Stade Francais president Thomas Savare has warned that memories of their 2001 European Cup final defeat to Leicester Tigers would provide added motivation for the struggling French champions when the two sides meet this weekend.
Stade Francais, who sit only one place above the Top 14 drop zone with realistically no hope of making the end of season play-offs, are set to meet the English side in a European Champions Cup quarter-final clash at Welford Road on Sunday.
The 14-time French champions have never won the European competition finishing runners-up in 2001 and 2005 to Leicester and Toulouse.
“I was in the stands at the Parc des Princes in 2001 and it’s true that there are still scars,” Savare told AFP of a match they lost 34-30 in the final minutes, with Leicester also going on to retain the title the following season.
“In the Top 14 we’ll most likely not reach our objectives, in the European Cup our first aim was the quarter-finals, now we’re there it’s the final, we have to win three matches and first of all the first on Sunday.
“It is also a title Stade Francais hasn’t won, so of course it’s an ambition of the club to win one day.”
Stade are back in the European Cup after a six-year absence but Savare insisted they had not neglected their domestic campaign with dreams of European glory, instead blaming a certain arrogance.
“It’s true of all teams, when you fear the opponent, you’re more vigilant, stronger,” he explained.
“We committed some sins of pride this year that have cost us. We all know that it will be extremely difficult (Sunday), at a big club accustomed to the finals.
“But it’s sure that with the return to the European Cup, the players are very motivated for this competition.
“This is one of the few games this season where we have all our players, where there is competition to win a place. The team is complete.”
A positive result could help salvage what has been a difficult season.
“The circumstances were really complicated, and I didn’t anticipate we were going to have as many players selected during the Six Nations and injured,” said Savare.
“And the reality is that we haven’t shown the level of play we had at the end of last season, except maybe a few matches.”
In the weekend’s other ties, Saracens meet Northampton Saints and Wasps face Exeter Chiefs in two Saturday all-England matches, with a French tie set for Sunday between Racing 92 and Toulon.
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