a night that changed lens forever
The lens squad arrived in london with a clear mindset: to savor every moment. “from the moment we stepped into our hotel in central london, we embraced the english atmosphere,” warmuz recalls. “we weren’t there to stress about the outcome. this was the champions league, and we were representing France after winning the league title. we had to give our best without any complexes.”
game plan: cutting arsenal in half
Daniel leclercq, affectionately nicknamed “the druid,” set a bold tactical approach: “play your game, the rest doesn’t matter.” lens abandoned their usual three-at-the-back system to switch to four defenders, forming a high defensive line. “we decided to cut the team in two—five in the attacking block, five in the defensive block,” warmuz explains. “our 4-3-1-2 formation was designed to press arsenal relentlessly in their own half.”
“we were like mike tyson facing his mother”
The first half was a physical battle. arsenal’s speedsters, marc overmars and nicolas anelka, tested lens’s defensive structure repeatedly. warmuz made two crucial interventions: one against overmars in the 6th minute and another pivotal tackle on anelka in the 31st minute. “i saw anelka coming at me full speed. i had to anticipate his move. if i tried to play the ball, i’d be dead. i made a quick decision and tackled him from the side, clearing the danger.”
halftime adjustments
Despite leading 0-0 at the break, leclercq urged his team to tighten their lines. “we were spreading too wide in certain phases, leaving gaps for arsenal to exploit,” warmuz notes. “the boss made minor tactical adjustments, but nothing drastic. the atmosphere in the dressing room was calm. we felt we were playing the right game and just needed to push for the winner.”
“the best chance of the match went over the bar”
The second half saw lens dominate possession, but their best opportunity came at the 52nd minute when pascal nouma nearly scored from 2.5 meters out. “it was heartbreaking to see the ball go over the crossbar,” warmuz admits. “but we kept pressing. our supporters never stopped singing, and arsenal looked rattled.”
the deciding goal
With time running out, lens finally broke through. a swift counterattack led to wagneau éloi finding vladimir smicer, whose cross reached mickaël debève at the far post. “mickaël’s finish was clinical,” warmuz says. “we celebrated, but remained composed. we knew we were writing history.”
“all alone in wembley”
After the final whistle, warmuz lingered on the pitch, soaking in the moment. “i walked back to the dressing room, took my time in the shower, and then returned to the pitch. the floodlights dimmed one by one, leaving only the faint glow of the stadium’s interior lights. i stood there, alone in wembley, realizing what we had just accomplished.”
“not only did i win at wembley, but i was the first to do it.” warmuz reflects. “i took a moment to thank god for this incredible experience. for a kid from blanzy, this was beyond anything i could have imagined.”
