Month: February 2024

Ouest-France report that Ligue 1 side FC Lorient have rejected a €10m bid from Marseille for 22-year-old right-back Houboulang Mendes.

OM are seeking to sign a right-back in the joker transfer window, that allows French clubs to sign one player from domestic leagues between now and January.

On deadline day, Head of Football Pablo Longoria tried to sign Danish right-back Joakim Maehle from Genk, but the Belgian side were seeking €15m, which was viewed as excessive by OM.

FCL have no intention of allowing their talent to depart.

Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, Longoria spoke on the matter:

“We are open, we are in the process of discussions, we will do a joker if there is a consensus among us. We are convinced by the players who are coming. It has to be one of our first choices. We are also open for January.”

Villas-Boas added:

“We missed out on Joakim Maehle unfortunately. We are talking with Longoria, maybe we are going to stay like this and wait for January. Yuto (Nagatomo) can also play on the right.”

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Speaking in an interview with L’Équipe, ex-AS Monaco boss Robert Moreno explained how he came to discover that he had been sacked at the beginning of this summer.

“It was a Saturday. In the morning, I receive a message from Oleg Petrov (Vice President), who says that that he wants to see me, tells me to come to the stadium after training. On the way, a friend calls me: “It is out in the papers…” To learn that you have been sacked in the press, that is what hurts. Not that they sack you, because in football, we are all used to that. But a club like Monaco must pay attention to this sort of thing. Did I get explanations? None. Simply: “You are not going to continue, we are no longer counting on you.” And if finished like that. Oleg said things after, but it was nonsense, things to justify his decision. For me, the story is very simple: a new Sporting Director arrived, he wanted to count on his guys that he trusts and that is all. Aside from that, time will tell what the right thing to do was.”

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Speaking on RMC Sport, Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas was asked about the future of manager Rudi Garcia, whose contract expires in June.

“This is a topic that is often brought up. I have said that we will take a position on it between now and the end of the season… It is not on the menu for the moment. We (the board) meet on the 31st December. I hope that we will be in 1st place at that point, so that we can look at things in a different way.”

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“Rudi knows it, I speak often with him. He is totally in agreement with me to show things on the pitch and through the performances of the team we could eventually look at something.”

Asked at the end of the interview whether speculation was correct that it is very unlikely that Garcia would be offered a new contract, Aulas said: “You often have the right information.” 

Speaking to Eleven Sports PT, via Foot Mercato, Neymar revelled in PSG’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United that puts his club in control of Group H.

“No, I did not complain about a lack of something on the part of my teammates. People misunderstood what I wanted to say. We have always had a good spirit among us. But on the pitch we were missing something, we needed to simplify things, run for one another, adjust details, tactically, mentally. We have always had camaraderie, everyone really likes each other, there is a good atmosphere. It is more on the pitch, help our teammates more, help with marking. That is more what I wanted to say. Today we showed that we can play at a higher level, by running and fighting together. And of course we are not lacking in quality.”

“That is why I said that we needed to change attitude or else we could forget about our Champions’ League dream. But we have changed. And today our dream has more life in it. Of course, I have never been eliminated in the Champions’ League (group stage) or played in the Europa League. That never crossed my mind and it never well. When these difficult moments come, I am able to evolve and take my responsibilities. I did not come here to play in the Europa League.”

“I have always felt like a leader, since I was 17, I have never needed to have to armband to feel that way. Today, I am a figure at PSG. Everything that I can do on the pitch has an impact on my teammates and what I want, is to help them, to give the best of myself. I am a very annoying guy on the pitch, I follow up a lot with my teammates, but I am also ready to accept criticism, about myself too. I am not untouchable. Everyone is fighting for the same thing. I am very happy to be able to help my teammates.”

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Speaking in an interview with Nice-Matin, the President of INEOS football, Bob Ratcliffe, discussed OGC Nice, the chemical company’s biggest footballing franchise, following the recent sacking of Patrick Vieira and a disappointing first half of the campaign, with the club sitting 12th in Ligue 1 at the turn of the year.

Let’s get right into it: are Jean-Pierre Rivère and Julien Fournier in danger of losing their jobs?

(laughs) That was never a question.

A look at the results, it would be normal if you had begun to get impatient.

We have learnt from our experience in Lausanne. Patience, in sport in general and in football in particular, is an important virtue. So, we are patient. Look at last season: those results kicked off the INEOS football project. No doubt we were even a little ahead of what we had foreseen. 5th place and a ticket for the Europa League with Nice, promotion to the 1st division in Switzerland for Lausanne, African Champions’ League qualification with our partner Racing Club Abidjan. In summary, we experienced a superb 2019/20 campaign. The new campaign has gone less well, but that is football.

