FRANCE: A THIRD DIVISION TEAM AMIENS WILL BE PLAYING IN THE FRENCH CUP FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

Record ID: 648836

  • Title: FRANCE: A THIRD DIVISION TEAM AMIENS WILL BE PLAYING IN THE FRENCH CUP FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
  • Date: 22nd May 2001
  • Summary: AMIENS, FRANCE (22 MAY, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. AMIENS TEAM TRAINING IN LA LICORNE STADIUM 2. ONLOOKERS 3. (SOUNDBITE) (French) AMIENS COACH DENIS TROCH SAYING: "If I take the example of a cycling race, we rode well, we climbed the hill correctly, we improved and now we have to sprint to get across the finish line in the best possible conditions." 4. TRAINING (VARIOUS) 5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) AMIENS STRIKER JEAN-FRANCOIS RIVIERE SAYING: "For the moment we haven't spoken about it much. I don't think we're really thinking about it. For us it's going to be a big moment, we're going to try to be present at the right time, at 8:45 on Saturday. And to talk about that now isn't really useful because we don't know what it's like to play in a French Cup final, so there's nothing we can say about it. No one here has ever played in a final so it'll be a totally new event that we'll have to adapt to rapidly without spending the week saying 'I'm going to do this' or 'I'm going to do that'." 6. TRAINING (VARIOUS) 7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) GOAL JULIEN LACHUER SAYING: "We're ready, we're well-prepared and we don't have any particular problems. We're taking it as a reward for our season. It's not an aim in itself to win the French Cup final, even if it looks good on a player's win list." 8. TRAINING (VARIOUS) 9. FANS OUTSIDE LA LICORNE STADIUM 10. GENERAL VIEW AMIENS 11. POSTERS ANNOUNCING SATURDAY'S MATCH 12. CAFE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AMIENS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA3QJA30B5JNHQFD00R2ZYM03R
  • Story Text: For the first time ever, a third division team will be
    playing in the French Cup final.



    Surprise French Cup finalists Amiens sealed promotion
    back to the second division when they beat Pau 2-1 on May 11
    to clinch a promotion spot alongside Grenoble and Istres.

    The side from the Somme region, who were relegated from
    the second division last season, face first division
    Strasbourg in the Cup final at the Stade de France on May 26,
    hoping to become the first third division side to lift the
    trophy.

    "If I take the example of a cycling race, we rode well, we
    climbed the hill correctly, we improved and now we have to
    sprint to get across the finish line in the best possible
    conditions," Amiens' coach Denis Troch told Reuters.

    Amiens became the second amateur side in two years to
    reach the French Cup final when they won a penalty shoot-out
    to beat first division Troyes in the semifinals.

    They emulated fourth division Calais, who reached the
    final last year when they were beaten by Nantes, and Nimes,
    who got through to the final in 1996.

    "No one here has ever played in a final so it'll be a
    totally new event that we'll have to adapt to rapidly without
    spending the week saying 'I'm going to do this' or 'I'm going
    to do that'," said striker Jean-Francois Riviere.

    Amiens, who played a French Cup semifinal in 1930, will
    face Strasbourg in the final at the Stade de France on May 26.

    They have conceded only two goals in seven games since the
    competition started.
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