Gérard Forissier reflects on 33 years as Saint-Étienne physio | OneFootball

Gérard Forissier, AS Saint-Étienne’s physiotherapist from 1973 to 2006, has reflected on 33 years in green. According to Le Progres, he arrived almost by chance as a summer stand-in in 1973, not a football fan, and kept his focus on care.

He left for Lapland on Saturday, quickly putting the heatwave behind him. A fly-fishing devotee for four years, he travels Europe and beyond to wade rivers for salmon and grayling, all released, he stresses.

In mid-May, during celebrations marking 50 years since the Verts’ epic run, he was missing from the group photos. He was in Ireland on a long-planned fishing trip.

Across his long career he was a familiar figure on the touchline, appearing on bench photos alongside 19 coaches. That vantage point makes him a valuable witness to the club’s history and to the evolution of his profession.

He recalls that in 1973 he was competing in judo and was already working as a physiotherapist with sporting clients. He will turn 80 on 22 July.

Source: Le Progres