“I hear these monkey cries…”, Luccin and Dugarry tell of the legendary match in Bologna in 1999

Guest of Rothen ignites at RMC this Thursday, Peter Luccin shared with his former Marseille teammate Christophe Dugarry his memories of the match that took place at the end of the UEFA Cup semi-final second leg against Bologna in 1999.

20 April 1999. Renato Dall’Ara Stadium. Trailing two weeks earlier at the Vélodrome (0-0), OM qualified for the UEFA Cup final by drawing at the Bologna ground in the semi-final (1-1), thanks to an 87th-minute penalty from Laurent Blanc. A result validated in a hurry, in enemy territory, by the men of Rolland Courbis against those of Carlo Mazzone. From this evening, the supporters also remember the general brawl that occurred at the final whistle. With a hail of blows between players and staff in the tunnel leading to the dressing room.

Christophe Dugarry has not forgotten anything. Starting up front alongside Fabrizio Ravanelli, he joined the melee to defend Peter Luccin, his young 20-year-old team-mate who was being attacked. 25 years later, they both returned to this match The Rothen show lights up at RMC. “During the last ten minutes, because of my skin color, we hear a lot of monkey screams. It’s not a justification. But when the match ends, I hear these monkey screams and I tell them (to the Bologna supporters, ed. note) to continue with my gestures. A little to the side of the tunnel I see three or four players arrive,” Luccin recalled.

Dugarry: “Like a complete idiot, I run and walk”

“I’m in the back, I see the guys start to grope Peter, to push him around. Like a complete idiot I get into the stretchers, I run and go! I could have come quietly, told everyone to calm down But I’m an idiot… The guys haven’t done anything to me. I have no excuses to move on, I’m the one who triggered the thing,” Dugarry stressed, aware of his behavior. In the confusion, Patrick Blondeau had hit a policeman with a helmet .

“We enter the tunnel and Christophe comes to the rescue. Patrick Blondeau bumps his head. There are many people in the tunnel. The argument starts like this. It was said that I had made obscene gestures towards the audience. But at no time did I make some obscene gestures to tell them to keep crying. That’s what happened,” Luccin continued.

No regrets about the final

And Dugarry continues the story: “If I don’t go there like an idiot, maybe it won’t be Patrick Blondeau and all the others. I’ll be suspended for six games… Even Robert Pirès is angry that day, that is… no, I’m joking (laughs)!” Decimated by suspensions after this semi-final return, OM did not recover and lost heavily against Parma in the final (3-0) in Moscow. “We would have had difficulties even with all our players. This season ended in a special way… We should also have won the championship,” Luccin said today where he ended his career.

The same speech from Dugarry: “Parma were superior. Laurent Blanc, who had been magical all season, had perhaps his worst game in the final. We gave away the first goal. On the contrary, they were calm, with world-class players. The best won To have all the entrees would not have changed much.