The French corner [non WHU]

[Misko]

I hear he's quite good.

He doesn't run at all now, but he still is their key player in the last 30 yards. Vision, smooth touch, long shots... all these are still as good as ever.

[Misko]

It seems Aston Villa have reached an agreement with Seville for the transfer of Dego Carlos. During his time in Nantes, he was involved in one of the weirdest thing I ever saw during a professional game :

[DaveWHU1964]

It seems Aston Villa have reached an agreement with Seville for the transfer of Dego Carlos. During his time in Nantes, he was involved in one of the weirdest thing I ever saw during a professional game :

Wow - that is crazy. The player not remotely at fault as the ref runs across his path and then that little kick out. Wtf. What happened to the ref as a result of this Misko?

[Misko]

He was banned for 3 effective months + 3 suspended ones. He appealed this sentence but he got 8 + 2 months. As he was close to retirement, he never officiated again.

But, he was backed all along by the referee union, he even was awarded the trophy of best referee of the season. Now he is a regular pundit on TV. talking mostly about refereeing of course.

[Misko]

Regrouping all the posts dedicated to listing players. I added a link to a video of each player in their names, just click on them to open it, I didn't want to add directly the videos, it would be a nightmare to load the page if you have a slow connexion. I have to warn you that most of them go with terrible music, be ready for that!


Goalkeepers

- Alban Lafont (Nantes, 23yo, 6'4) : probably the hottest prospect as a keeper. Tall, with an impressive wingspan, he is a very dynamic and capable of incredible saves. He commands the box all right and is efficient in clearing crosses and set pieces. He also is good at penalty saving (3/7 this year). His distribution skills are weak, though, and he has to improve his decision making against fast counter attacks. With the ageing French internationals, he might be the future of French selection, even if I am not sure at all he could develop as a world class player.

- Predrag Rajkovic (Reims, 26yo, 6'3) : Serbian international, very dependable keeper. He has no exceptional strengths but no significant weaknesses as well. He plays in a defensive minded team, which likes to sit low on the pitch. He excels in such conditions, he doesn't give any easy goal. Valued at €9m on transfermarkt, a very good value for money, I reckon.

- Matz Sels (Strasbourg, 30yo, 6'2) : the player is definitely not a "sexy" one, but Strasbourg is very happy to count on him. His main asset is the distirbution, he really adds something to the offensive power of the team. He of course can do the goalkeeping work well, I wouldn't mention him otherwise. One weakness that might be highly problematic in the English game, I find him average on crosses, but he luckily is well protected by his defense.



Left backs

- Caio Henrique (Monaco, 24yo, 5'10) : Brazilian with a Spanish passport, former Atlético player. He blossomed in Monaco as a very offensive minded LB. He is not physically spectacular, just average height, speed, stamina. He is also not the toughest defender at all, relying on anticipation and positionning more than direct challenges. But he is by far the most dangerous LB when attacking. Skillful with a nice vision, his footwork is nice and his left foot is lethal. Crosses, long balls, direct passes and set pieces, you name it, he can kill you any way possible. He can play in the midfield as well, sometimes as an CAM. I guess he is more suited to the continental game, but something tells me he would thrive in a team like Man City. He is set to leave Monaco this summer or the next one for a truckload of money.

- Juan Bernat (PSG, 29yo, 5'9) : Normally, as I am not here to give obvious names, I should not mention PSG players. But Bernat is a bit forgotten on the bench whereas he is a very good full back, imo. It seems he is on a £150m a week, which is ludicrous, but this is PSG style. I guess he would consider a move to a decent PRL team with a 4 or 5 years long contract, even with reduced wages. He is a bit of the epitome of the Spanish full back, quick, running forward as soon as possible with a highlyu accurate passing game. He can bring the danger all right and is a superb team player, always looking for the unmarked man. He is defesinvely OK, with a good fighting spirit and the occasional impressive sliding tackle. He can find it difficult to deal with lightning quick wingers and he is weak in the air. He's still an experienced quality player who could be a nice asset to an ambitious team (I'd take him in our squad any time is possible)

- Adrien Truffert (Rennes, 20yo, 5'7) : Rennes is one of the finest academy in the country, and Truffert is one of their last hot prospect. He impressed everyone at the beginning of last season, with explosive performances on the left side, fast counters, neat crosses and powerful shots. He rapidly showed some limits in the consistency, struggling against the more structured teams who quickly learned how to contain the danger he brought. So, after his 2 first pro seasons, he started 41 games, getting 4 goals and 5 assists. He has to develop for a more tactical approach of the game, but he is pure TNT on open plays, with superior offensive skills.

