Sierro enjoys Toulouse with e-scooter and raclette cheese

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Usually the dream of going abroad is over when someone who didn’t make it returns home. Not so in the case of Vincent Sierro (27). The Valaisan went from Sion to SC Freiburg six years ago. After a year and a half with only four Bundesliga appearances, he is tired of being a reserve player and returns to Switzerland, to FC St. Gallen, where he leaves and receives the offer from YB a year later. In Bern he becomes a mainstay of the team and that is how Ligue 1 club Toulouse flutters into the house in January.

Therefore, Toulouse’s offer is inappropriate. “I really wanted to experience the championship parade with YB. I probably won two championships and one cup winner. But due to the pandemic no parties. It was my heart’s desire to experience that with the YB fans,’ says Sierro. “But the bottom line is that Toulouse’s offer was too good to pass up. It was an opportunity that may never come again.”

Sierro dissects the club during contract negotiations

And so it comes to a negotiation between representatives of the southern French club and Sierro with his advisor Michel Urscheler, which is guaranteed to be extremely rare in this business. It is Sierro who presents Toulouse with a ready-made analysis of the club. “I just wanted to leave YB for a super interesting project that I’m passionate about. That’s actually why I took a closer look at Toulouse. After this analysis, I had to realize: Toulouse is this project. It’s not just where the club wants to go. But also in what way. You saw that in the 5-1 win against Nantes in the cup final: it is a team that always plays at the back and always marches forward. I love that!”

President Comolli is a data freak

But of course it’s not just the style of play. That would be a bit banal. “There is also the president, Damien Comolli, who came in after being demoted during the pandemic. He has extensive international experience and has worked for Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Fenerbahce. With him everything is based on data. No goals, penalties and assists. But more in-depth game statistics. This data should make it possible to find players that fall under the radar and are therefore available more cheaply than they should be based on their quality. »

Comolli is different anyway. For example, he doesn’t believe in strong defenses that win championships. That’s wrong. The data said otherwise, Toulouse also only returned to Ligue 1 thanks to the best attack. Comolli’s credo: If you don’t try to play football, you have to change jobs.

Lap of honor in the Stade de France with the Valais flag

Meanwhile, Sierro has triumphed in this particular environment, which is somehow reminiscent of Denmark’s former YB European Cup playoff opponents FC Midtjylland. The man with a bachelor’s degree in economics has started four of the last six games. But not the cup final in the packed Stade de France, where FC Toulouse only won its second important trophy. “Our captain was injured and came back for the final. I knew then that he would play. But I came in first.” Vincent invited 32 relatives and friends to Paris. He made the lap of honor with the Valais flag. “Because no one had brought a Swiss flag…”, he laughs.

Since big sleds are somehow part of the cultural image of football players, Sierro delivers the opposite cut here too. He has no car! «I live in the city center. I don’t need a car, I do everything on foot,” he says. “In the center with its narrow streets, it’s disastrous to drive. And then someone unloads something, you don’t come by – and wait ten minutes. That’s why an e-scooter is the perfect solution. I will also train with it. Like some others of the team.”

Meat is roasted first, no cheese yet

Much of Sierro’s life in the South of France is Swiss. There is ex-Toulouse defender François Moubandjé, who is under contract with Sion and is currently suffering from a knee injury. He is convalescing in Toulouse. “I sometimes go out to dinner with him.” Then there are two wheels of Valais raclette cheese in the freezer waiting to be used. “I already have the raclette oven here. Now my father brought me the cheese. I think I invited my teammates to a cookout. But it wasn’t cheese that was roasted, it was meat… That comes with the cheese.”

And yes, the brain should not be neglected either. “Now that I’m settled here, I have time to improve my English.” Sierra is alive.

And from a distance he watches what YB is doing. Perhaps he can celebrate his third title on June 4 when YB beat Lugano in the cup final. The second as cup winner in the same season.

Source : Blick