Montpellier Judo Olympic in the Champions League, the small neighborhood club that has become big

Emma Melis est licenciée à Montpellier depuis cinq ans. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

The prestigious European club competition is coming to the FDI Stadium on Saturday. Selected to take part, the Montpellier club will live this moment to the fullest.

Last Wednesday, Montpellier Judo Olympic organised the traditional Christmas tea party for its young members. Everyone was gathered to spend a friendly moment around the tatami at the Arthur-Rimbaud gymnasium.

Four days later, the MJO will take part in the prestigious Champions League, the most important European club competition in judo, in the legendary FDI Stadium.

This big gap perfectly symbolises the spirit of the Montpellier club: “We have two hats here: we are integrated into an educational city and we also have a high-level section, explains the volunteer president Christel Boxberger-Lavaud. The MJO is a family. Some judokas who will be competing on Saturday were there on Wednesday.”

“We will be the Little Thumb”

In 10 years of existence, the largest judo club in Montpellier, founded by Christel Boxberger-Lavaud and Zahia Bacha, has grown step by step: “We started with 160 members, we currently have more than 500. At the beginning, we only had children. When they grew up and had results, we developed a competition unit. I then tried to surround myself with someone to take charge of a group of competitors. We found Arthur Combeau, an ambitious, calm, upright young man who loves judo and knows the high level. Now, we have five employees. If we are here, it is because we have surrounded ourselves with good people.”

So, participating in the most prestigious European club competition at home sounds like a kind of achievement: “It's great to arrive in this competition. We will be the Little Thumb. We hopes to please our public who will be there in large numbers, I am sure. Montpellier hosting the Champions League, it's great.”

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With Angel Gustan as headliner

Among the 11 clubs involved, including six French ones (see opposite), Montpellier intends to pull out all the stops. “We are happy to have been selected for this moment,” emphasizes coach Arthur Combeau. “It comes at the end of a big cycle of competitions. Everyone is tired, but it is such an event that everyone will succeed in excelling.”

The MJO will rub shoulders with the big European teams for the first time in its history: “The Champions League is the Holy Grail with prestigious clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Red Star Belgrade or the Georgian club Golden Gori,” says the Hérault coach. “Being among these great people is a source of pride. We don't have a specific objective other than to commit ourselves fully. We will fight, be active, and not be too ambitious because it is a first for that level and we have a young group. We'll take what there is to take.”

Montpellier will be able to count on a team led by young talents like Emma Melis in -57kg but also Hugo Metifiot, French champion -90kg in 2023 and Angel Gustan, recently titled on the national scene in +100kg. So many weapons to carry the colors of Montpellier Judo Olympic high on the European scene.

Teddy Riner finally present

Surprise. Nearly five months after the Olympics, Teddy Riner will return to competition with PSG judo this Saturday in Montpellier for the Champions League, his club announced on Friday. “Teddy Riner is back” on the mats! And it's with Paris Saint-Germain Judo! ”, the club wrote on its social networks. Initially, the five-time Olympic champion had not been announced in the PSG squad for the competition, due to a failure to extend his contract with the Parisian club, which had expired on August 31. But an agreement on an extension, the duration of which was not specified, was finally reached to allow the Guadeloupean to participate in the end-of-year tournament. Riner has not fought since the Games this summer, where he won a third individual Olympic title in the heavyweight category (+100 kg) and a second team gold. At the FDI Stadium in Montpellier, he will be supported by several medalists from the Paris Games, such as Romane Dicko, who won bronze in the +78 kg category, and Walide Khyar and Marie-Eve Gahié, who won the team title.

How to use it. For the first time in its history, the competition is coming with a new format, with a mixed team, like at the Olympic Games, which saw France crowned in the final against Japan in Paris this summer. This Saturday, 12 teams will try to win the continental title. Six represent France: Montpellier, Asnières, Sartrouville, Nice, Paris Saint-Germain and Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. Six others are arriving from all over Europe, such as the Georgians from Golden Gori and the Serbs from Red Star Belgrade. With Teddy Riner and his internationals, PSG, like Golden Gori, are favourites. The round of 16 will start at 10am and the finals will take place from 5pm.