Jeff Tordo. José Cobos. Rugby legend, Gym legend. Nice's icons. The former French national team captain and the former Aiglons captain will be side by side this Monday, for the legends' match that will take place at the Allianz Riviera. United for a good cause: 90 minutes (one half of football, one half of rugby) for Pascal Olmeta's charity « Un sourire, un espoir pour la vie ». Before this beautiful event, of which OGC Nice is a partner, the former hooker and the former defender spoke together. It is always a pleasure...

Could you explain to us how Monday's match came about?
José Cobos : Everything started with Pascal Olmeta. I've known him for a very long time because we played together at Espanyol Barcelona and we've never cut ties. He's a generous, wholehearted person, who rallies to raise as much money as possible to help families in hospitals. Someone I appreciate very much. At the same time, I would like to thank OGC Nice, who are partners of this event, and the City of Nice, through its mayor Christian Estrosi. Everyone is getting together for a good cause. There will be world stars on the pitch this Monday, it is a privilege to have them here. It will be a spectacle and I know that the people of Nice will be there. I hope they will be numerous for a good cause, as usual.

Jeff Tordo : I like Pascal Olmeta. He is one of those footballers who could have played rugby. He's a character with a mindset, charisma and a man-management aspect. In short, he's a Swiss Army knife. You put him in football and he was good, but I am convinced that he would have been good everywhere. When he asked me to play for a good cause, I didn't even think twice. It was obvious. Especially in Nice.

Is Nice still a special place for you Jeff ?
JT : It's my DNA. I was born in Nice, in the Magnan district, at the start of the Madeleine. I come from seven generations of Nice. When I am here, I live in the flat where I was practically born. For me it's important to have bearings, it makes sense. I like stories, especially family stories. My children were born there. I was born there and I will be buried there. Nice is my land. I have always defended the blue and gold colours and I will defend them until the very end.

Do you still have an eye on Nice rugby ?
JT : I am simply here to pass on the baton, to say that I cried for the club, that I bled for the club. It's a heritage that the former members left me, it must not be wasted. My pride is to have been raised by the Rugby Club de Nice. It's my DNA, like the town. I will always be wholeheartedly committed to the Nice club and today to the Stade Niçois. We have had our moments of glory, today, we are not in our place. Nice deserves at least the Pro D2 and in the future the TOP 14.

It seems to me that the two of you know each other well...
JT : Yes, very well...

JC : Jeff is an extraordinary character, a man I really appreciate, a quiet man. We see each other often. A real champion, captain of the French national team. He's not a nobody.

Have you ever been together on a field ?
JT : Absolutely. At the end of the 90s, we were training at Charles-Ehrmann, with OGC Nice next door. At the beginning of the season, we always played a rugby versus football match. The aim was not to know who would win, but it was nice, there was interaction, excitement.

JC : Being careful to avoid injuries, of course. It was good to get to know each other because these are the leading clubs in the city, which the fans appreciate. It's good to show that there is a link between rugby and football and more widely, between all the sports in Nice.

JT : There has always been a link, even in people's minds. When we had the big games, we would go and play at the Ray stadium, we could almost fill it.

Jeff, would you have seen José playing rugby ?
JT : Of course. Like Pascal Olmeta. For me, 5 or 6% of footballers could have played rugby. Both of them are part of it.

JC : Thanks for the percentage. It's true. In addition, at the time, we also had a team that sometimes looked like a rugby team (laughs). Even the president of the League or the Federation told me that I was one of the only football players with a rugby mentality. That's a good compliment.

JT : I could have seen him as a scrum-half, commanding his troops.

JC : I love it. It makes me happy but it's an important position, on Monday I'll leave it to Deschamps, he's better suited to it...

JT : There are natural leaders, José is one of them. Our friend Pascal Olmeta too. There's no explanation for that. You can do body-building sessions, relaxation therapy, you are a leader or you are not. These are the people who manage to unite around them, to find a chemistry, to transcend their teammates. It's magical. Only in sport can you find this kind of human relationship.

José Cobos would have been a good scrum half. What about Jeff Tordo in football?
JC : He would have been a good defender! It was simple, in my day, in central defence: the first one would hoist the player up and the other one would volley him back.

JT : Versatile defender (laughs). The problem is that I have two left feet, so it would have been difficult for me! On the other hand, I love football, I've always followed OGC Nice, I watch a lot of matches: it's an exceptional sport with a global value: you go to Amazonia and find a football, not a rugby ball. When I was playing, we often practised football, to break up the daily routine of rugby a bit. And there are some good football players among the rugby players... But today, it doesn't matter what sport, the most important thing is the human aspect. In Nice, there is football, water polo, basketball, handball and rugby. I think that there is a very sporty dynamic in the city: good! The values of sport are very important, they generate a lot of things for the kids. In particular, they contribute to making them good citizens, which is a priority.

Any last words before putting on your boots this Monday?
JC : I hope that the people of Nice will come in large numbers, because it's really for a good cause. We'll have to put on a show, it will be a good time. Well, we won't upset Chabal too much (laughs) but there will be a great spirit, with great champions, Cantona, Barthez, Deschamps, Califano and others. It's really a great event that we're hosting in this beautiful Allianz Riviera stadium. I hope the people of Nice will be there!

The teams participating on Monday

Football : Michel Platini, Fabien Barthez, Didier Deschamps, Eric Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin, Gaëtan Huard, Vincent Candela, Sébastien Frey, José Cobos, Steve Savidan, Frédéric Piquionne, Frédéric Déhu, Sébastien Squillaci, Marama Vahirua, François Modesto, Djibril Cissé, Gaël Givet, Manuel Dos Santos, Ludovic Giuly, Eric Fraticelli, Paga, Redouane Bougheraba. Avec Henri Emile.

Rugby : Fabien Pelous, Sébastien Chabal, Thomas Castaignède, Jeff Tordo, Christian Califano, Emile Ntamack, William Servat, Vincent Moscato, Olivier Brouzet, Jean-Charles Orso, Trevor Brennan, Christian Labit, Denis Charvet, Pierre Mignoni, Aubin Hueber, Moktar Guetari, Yohan Huget, Arnaud Ducret, Kendji Girac, Philippe Dajoux.

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