What are your relations like with Jean-Pierre Rivère and Julien Fournier?

Our relations are excellent. I speak very regularly with Julien on the phone. I also spend a fair amount of time with Jean-Pierre when I am in Nice. When we were interested in OGCN, we quickly understood that there was something to be done here. Jean-Pierre and Julien have already done a lot of things for the club. They are the right people to grow it even further. The president has links with the league and the world of football, also with the Mayor of Nice. The Director of Football, he, has a solid experience in terms of negotiations and identifying the profiles of players. Their presence was a major part of our desire to buy the club. Nothing has changed.

So you don’t hold them at all responsible for the current situation?

No. We are all responsible. You know INEOS is not a company that gives into panic. Never. We are 12th in Ligue 1 and the league season is still long. 

OGC Nice do not sit in the top 10, they have been eliminated from the Europa League, the football is hardly inspiring and the results are worse. How do you explain that?

For me, this is a quality squad. It even has the potential to be in the top four in the league. So yes, we are disappointed by the European adventure and yes certain players were not at the level we hoped for. Others have not really improved. The injury to Dante was a real blow. He is missed on and off the pitch. Despite that, I see encouraging signs. And then, we are not far from the teams at the top. I repeat that I think there will be opportunities for us in 2021.

The January window starts on 2nd January, what is the budget in terms of signings?

Don’t expect numerous and costly purchases. We will have to focus more on the optimisation of our players and the style of play. The January window exists to rectify one or two things, not to stack up signings. It is for this reason that I do not expect us to be very active in this window.

Even so: bringing in a central defender to combat the absence of Dante and adjusting the attacking sector would not be much….

We will have to look and find the player that is capable of bringing added value. See who is available and that is not easy. It is a crucial position. At the back, we have very good youngsters who are lacking more in experience than in talent. For the rest, we will see.

Dante’s injury highlighted the weaknesses, what was lacking. Did OGC Nice not make a mistake in putting too much emphasis on young players?

No team is capable of foreseeing injuries. We have the potential that we require. I do not think that there were errors in selections.

However, some, like (Stanley) Nsoki or (Robson) Bambu, are accumulating mistakes and the relationship between quality and price there could cause a problem…

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Nsoki and Bambu are very good players. For me, the problem is elsewhere. It relates to the composition of the team. Our XI was too often changed around. Because of injuries or for other reasons. A team needs to know itself. Take Aston Villa who are doing well in the Premier League, they have eight immovable players in their starting XI. Always the same. For us, the starters change too much. The youngsters are learning. They need to play regularly. That is how they are going to learn and improve.

Who decided on the exit of Patrick Vieira? Were you aware or in agreement with this decision?

It was an unanimous decision. It has to be when it concerns a role as important as the manager. I spoke with my brother Jim, and we took the difficult decision, all, together.

When was the decision taken? After the defeat against Leverkusen or before?

I do not remember the exact timing. We were speaking regularly and in quite a lot of detail on the matter with Jean-Pierre (Rivère), Julien (Fournier) and Jim. We reached a point where it was time to finalise this decision. The reasons for his departure, we have discussed with him and we will keep that internal. We have a big respect for Patrick (Vieira). He has brought a lot to the club, he is a football legend, he attracted very good players and he always gave 100% of what he could for OGC Nice.

You placed a lot of hope in Patrick Vieira. Did he disappoint you? Have you stayed in contact?

Jim and I, we like him a lot, it is true. We therefore did not take the decision lightly. To answer you: since his departure, I have not had contact with Patrick. I hope that one day, we will have the chance to cross paths again and have a coffee together. Football is a small world. I know that he will bounce back. He has everything to become a first rate manager.

Is it true that you proposed a list of four names (Advocaat, Van Gaal, Heinze, Klinsmann) to replace him?

False. I don’t know where these rumours are coming from. We don’t want to rush. We still have 2/3s of the league season. We have time. The choice has to be simple, obvious. but before that, we need to do great work collectively to identify the right profile. INEOS wants to install OGC Nice at the top. Make this club a regular in European competitions. Le Gym is attractive. It must become even more so. For players as well as for a coach.

Should we expect a big name on the OGC Nice bench next season?

I wouldn’t say that. Today, the best manager for Le Gym is the one on the touchline. For the future, we will see who is the best candidate. We do not need a big name, we need a manager whose qualities perfectly suit the club.

What do you make of the decision to select Adrian Ursea until the end of the season?

