Was that a blast into the recent Werder past? On Thursday night, the name Johan Micoud was announced on the stadium's public address system. And the spectators gave him a great round of applause...
Was that a blast into the recent Werder past? On Thursday night, the name Johan Micoud was announced on the stadium's public address system. And the spectators gave him a great round of applause...
Was that a blast into the recent Werder past? On Thursday night, the name Johan Micoud was announced on the stadium's public address system. And the spectators gave him a great round of applause. And during the first half, there were even fan chants about the ingenious midfielder. Why so much interest all of sudden in Micoud? Well, the Frenchman was invited to the game against AS Saint Etienne by Werder management. "Klaus Allofs called me and asked if I wanted to come around again. And I didn't have to think too long about it," said the 36-year-old, who helped Werder to the league and cup titles in 2004.
Micoud clearly enjoyed his stay in Bremen. Once back at Weser Stadion, he could hardly take two steps without being greeted by well-known faces, shaking hands or signing autographs. Micoud finally had a bit of peace and quiet when he reached the Werder VIP box. He used the opportunity to ask supervisory board chairman Willi Lemke about his work with the United Nations, chat with his former teammate Jurica Vranjes and talk to Board of Directors members Klaus-Dieter Fischer and Manfred Müller about the latest at Saint-Etienne.
Even though Werder's UEFA Cup showdown is with a French club, it's clear for whom "Joe" - as he was always known - was rooting. "I don't really have a big connection to Saint Etienne even though it is one of the most popular clubs in France. I will be rooting for Werder," said the Frenchman, who lives with his family near Bordeaux.
