Author: HelenAtAmarIt

Speaking in an interview with L’Équipe, Marseille’s teenage central midfielder Maxime Lopez confirmed that when Marcelo Bielsa was in charge of the club he often regretted not leaving and joining Liverpool, who heavily courted him.

“They even told me: “In 5 years, you will be playing in place of Coutinho!” They really smooth-talked me well. I even met Steven Gerrard, at the stadium, after the match. I wanted to go, but I also wanted to stay at Marseille. To leave like that, at that age and even with my family accompanying me, it is very tough. I realised they had about 30 young players who were professional, without including the starting players. You really have to be ready mentally.”

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Eric Devin is joined by Philip Bargiel and Nathan Staples for a very special GFFN Preview Show to look forward to the Coupe de la Ligue final and to analyse the international break across the French senior team and youth teams.

We apologise for the technical difficulties which have affected the sound quality in the opening three minutes.

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Thanks to some shocking goalkeeping and a determined performance from Corentin Tolisso, Lyon earned a 2-1 win in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal against Besiktas last Thursday. The story, however, was not on the pitch, where Lyon rode their luck, looking shaky at set pieces but managing to take a slender lead through the grace of Anthony Lopes.

Rather, it was in the stands, as Besiktas supporters threw objects at and fought with Lyon fans, delaying the kick-off close to an hour. UEFA fined both teams €100,000 and added a two-year suspended ban yesterday, offering a firm condemnation not only of the behaviour of the Turkish club’s fans, but also of Lyon’s organization and security protocols. This was another black eye on the Parc OL administration after security had failed to prevent PSG’s fans from doing considerable damage to the ground a fortnight prior.

Lyon’s travails hardly ended there, though, as the club’s trip to Bastia was marred by more violence, with members of the crowd coming onto the pitch to attack the visiting players. Sanctions from that match are forthcoming, but needless to say, this has been a tumultuous period for Lyon, who will also be disappointed to have lost to Lorient in the league the previous weekend.

Finally able to take some of their frustrations out on the pitch, they should be raring to go, having rested several of their key players for the trip. Besiktas haven’t played since last Thursday, which has offered a good opportunity for injured players to return. As the hosts need to score, this should be a far more open affair; with neither team hugely impressive in defence, this tie will surely come down to who can offer better finishing, as Besiktas may rue their missed opportunities in the first leg.

Team News:

Ricardo Quaresma’s career has often been dogged by accusations of not living up to his potential, and those have some weight given he has played much of his later career in Turkey rather than at clubs as illustrious as Barcelona or Inter Milan, where he has spent time as well, failing to make much of an impression. Nevertheless, the Portuguese international is still, even at 33, capable of moments of brilliance, and will be a real threat, coming in on the right side of Senol Günes’ 4-2-3-1. Ryan Babel should switch back to the left, with Talisca and Cenk Tosun keeping their places in attacking midfield and at centre forward.

In central defence, Marcelo, whose height was a huge threat from set pieces in the first leg, will be sorely missed through suspension, but the Croatian veteran Dusko Tosic should look more comfortable in his stead, having been forced to play at left back in the previous leg. Former Barcelona player Adriano will resume his normal role at left back, with the experienced Turkish international Gökhan Gönül retaining his place on the opposite flank. In central midfield, Oguzhan Ozyakup will partner the lanky Atiba Hutchinson, the latter’s range of passing and ability on the ball having been key to much of what Besiktas got right in the first leg.

For Lyon, several key players (Alexandre Lacazette, Mathieu Valbuena, Corentin Tolisso) didn’t even make the trip to Corsica, meaning that they will be, again, well-rested for this encounter. With Rafael suspended and Emanuel Mammana still injured, the defence should be the same four that finished the match at the Parc OL, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa coming in for the young Argentine, Jérémy Morel on the left, Christophe Jallet on the right and Mouctar Diakhaby partnering the former Roma man.

