Emerse Faé, the interim coach who steered Ivory Coast to victory in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Nigeria, responded to criticism from Jérôme Rothen, dismissing the pundit’s remarks on the tournament’s quality. Faé replaced Jean-Louis Gasset just before the round of 16, orchestrating an impressive turnaround that culminated in winning the prestigious competition.
In response to Rothen’s comments on the perceived lack of technique and tactics in the AFCON, Faé rebuffed the criticism, stating, “I heard that there is a pseudo journalist in France, who has never played an international match in his life.
He would have said that the level of the AFCON was catastrophic because there was neither technique nor tactics.
I don’t think he understands anything about football. When you look at the international career he had… I’m not surprised. I let him talk, he stood out, he made himself interesting.
It was an extraordinary CAN, with twists and turns, goals, spectacle. It was very dishonest to say that this AFCONwas not of quality.”
Faé’s impassioned defense of the AFCON’s quality sparked a swift response from Jérôme Rothen, known for his candid and often controversial remarks.
Rothen retorted, “Emerse Faé, you could have mentioned my name! You saw him more than once on the field (in addition to the jerseys I gave you).
I promise I won’t talk about your career and your 0 titles won.” The exchange between the former midfielder and the pundit adds a layer of intrigue to the post-tournament discussions, highlighting the diverse perspectives on the quality of the recently concluded AFCON.
Ça tombe bien on en parle à 18h dans @Rothensenflamme sur @RMCInfo 👍@Emerse_Fae tu aurais pu citer mon nom!tu l’as aperçu plus d’une fois sur le terrain (en plus des maillots que je t’ai donné)🤪. Promis je ne parlerais pas de ta carrière et tes 0 titres gagnés😂 https://t.co/t4p9umNCJo
— Jérôme Rothen (@RothenJerome) February 12, 2024
