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21 April 2017
Ricardo Faty : « I was proud to win the Toulon Tournament 2006 best player award »
After playing for AS Roma, Bayer Leverkusen as well as Standard Liège, Ricardo Faty has joined Turkish side Bursaspor in 2015. The 30-year-old midfielder shares us his memories about his three participations at the Toulon Tournament (2006, 2007, 2008).
Ricardo, what are your memories about your three participations at the Toulon Tournament ?
I remember distinctly the three participations because they were different. In 2006, we won the competition and I was named best player of the tournament. The next year, we clinched the title again with a fantastic team. However, it was most difficult in 2008 : we have faced a group stage exit and I have suffered a relapse on my thigh injury.
In 2006, you were named best player of the tournament and won the tournament alongside players like Hugo Lloris and Yohan Cabaye. How does it feel to win an international tournament at this age ?
I was delighted to represent France, especially when we know that I wasn’t supposed to take part in the tournament. Due to the Younes Kaboul’s withdrawal, I was called to replace him. I was not supposed to be in the starting eleven too but Didier Digard sustained an injury in the first game and I replaced him too. Hopefully, I did a good tournament. I was proud to win the best player award.
During this edition, you have played against strong teams like Mexico and Colombia. Were you impressed by a player ?
Not especially but I remember that Colombia have plenty of good players. One of them was Cristian Zapata, the current AC Milan defender. Few months after the Toulon Tournament, I saw him in Italy because I was playing for AS Roma and Zapata for Udinese. Every year, when I was playing against him in Serie A, we talked about the Toulon Tournament, it was funny !
You have spent the 2006-2007 campaign with AS Roma. At the end of the season, you played again the Toulon Tournament. You won it for the second year in a row alongside players like Kévin Gameiro, Loïc Rémy and Benoït Costil. Did you feel that some of your teammates had a big potential ?
Yes indeed, especially Kévin Gameiro, who is a good friend. We were playing together at Strasbourg. With him and Loïc Rémy, we boasted a very fast attacking duo. We had also Alexandre Bonnet and Djamal Abdoun, another good friend. Our squad was very good. I can also talk about the goalkeepers Benoit Costil and Geoffrey Jourdren. We had a very good team but we were most importantly a group of friends ! For example, Youssouf Mulumbu was in the team and we grew up together in the same town at Paris.
We won logically the tournament. At that moment, we had also a fantastic coach, Philippe Bergeroo.
Let’s move now on your third participation at the Toulon Tournament in 2008. It was difficult for you as France finished 7th and lost their three games. You have met some interesting teams like the Chilean team led by Gary Medel…
Yes I remember. This season, I was loaned out by AS Roma to FC Nantes and I have played many Ligue 2 games. At the end of the campaign, I was not in my best shape and I had a thigh-injury. I didn’t want to play the Toulon Tournament but the coach really wanted me in the squad. During the first game against Chile, I was sent off. We were not used to play together as the team was composed of players born in 1986, 1987 and 1988. We hadn’t the same cohesion like in the previous years. It was frustrating as I wanted to help France to become the first nation to win the Toulon Tournament three times in a row.
I came back for the third game against Netherlands and I relapsed again. During this edition, there were several nations who were at Toulon to prepare the Olympics. I remember about Italy of Sebastiian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Marco Motta, who was my teammate at AS Roma. Italy have a very good players and they won the title by the way.
