Jeff Chabot: Cologne’s Defense Chief Talks Toughest Opponents, Bouncer Image, and Dirty Defense

Julian Jeffrey Gaston Chabot (25) – “Jeff” for short – is Cologne’s defense chief. In the big BILD interview, Chabot (mother is French) talks about his toughest opponents, his bouncer image and why things get dirty in defense.

BILD: Jeff, or bouncer – what should I call you?

JEFF CHABOT laughs: “Let’s stick with Jeff, that fits.”

Why, don’t you like the nickname that a commentator gave him in the first half of the game in Munich?

“Yes, yes – that was meant in a positive way. There are worse nicknames. I was asked about it from time to time afterwards.”

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Also in the disco?

Chabot laughs again: “Not yet, but you never know.”

>> bouncer? Thats my job!

Seriously: bouncer suits you. It’s not so easy for the strikers to get past you!

“Thats my job. The door is the goal, I defend with my boys as hard and as well as I can.”

How tough is it as a centre-back?

“That’s where it gets down to business, sometimes it gets dirty. You try to mark your territory in the first ten minutes without getting a yellow card. That’s part of it – but the strikers can also be disgusting. We have one of those…”

You mean Davie Selke?

“Yes, Davie is quite good at it too. Talking a lot, always moving – Davie is a very good training partner for the league games.”

Jeff Chabot (right) in conversation with BILD reporter Mirko Frank at the training camp in Maria Alm

Photo: Andreas Pohl / BILD

Do you need to get extra hot before games?

“No, maybe I come off that way. But no, I don’t need any warm-up music or banging my head against the cabin wall. I’m just happy that I can play and then I’m totally focused. In my free time, I like boxing to get a bit of a change from football. The boxing training is very intense, but I never stand in the ring, I actually just hammer against the punching bag.”

Who was your most disgusting opponent?

“There are several: Immobile, Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic.”

Phew, those are names…

“Yes, I played against them during my time in Italy. They were tough guys – and mega stars. I often sat in the dressing room after games and pinched myself because I was allowed to play against them. That was awesome.”

>> Ronaldo doesn’t talk. He scores and goes home

How was Ronaldo in a duel like that?

“He doesn’t talk much. He scores and goes home. He just takes a step to the side and the thing is in there. In two games I caught four things against him. It was tough, but I learned a lot in these games.”

And then you grabbed his jersey?

“At least I tried, but no chance. There are too many people who want this thing badly. Actually, I never want the jerseys of my opponents, but of course it was something different with Ronaldo.”

Jeff Chabot recently signed a contract in Cologne until 2026

Photo: Andreas Pohl / BILD

Did you get your hardness from your stations in Italy in Genoa and Spezia Calcio?

“Quite possible. When I was younger I was with Eintracht Frankfurt, then in Leipzig. After that I went abroad via Rotterdam and Groningen then ended up in Italy. I wouldn’t have made it into the Bundesliga directly from the U19s, because they would have eaten me up. I was still missing too much. Men’s football is something different, you have to have a body for it and you need experience.”

You had to fight for a long time in Cologne. First your bets, then a contract. In the end you were the defense boss and one of the top performers in the second half of the season. How do you explain this increase?

“The World Cup break was very important for me. Having a lot of preparation after my ankle surgery helped me a lot. I didn’t have to put myself under pressure for my comeback, but had time and peace to prepare well in the athletic area as well.”

BILD sports director almost speechless Ingenious Poldi saying makes EVERYONE laugh

Source: PICTURE 07/19/2023

2023-07-21 03:47:55
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