- Melvin Bard (Nice, 21yo, 5'7) : I am rather suprised to mention him here. He is from OL Academy, but I always considered him as a potential midtable player. Nice recruited him last summer for €3m which revealed to be a good bargain. He quickly established himself as a starter, pushing Hassane Kamara away of the team wheras he was one of the good surprises of last season. I would have mentioned this one here last summer if I had to do that kind of list (he ended up in Watford, being quite average I think, things change fast). He is as down to earth as Truffert is explosive. He is a defender first, showing great abilities in duels. The physical wingers have hard time dictating their law to him. He seems very strong mentally, never letting himself being beaten. On the attacking side, he is quite ordinary, going forward when needed, with a nice passing ability. He managed 2 goals and 2 assists in 33 games, which is not bad at all. I would consider him as the most sensible signing possible for a Premier League team looking for a young LB to grow as a consistent starter for the coming years. (note that the video is old and is mostly made from footages of his time in OL youth academy, but it still gives an idea of the way he plays)



Right backs

- Zeki Celik (Lille, 25yo, 5'9) : This is one solid FB, very disciplined defensively, reliable with the ball, tireless, remarkably consistent. He'll never be a superstar but never will let the team down. He is capable of sending dangerous crosses in the box from deep. He is mostly one of the most cleaver on the pitch player of a hard working Lille team.

- Ruben Aguilar (Monaco, 29yo, 5'6) : French international, he is a tough warrior on the pitch. He is never far away if things get messy, he definitely falls into the hothead category. But he gives a hell of a hard time to his opponents, nothing is easy with him. Discipline can be an issue, as you could easily imagine. But he has great qualities : he's quick, good with and off the ball, he has very consistent offensive stats for such a warrior. He is the archetype of the player you love in your team and love to hate when he plays against you. He also is able to play in the midfield and sometimes as a CB in a back 3 despite being very short!

- Vanderson (Monaco, 21yo, 5'9) : Another nebulous signing by Monaco (they sign numerous young players, you never really know how they end up there). He is still just a prospect, but he proved himself a key player in the amazing run of Monaco in the last part of the season. He played RB as much as RM, but he sure has primarily defensive skills: powerful and pacey, he is a brilliant tackler. He showed nice Brazilian footwork and made some nice rides along the sideline. He is not decisive in the last 20 yards yet, but I have no doubt it will come. He reminds me a bit of Maicon, for those who remember him. I think he is solely Brazilian, which could make a move in the Premier League a bit complicated (I don't know how it stands now for the work permits). However, I think he is the next big thing for Monaco and his value will increase drastically next year which will make him unaffordable to most of the teams.

- Malo Gusto (Lyon, 19yo, 5'9) : You saw him in action during the EL tie against OL. He is an offensive minded RB, better as RWB. He overtook Léo Dubois, a French international and this year captain as a starter at RB. He is physically dominant, powerful and super quick, the only player I saw able to follow M'Bappé for 30 yards at full speed. He started football late (ath the age of 10) and was intially trained as an attacker/winger. He kept from this a great ability in the last 30 yards, sending great crosses in the box. He delivered 4 assists in Ligue 1, all in the second part of the season when he got substential playing time. Defensively, his positioning improved a lot in a short time but remains questionable. His physical skills enable him to sort it right most of the times, but he is still error prone. He has an excellent mentality and I really think he has all the tools to make a consistant career for himself. I reckon that next year might be more difficult for him as he'll be the designated starter, with much more pressure and he still is a very young player. That will be a good test.

