Watch Toulouse manager’s incredible team talk that moved his players to tears and inspired them to avoid relegation on the final day of the season
- Toulouse had to beat Angers to avoid relegation from Ligue 1
- On the final day of the season they came from behind twice to win 3-2
- The victory secured their place in France's top-flight for another season
- Before the match Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz delivered a rousing, pre-match team talk
- His speech and video showing messages of support from friends and family moved the Toulouse players to tears
When you're struggling to avoid relegation going into the last game of the season, the pre-match team talk from your manager has to strike exactly the right note.
And Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz did exactly that as his inspirational message inspired his team to come from behind twice to beat Angers 3-2 and stay in Ligue 1.
Dupraz's emotional delivery certainly had the desired effect. It moved his players to tears as he showed them a video of messages of support from their families, friends and children.
Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz delivers his rousing speech before their final match of the Ligue 1 season
Dupraz knew his team needed to win away to Angers if they were to avoid being relegated from Ligue 1
His emotional team talk moved the Toulouse players to tears just hours before the start of the pivotal game
Normally pre-match team talks from managers stay within the realms of the changing room or team hotel but in Toulouse's case, this particular one was different.
Dupraz's rallying call was shown on French TV station Canal + with the footage quickly picked up on on social media and in the French press.
'You deserve to stay up. For two and a half months I have been saying that you will stay up,' he told his starstruck players.
'The problem is not whether or not I will look like an idiot, it is to see whether you have the mental, physical and technical capacity to do it.'
Toulouse players show their emotion during Dupraz's emotional pre-match rallying call at their hotel
Images of the players' family and children provoked an emotional response from the Toulous squad
The squad were shown a video with messages from loved ones and went on to produce the goods on the pitch
The families of Toulouse's players were shown on screen willing them on to victory in their final game
Dupraz has the attention of all his players as he fires them up for the win that would avoid relegation
Clearly emotional and feeling every word he was saying, Dupraz then showed his players a video of their friends and family sending their messages of support.
The footage hit home, with TV footage showing Toulouse's players welling up at what they were seeing on the screen.
'Now the most important thing is what we are about to watch together,' Dupraz said before showing the video.
'Because here what we see is undeniable. What we will see are people that love you. What we will see are people waiting tonight to see you again.
'When you come back home tonight, they are waiting to hold you in their arms.'
Dupraz finished his speech by saying: 'At the end of the game, you will be heroes. And you will be responsible for keeping the club in Ligue 1'
Dupraz celebrates after the 3-2 win over Angers kept his team in the top division by just a single point
After the video finishes, Dupraz then adds: 'At the end of the game, you will be heroes. And you will be responsible for keeping the club in Ligue 1.'
Clearly fired up by Dupraz before the game, Toulouse's players then went out and did the business on the field.
Needing to win away at mid-table Angers last weekend, Toulouse soon went 1-0 down and looked up against it as Billy Ketkeophomphone put the home side ahead with a 12th minute finish.
But after half-time Toulouse started to believe and Wissam Ben Yedder equalised to level the score just before the hour mark.
That wasn't the end of the drama though. Said Benrahma put Angers back ahead before Toulouse turned the game on its head.
Toulouse's players start the party following their dramatic 3-2 victory. They scored two goals in the last 12 minutes to come from behind
Goals from Martin Braithwaite and substitute Yann Bodiger ensured Toulouse will be in Ligue 1 next season
Forward Martin Braithwaite and substitute Yann Bodiger struck in the final 12 minutes to seal a truly remarkable away win.
The three points on the road meant Toulouse stayed up by the skin of their teeth, eventually finishing just a single point above the relegation places.
It means another season in Ligue 1 is on the cards next year and while the players did what was needed on the field, much of the credit for their dramatic result clearly must go to Dupraz.
A career in motivational speaking may well be on the cards for him once he's done with management.
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