In midfield, Maxime Gonalons is back from suspension, and with Lucas Tousart in good nick, Bruno Génésio may opt for a 4-3-3 with the captain sitting in front of the defence and Tolisso and the youngster playing centrally. Tolisso could alternatively be pushed further forward to play as a second striker, giving him an opportunity to use his unique combination of aerial ability and dribbling to complement the finishing of Lacazette.

Whether a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, Valbuena will come in on the left side of attack after another superb match in the first leg, but Génésio must decide among Nabil Fékir, Maxwel Cornet or Rachid Ghezzal on the right. Ghezzal was unimpressive from the off, Fékir still looks half-fit, meaning Cornet, at just 20 years old, could get the start, Génésio relying on his pace and bravado to trouble Adriano.

Danger Men:

Anderson Talisca, Besiktas JK

It may seem an easy out to but the Benfica loanee back in this space, but his free kick taking was superb, and Lyon struggled badly to clear the ball. He had few opportunities to shoot on goal, but was able to combine with Ryan Babel for Besiktas’ opener on a tricky dead ball routine early in the first half. Talisca isn’t the best in possession, but with Quaresma back in, there will be less creative onus on him, and he could profit from that additional freedom.

Corentin Tolisso, Olympique Lyonnais

Scorer of Lyon’s equalizer and also unlucky to see a shot crash off the post late on, Tolisso was imperious at the Parc OL, and should be even more effective in the return leg. With Maxime Gonalons back in the team after serving a one-match ban, Tolisso will have little to do in defence, and his physicality and inventiveness should be the difference in seeing Lyon through.

Predicted Score:

Besiktas JK 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais

E.D.

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L’Équipe have produced a piece this morning which flatly denies a host of claims made by Spanish paper Marca yesterday which insinuated that Kylian Mbappé has decided to join Real Madrid and that a form of agreement had already been reached.

The Spanish publication even claimed that a €100m deal had been reached by the clubs for a summer transfer. Both clubs have denied the reports when contacted by L’Équipe, with a senior Real Madrid source saying: “This is rubbish.” An AS Monaco source said something similar: “The situation has not evolved. The club does not want to sell him. We are in permanent contact with Kylian’s family and we are on the same wavelength.”

Mbappé’s camp have a plan to approach this summer transfer window and it looks like this: no discussions with any part until the end of the league season. No decision or discussion beforehand.

That however does not prevent Mbappé from having certain preferences already. Real Madrid remains a particular dream of the Monaco man: he looks at them differently because of their penchant for attack and because his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo plays there.

As for Manchester United, Mbappé is a genuine football fan. And privately he has not hidden his displeasure at the football that José Mourinho’s side has played, according to the French newspaper. The presence of other young players in his position, Martial and Rashford are also considerable turn-offs in Mbappé’s eyes.

Mbappé still has several weeks to come up with a decision. AS Monaco Vice President Vadim Vasilyev is refusing to talk to any agents until the end of May. From that moment on, the floodgates will open.

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Harlequins wing Cadan Murley is taking notes from record-breaking Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to improve his own finishing.

The Norwegian footballer broke the Premier League goal-scoring record this season and found the net more than 50 times across all competitions in a Treble-winning campaign.

Right place at the right time

Despite his allegiance to the red side of Manchester, Murley praised Harland’s ability and could also relate to the way in which he scores.

“I’m a United fan and I wish we had Haaland,” Murley told the PA news agency at the launch of Spabreaks.com’s Men’s Health Week campaign ‘Real Men Relax’.

“It’s hard when he scores against us, but as a sportsman, you’ve got to respect everyone out there and what Haaland has done is unbelievable.

“Whenever he’s needed, he’s always there in the right place at the right time. That’s kind of true of me on the rugby pitch as well – a lot of people say my tries are walk-ins, but you’ve got to be there in the right position.

“Haaland is always lurking. He’s a great finisher and a great footballer, but for me it’s his ability to know where to be that stands out.”

Murley finished as the top try-scorer in the Premiership this season with 15, which earned him a spot in Steve Borthwick’s first England training squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup later this year.

