I was in contact with those who are in Chartres, so it’s good that they continueto be this way! I knew the first trips, where there weren’t many people. Today there are many of them and much younger, so it’s good. DAGHE MUNEGU!!! 🇲🇨