We have known him for a long time. He is a discreet person but with great qualities, serious competencies and great knowledge. We are delighted that Adrian has accepted to take on this position for this season. There is also Fred Gioria, perfect in the role of working alongside him. But also a new fitness coach (Nicolas Dyon) and the support of Didier Digard. This new team needs a bit of time, but we can already see the changes.

In an email to their subscribers on Tuesday evening, Téléfoot Chaine, the broadcaster of the majority of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 action domestically but who recently were forced to relinquish the rights following their refusal to make the broadcast payments as contractually required to the LFP.

Téléfoot’s parent company, Mediapro, reached a settlement agreement with the LFP in December which saw them agree to pay an additional €100m, which however fell roughly €400m short of the amount due per the contract.

Téléfoot will however continue to broadcast Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 at no cost to them as the LFP continues to scramble to find a new broadcast partner.

As a result, the channel will continue to show French football until at least the 20th January, which is the date of Marseille vs Lens.

If the LFP has not found a new broadcaster by then, the Mediapro group channel may well continue showing matches until January 31. This is the deadline that has been previously set by the LFP as part of the conciliation agreement.

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34-year-old goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier has retired from a playing career in professional football, as confirmed by French 5th division side Aviron Bayonnais’s Vice President Jean-Pierre Mainard, who has announced that the ex-St Étienne and Monaco shot-stopper has taken up a coaching position.

“He will have an exclusive mission to create and then supervise a goalkeeping academy.”

Mainard added:

“Stéphane Ruffier called me the day before yesterday. He is a true Bayonnais, who came from the Aviron school of football. He had intended to bring an end to his career when his contract expired in June, but with what has happened at St Étienne, he did so earlier… He could have continued, kept moving forward in another club. But he decided to stop at the end of the season.” 

 

 

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Speaking in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, 18-year-old winger Jérémy Doku claimed that he does not regret his €26m move to Rennes made in the summer transfer window.

“I did a lot of due diligence, I noted all the positives and it was only then that I made a decision. I knew that I needed to do an intermediary step. It would have been too soon to go a “top club” right now. I still have a lot to learn and Rennes is the ideal place for this.”

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Le Parisien have produced an excellent profile in the latest PSG academy sensation, who has joined the club on a 6-year deal, is 13 years old and was born in 2008: central midfielder Nahil Kanté.

Kanté was born in Bourget and began at a club in Aubervilliers. At the age of 7, he changed path to join the PSG academy in Aubervilliers instead. 

Charles Aklassou, the player’s coach from the ages of 7 to 11, had the following to say: “I have known him since he was very small. In a more classic club, you don’t necessarily touch the ball much. Here, he discovered the real notion of pleasure. His parents were smart to make this choice. All the clubs have come to see him. I have been telling PSG about him for years. It took a long time to get done. But he is better than the rest, he understands faster than everyone else. Above all, he listens and reproduces to perfection.”

Omar, another youth coach, added:

“He caught my eye immediately. I was him for the first time two years go. He was 10 years old and he did everything on the pitch, even though he’s still a shrimp.”

Kanté’s voluminous haircut and slightly frail physique make him unmistakable. His coach at Red Star, who trained him from U11 level, adds:

“How he looks, a little frail, does not correspond with his abilities. He has a big engine on him when it comes to cardio, he protects the ball perfectly. To catch him, you have to foul him, you have to. It is a treat to watch him evolve. He is never afraid of getting physical.”

Admirers compare him to Marco Verratti, as capable in making interceptions as he is with close control and in achieving excellent move construction. During his time with Red Star, Kanté also continued to attend the PSG academy. In both 2018 and 2019, he was voted as the best player in a cup competition at Clairefontaine, despite having lost in the final in his first year.

Kanté becomes the first player that PSG have signed from one of their training course academies, which have been implemented throughout France but also prominently exist in North America.

Director of the PSG Academy, Pierre Yves Bodineau, explained the decision to sign the player:

“He really is the #6 that the club is looking for. When he is older, his profile will be very interesting for the first team. There is nothing but praise for him: technique, vision of the game, hunger for learning, listening, being a good teammate. He will continue to grow at PSG with a much larger staff around him.”

 

 

 

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Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, Marseille’s Head of Football Pablo Longoria provided an update on the search for a new manager following the suspension of André Villas Boas last week.

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“Talking about names today is speculation, and I don’t like speculation. We are working on different tracks. There are some advanced leads, others are just at a contact stage… We are waiting for the moment to make the right decision. We are very happy with the work of Nasser (Larguet, the interim coach, editor’s note), with his passion and intensity. This will continue until the right person is found for the future of the club. We have to take into account the demands of the supporters, the history of the club, we have to find a coach who is specific to that, who gives us hope and a way of working together. We are obliged to have results because we are at OM.”