Understand what is around you

The speedster, who is still uncapped at Test level, believes one of the keys to optimising scoring situations is to comprehensively understand what teammates offer and being in the right space to capitalise.

He said: “A lot of it comes down to who you are playing with and if you know them well enough. Do you know what they’re going to do?

“For example, I know that Andre Esterhuizen and Alex Dombrandt will probably make gainline and will look for off-loads, so fishing in and around those two is very good.

“And of course Marcus Smith can pull a crossfield kick out of anywhere. He likes me to be in certain positions on the touchline – if he has a couple of looks and there’s space there then I know he’s going to do that.

“Those relationships are really important, but there are also other things that you need to practise day in day out on the training field.

“Mainly I do one on ones. I’m a bit different to other wingers. I don’t have the best feet out there, but I’m also more powerful than some. So I practise grabbing bigger people and practise finishing drills.

“My power has come from when I played back row when I was younger. I was never the biggest so I’ve always had to punch above my weight.”

Aerial battle

Murley, like his teammates, has been tasked by Borthwick to prioritise the aerial battle and kick chase as they prepare for the global showpiece.

“Steve has given general instructions to all the back three. He wants us to be aerially dominant, so he’s asked us to always work on the high ball,” he said.

“The way the international game is going, there is a lot more kick chase, but they want that to be done at as high a speed as possible so we’ve been doing lots of sprint repeats.

“Steve also wants us to be physical – the most physical wingers in the world. One on one you expect the attacker to win, but if you can become dominant in defence then that can give your team an edge.”

If you have had the chance to watch OGC Nice this season, then your attention would have been immediately captured by several players. First of all, you would have noticed the mercurial and enigmatic Italian striker Mario Balotelli, a player who seems as likely to get sent off as he is to score a goal. Next your gaze perhaps rested on Dante, Nice’s Brazilian centre back who always seems to play with a smile on his face. After this that your attention likely shifted to the incredible work-rate of Jean Michaël Seri and his wonderful technique on the ball.

However, if you look past all of these pillars of success for Nice this season you find another talented player in Nice’s team of journeymen and youngsters who have combined their talents to challenge the very best sides in Ligue 1. This player does not possess the fame or public recognition of some of his teammates, but he is just as, if not more important to the success of his club. He is short and appears skinny which gives him an unimposing first impression. But look a little closer and you will realize that he is a force of nature. Whether it be from the position of right back or right winger, he is an unstoppable presence down the right hand side of the field. He drives his team forward and sometimes almost singlehandedly fashions attacks, leading to chances for his teammates or, more recently goals in his own right.

This player who I speak of is Ricardo Pereira.

Born in Lisbon and of Cape Verdean lineage, Pereira’s plunge into professional football began with modest beginnings. After being released by Sporting’s academy, he rebounded by joining Associação Naval 1º de Maio, a small club located on Portugal’s west coast. After a year under Naval’s tutelage, Pereira transferred to Vitória de Guimarães who had just hired future Benfica manager Rui Vitoria. Despite making just three appearances in his first season, Pereira excelled at the youth level and quickly developed into a skilled winger and sometimes striker. In his second season at Guimarães, Pereira broke into the first team under the guidance of Vitoria. It was here that he began to develop his skill as a right sided player. Pereira made 27 league appearances and helped Guimarães finish ninth. Towards the end of the season, it was announced that the twenty-year-old speedster would join Portuguese giant FC Porto.

Before the move went through, Pereira cemented himself in the Guimarães history books by scoring the winning goal in the cup final against Benfica – the club’s first ever piece major silverware.

