When Manuel Amoros (Nimes, France, 1962) retired of football in 1996with four league titles in his country, a Champions League, a Euro Cup with The Blues and being the fourth player with the most appearances in the history of AS Monaco, Mbappé still had two years left to be born and 17 to reach the lower categories of the Monegasque club. The former right-back, who played 82 games for his national team and was Bielsa’s assistant in Marseille as coach, remember his glory dayslaments the poor performance of his team and praises the figure of his compatriot Mbappé before the Champions League duel in Madrid.
—What about your life?
—I live quietly, near Marseille and not far from Monaco. I collaborate with an association for older people and from time to time we train and play a game among those of us who are already of a certain age. Football is still my life.
—Do you watch many games on television?
—Yes, I have not disconnected from current events, but I watch less than before because today’s football, in general, does not excite me, that is the reality. What does not change is that I am still a Monaco fan and I am suffering from its current crisis.
—Was there more quality in your time?
—I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I think so. Now the physical and tactical matters more. I had teammates and rivals who had qualities that are difficult to see now.
—That selection was very good with Platini, Giresse, Tigana, Fernández,…
-Of course. Remember that we won Euro 1984 against you. Of all those who mentioned to me, the most talented teammate I had at my side was Giresse. It was a phenomenon. Platini was also magnificent, a good scorer and a leader on and off the field, but I always had a preference for little Alain.
—You have in your image whattsapp a photo with Maradona…
—It’s from an action in a France-Argentina match at the Parc des Princes in 1986. It was a friendly that we won 2-0. Pronouncing Maradona’s name is to stand up. I faced him twice and it was torture playing against that genius. He was too good for all his rivals. What a footballer! From a neutral point of view it was a delight to watch him play. He gave off a special aura on the field. I haven’t seen anyone like Diego.
—Your beloved Monaco is in bad shape, they have lost four in a row in the league…
—It makes me very sad to see him like this. Since the great president Campora and Prince Rainier left the club everything has gotten worse. The decisions of successive presidents have not been good in terms of the organization of the club and the performance of the team, in general, either. We lived in moments of success and now we have to face the other side of the coin. The team is bad and the dynamic is very negative.
—Madrid is not there to get excited either…
—I am aware of what is happening and follow events. It is in a hole, but not as bad as Monaco, which is much worse. Madrid’s strength is its players and with players as decisive as Mbappé plus the pressure from the Bernabéu, I see it almost impossible for Monaco to achieve something positive despite the whites’ bad moment. Furthermore, in Europe they always transform and show their best version when necessary. Madrid will always be Madrid, regardless of its ups and downs.
“Madrid will always be Madrid, regardless of its ups and downs.”
Manuel Amorós, former Monaco player.
—Against Levante the public whistled at several players…
—I didn’t like that at all. Football has no memory and lives only in the present, you have to accept that, but sometimes you have to understand each person’s moments of form and consider what they have contributed in the past. I don’t think I would ever boo a footballer on my team, even if he was very bad.
—Were you surprised that Xabi Alonso was fired?
—This is not something new and even less so in large clubs. If there is a series of bad results, the coach is fired because not all the players can be fired and a solution is sought. It has always been like this and will continue to happen. In clubs as imposing as Madrid there is no room for patience.
“The minimum hope we have is the return of Ansu Fati after his injury.”
Manuel Amorós, former Monaco player.
—Do you particularly like any Monaco player?
—Right now it’s difficult to single out anyone. The games are bad and the results are disastrous. The least hope we have is the return of Ansu Fati after his injury. He is a great player who was beginning to recover his level from a few years ago, but I have doubts that he can really shine in an environment as negative as that of Monaco.
—Do you see Mbappé at his best level?
—Now his progression has slowed down a bit due to the injury, but he is a formidable forward. His scoring ability is amazing, he has charisma, he has fitted in well in Spain and all his teammates look for him when the situation gets complicated because he is capable of solving a game on his own. He is the leader of Madrid and the French team and that is not a given. Furthermore, he went through Monaco and that is also important (laughter).
—Do you see him as a great candidate to win the Ballon d’Or?
—That will depend on the titles. For quality you can surely win it. Nobody can doubt that, but that award is usually linked to collective team titles. If Madrid wins the Champions League or France wins the World Cup they will be able to achieve it, I have no doubts about that.
—Tchouameni is also progressing…
—I’m happy because he is another one who went through Monaco and is important for the national team. He has had some difficult times, but now he has taken a step forward. I think he has realized the relevance he has for the team and when you train and play with high-level teammates, positive evolution is natural.
—It’s not happening to Camavinga…
—It surprises me because at Rennes it seemed to me that he was going to be a phenomenon. I always saw great potential in him and thought he would be a great figure. I think that injuries have slowed him down too much and the collective performance of the team is not helping in his return either, but I still trust Eduardo a lot.
—What game are you expecting?
—We are going to suffer a lot. I have it clear. Madrid is going to take control of the match and will want to give great joy to its fans. They will have possession most of the time and create many chances. Mbappé scares me because he has already recovered from the injury and I see him scoring, even more than one goal.
“Zidane has the experience and wisdom necessary to take us very far.”
Manuel Amorós former Monaco player.
—Do you think Zidane will be a good coach?
—I hope so, for the good of the country. If everything comes to fruition I wish you all the luck in the world. He has already shown at Real Madrid what he can do from the bench and being a coach is easier than being a coach at such a big club. He has the experience and wisdom necessary to take us far.
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