Porto seemed like the perfect place to continue Pereira’s meteoric rise to the top of Portuguese football. Unfortunately, Pereira’s arrival coincided with a period of change in strategy for Porto. Manager Vítor Pereira, who had lead the club to two consecutive league titles, had been replaced by Paulo Fonseca who had just led the modest side Paços de Ferreira to the Champions League. It ended up being a disappointing season for both Pereira (or Ricardo, as he is known in Portugal) and Porto. Pereira spent the majority of the 2013-2014 season on Porto’s bench or with the reserve team and ended the campaign with only 14 league appearances. It proved to be an underwhelming season for Porto as well, and under Fonseca’s leadership they finished the season with only the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Portuguese equivalent to the Trophée des Champions) as their reward.

If there is one positive aspect that came from this season of mediocrity, it was that Pereira began to make the transition into becoming a full-back. Fonseca first experimented with Pereira playing in the backline in a Taca De Portugal match against Atletico CP. Pereira started at right-back and provided an assist as Porto easily won 6-0. After the success of this initial experiment, Fonseca began to occasionally start Pereira as a full-back. However, the good form of first choice starting pair Danilo and Alex Sandro meant that his opportunities were limited. In March of 2014, Fonseca was sacked and former Spain U-21 coach Julen Lopetegui was appointed manager at the start of the 2014-2015 season.

This marked the start of the worst season of Pereira’s career. Because of the good form of Danilo, Pereira played just five times in the league and twice in the Champions’ League. One of these two appearances came in the 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich. Without the services of Danilo who was suspended, Lopetegui opted to start Diego Reyes at right back with Pereira on the bench. However, after a disastrous first thirty minutes in which Bayern scored three unanswered goals, Lopetegui subbed on Pereira for Reyes in the 33rd minute. His introduction did little to stop the bleeding for Porto and Bayern scored two more goals before halftime. While Pereira did improve in the second half, the way in which his side capitulated without the presence of Danilo may be what led Lopetegui to sign Maxi Pereira in the summer of 2015.

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All signs pointed to the 2015-2016 season being another disappointing one for Pereira, but the summer of 2015 was where everything changed, a shift made possible by attacking midfielder Brazilian Carlos Eduardo.

Eduardo had spent the 2014-2015 season on loan at Nice from Porto and proved to be an instant success. He had scored 10 league goals and Nice were eager to retain his services on a permanent basis. However, Porto accepted an offer from the Middle East for the services of Eduardo.

Nice had been led to believe that they had the first option in terms of a permanent deal for Eduardo and were understandably annoyed with what they felt were underhanded dealings by Porto. In an effort to prevent Nice from taking the matter up with FIFA, Porto agreed to loan Pereira to the French club on a two-year deal. Pereira had been relegated to second choice right back, once again, thanks to the arrival of Maxi and was desperate for playing time.

In hindsight, this loan deal was almost certainly the turning point in Pereira’s career as a footballer.

When he arrived, Nice were in a state of flux. They had just sold one of their best prospects Jordan Amavi, who had been tipped by the media to become France’s starting left back in the future. This left big shoes to fill for Pereira, and to add onto the pressure Nice were coming of a season in which they finished a disappointing ninth and conceded 53 league goals.

Manager Claude Puel also had the newly arrived talents of Valère Germain and Hatem Ben Arfa to fit into his lineup and had not yet settled on a formation.

Eventually, Puel chose a 4-1-2-1-2 system which allowed him to give Hatem Ben Arfa the free role he desired and partnered Valère Germain with the young Alassane Plèa upfront. This system placed huge importance on the ability of the fullbacks to get forward and provide width.

On Pereira’s arrival in Nice, manager Claude Puel stated “I like athletes with good technical ability, who could bring a lot to the game Ricardo has that characteristic.” This proved to be true during Nice’s second league game of the season against Bastia during which Pereira provided two assists. The first was a simple pass into midfield which allowed Nampalys Mendy to unleash a rocket into the top corner. The second assist showcased all of Pereira’s best qualities. After dribbling down the left wing he played a brilliant 30 yard pass into the feet of Said Benrahma who finished with glee.

Pereira had not played regular first team football for two seasons, but his transition into the Nice starting lineup was rapid and seamless. Nice fans soon began to forget about the loss of Amavi as Pereira’s rampaging runs down the left flank became a familiar sight.

After a brilliant first season in France for Pereira, Nice finished fourth and conceded 12 fewer goals than the previous season. This was partly thanks to Pereira’s efforts, which aided in solidifying Nice’s defence and provided security to the inexperienced Maxime Le Marchand who played at centre back. After such an impressive season, Pereira was perhaps unfairly left out of Portugal’s Euro 2016 squad.

Fortunately, Pereira did not have much time to lick his wounds. A new season arrived for Nice and with it came new changes. Much of the team that had dazzled Ligue 1 during the previous campaign left for greener pastures.

Valère Germain returned to Monaco while Ben Arfa chose to end his Nice adventure and join French champions PSG. Nampalys Mendy was recruited by Leicester City and both Jeremy Pied and manager Claude Puel left for Southampton.

With so many changes, it seemed a tall order for Nice and Pereira to replicate the heights they had achieved last season. However, thanks to astute signings and the hiring of Lucien Favre, Nice have outdone themselves this season.

Favre started the season playing a 4-3-3 formation with Pereira playing as a right back. This only lasted a couple of matches as the arrival of Dante allowed Favre to switch to a 3-5-2 with Pereira now playing as a right wing back. This role suited Pereira’s attacking instincts perfectly, and Nice achieved early success as they took Ligue 1 by surprise with their quality attacking play.

Nice’s successful season took a hit when Pereira suffered an injury that kept him out for eight matches. During this time, young central defender Malang Sarr suffered a dramatic loss of form, Alassane Pléa was ruled out for the rest of the season, and Nice lost 3-0 to fellow title chasers Monaco. With Nice in danger of perhaps beginning to slip out of the Champions league places, Favre once again adjusted, switching to a 4-3-3 with Arnaud Souquet fulfilling the role of right back. This change steadied the ship and gave Nice more solidity. Results returned to normal and five matches after the Monaco loss, Pereira returned from injury, but as a right winger.

This alteration allowed Favre to combine the defensive solidity of Souquet and the attacking prowess of Pereira to great success. The two quickly developed a partnership down the right hand side in which one of the two would stay wide while the other would drive inside and underlap the former. Pereira continued to blossom and his day of international recognition came in a match against PSG.

The match had been built up as a title decider, and PSG knew that nothing less than a win would keep them in the race for the title, while Nice were desperate to prove their worth over the champions of France. Pereira provided the assist for Mario Balotelli’s opening goal before deciding to steal the headlines for himself. A few minutes into the second half, Younes Belhanda combined with Arnaud Souquet on the right side before feeding the ball to Pereira on the right corner of the eighteen. Without hesitation, Pereira took a touch inside and curled a wicked effort past Kevin Trapp and into the far corner. Nice would go onto win 3-1. The plaudits were immediate, and suddenly people around the world sat up and took notice. For Pereira, however, this was just the culmination of two brilliant seasons.

Pereira has retained his attacking instincts throughout his career and used these qualities to great effect in whatever position he played. Gifted with large amounts of pace and dribbling ability, Pereira combines these traits with smart decision making and stamina which allows him to be a constant threat down the flanks. His passing and build up play have also seen significant improvement under Favre. Another positive component to his game has been his strength when using either foot which has made him unpredictable in one-on-one duels.

On the defensive side of the game, Pereira had previously struggled with being caught to high up the field and committing rash tackles when trying to recover. However, this has also improved under the guidance of Favre and his skill at defending has increased exponentially. If he has any weakness, it is his lack of height (1.75m). This has put him at a disadvantage when competing in aerial duels. Despite this, Pereira has not shown major signs of being a liability to his team when defending crosses and set pieces.

In summary, Pereira possess all the qualities needed for a modern full-back and has used his attacking background to become a fearsome threat down the flanks for his team. Pereira will rejoin FC Porto at the end of the season, with no option to buy the player in his loan deal with OGC Nice, and a €25m release clause in his current contract which Nice cannot afford.

While some may balk at such an extravagant fee for a defender, Pereira is one of the greatest talents in French football. European sides would do well to exploit this clause to good effect, with Porto currently trying to get Pereira to sign a contract extension which would enable them to elevate that clause.

At his best, he is a force to be reckoned with down the wing and a tremendous talent capable of achieving world class heights in the future. Whichever club lucky enough to capture his services, they will share this opinion. Opposition fans will hope that he does not punish their team with one of his trademark bursts down the wing. Just ask PSG.

This piece is not just about capturing Pereira’s tremendous ability, but also serves as a message of gratitude towards, and celebration of, one of the gentlest, kind-hearted men on the French football circuit. Polite, humble and proficient in multiple languages, the Portuguese’s human qualities are worthy of his footballing abilities and we speak on behalf of French football’s journalists when we say he has been a total pleasure to interact with. It has been an honour and a privilege to cover Ricardo Pereira’s two-year stint in Ligue 1 – we wish him all the best.

L.M.

Marseille winger Florian Thauvin and his entourage will meet with the club immediately after the season ends to open talks over a contract extension and a wage hike, according to Foot Mercato.

The 24 year old has enjoyed the best season of his career to date, scoring 15 goals in Ligue 1.

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Glasgow Warriors boss Franco Smith has been named the United Rugby Championship (URC) Coach of the Season in his first campaign in charge of the side.

Smith joined Glasgow at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, replacing Danny Wilson.

Franco Smith’s debut season

The 50-year-old former Springbok led the Warriors to the Scottish x Italian Shield and a top-four finish in the league and guided them to their first European final.

Glasgow also went the whole URC regular season unbeaten at Scotstoun, with their only defeat in any competition at home being the 14-5 URC quarter-final loss to Munster.

Glasgow won 13 of their 18 URC regular season matches in 2022/23, a vast improvement on their 2021/22 campaign, where they won just 10.

They also claimed a try bonus point on 11 occasions and scored 72 tries in total, 19 more than they did in their previous campaign.

Their debut season under Smith’s tutelage ended last Friday when they were beaten 43-19 by Toulon in the final of the Challenge Cup.

“This is season one for this group. This is not the end for us, this is just the start. It’s a stepping stone,” he said after the defeat.

Smith joined Glasgow after a stint as Italy ahead coach and previously coached Benetton between 2007 and 2013.

He was also the assistant coach and head coach of the Cheetahs and worked with the Springboks during that time.

URC Awards 2022/23 Winners

OFX Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)
Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff)

Elite XV: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), 14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), 13 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Daniel du Plessis (Stormers), 11 Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), 10 Ross Byrne (Leinster), 9 Grant Williams (Sharks), 8 Gavin Coombes (Munster), 7 Scott Penny (Leinster), 6 Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), 5 Federico Ruzza (Benetton), 4 Niall Murray (Connacht), 3 Finlay Bealham (Connacht), 2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster), 1 Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)

Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season: Manie Libbok (Stormers)
Try of the season: Joaquin Riera (Benetton v Sharks, Round 17)
Gilbert Golden Boot: Johan Goosen (Bulls)
Ironman: Quan Horn (Lions)
BKT Coach of the Season: Franco Smith (Glasgow Warriors)

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Premier League side Manchester United have initiated contacts over the possible signing of PSG winger Lucas Moura, according to Sport Witness.

Moura, whose future at Les Parisiens will depend on whether or not manager Unai Emery keeps his job, because if he does, then Lucas will likely seek to leave, is apparently the type of speedy winger that José Mourinho is looking for in order to have a complete squad for next season.

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The media outlet claim that talks are at a very baby stage at the moment.

Rinku Singh has been a sensation this year. This IPL season, he became the young star everyone followed closely. From hitting five sixes in five balls to being Kolkata Knight Riders’ spine in the middle overs, the UP batsman has had a great run. In a chat with The Indian Express, Singh talks about his last two months of IPL and how the great actor Rajnikanth invited him to his place.