- Akim Zedadka (Clermont-Ferrand, 26yo, 5'8) : Algerian international, this is the perfect underdog. He discovered this year the top level in France with a fearless team that kept on attacking despite being the smallest budget by far. They secured quite early their spot in Ligue 1. Zedadka was one the key players for them, going tirelessly forward, crossing the ball from all kind of positions with great accuracy. He is no top defender, but he does the job alright, using his pace and anticipation to steal the ball and start quick fire counter attacks. He is out of contract this summer and I really think the team going for him would make a very smart move, given they intend to play accordingly to his qualities.

The two young PSG RBs, Pembélé (on loan to Bordeaux) and Dagba are also good players, but it is a bit hard to evaluate them as one played for a woeful team (Bordeaux) and the other one for a massively dominant one (PSG) this year.



Center backs

- Nayef Aguerd (Rennes, 26yo, 6'2) : I already gave my opinion about him on the Transfer thread. I find him a perfect match for WHU and Zouma. He is good in the air, very solid defensively, not giving away anything easy. But his main asset is his brilliant passing game. He really has a sweet left foot and a good vision, being a perfect launch base for lighnting quick counter attacks. Rennes scored 82 goals this year, that performance was also based on the quality of the build-up from the defensive line. He likes to play rather low, facing the game. In this context, he is incredibly hard to pass. I would be a bit concerned by his ability to turn, this is the way I saw him getting in trouble, even if he keeps his head cool, not giving any useless freekicks away. I didn't see Rennes vs Leicester, which was probably the best way to see him in a "Premier League" context. His career is on a very structured and progressive path : small club in Morocco > big club in Morocco > small club in France > top 7 club in France > top 7 club in England probably

- Duje Ćaleta-Car (Marseille, 25yo, 6'2) : (pronounced Chaleta-Tsar if you ask yourself) The profile is quite similar to Aguerd, so I think Moyes has a clear view about what he wants as a CB to pair with Zouma. However, I'm much less enthusiastic about this one. He is a brilliant passer as well but I find him less good defensively. He is massive and hard to move, but I find his positionning and defensive moves much less tidy. He is also error prone (see the one he made in the SF of ELC against Feyenoord) and blow and hot cold. He was recruited for big money over his undisputable potential, but he fails to fully express it 3 years later imho.

- Sven Botman (Lille, 22yo, 6'4) : The first time I heard his name and saw his face, I thought it was a joke, so tall, strong, emotionless he was. He definitely has something robotic in him. Good in the air, good positioning, immune to pressure... If you had to create the achetypal CB, you'd probably end up with a player like Botman. Of course, he is not perfect. I guess he lacks of that touch of magic to be truly among the best. I've never seen him doing more than what was expected from him, that twist that would make him a real game changer. Don't get me wrong, what he already does is more than enough.

- Guillermo Maripán (Monaco, 28yo, 6'3) : Another surprise from Monaco. This Peruvian player was totally unknown to most of the people and he quicly established himself as the cornerstone of Monaco's central defense. Playing in a back 3 as well as in a back 4, he is a very intelligent defender, covering space and not allowing any easy move to the opponents. You add on top of that the ability to be a serious threat on set pieces and a nice little touch with the ball, securing a nice 90% pass completion rate, with 80% for the long ones! As he is 28yo, his value will not skyrocket, but he is one depandable center half.

- Axel Disasi (Monaco, 24yo, 6'2) : The third element of the impressive Monaco's central defense, along with Badiashile and Maripan. He's probably the least exciting one, but he is still a good player, a bit more of the physical kind than Maripan. But he also compiles excellent passing records, so he is also a valuable ball player. When compared to his teammates, he is probably the weakest link. He has less composure, he commits more fouls and I saw him in distress facing the most technical strikers. Nonetheless, he is a good CB with a complete set of skills.

- Castello Lukeba (Lyon, 19yo, 6'0) : Probably the best player for OL this year. OK, the season was awful, but it is a remarkable feat for a player who never played a single minute at the pro level before. The story is even more unbelievable as he was not even tagged as the most promising talent from the academy. Being shorter than the other ones, he had to work harder than everyone. It is paying off this year, and hopefully would keep on this way. He reads the game particulary good, intercepting a lot of balls and stopping zillions of attacks by great anticipation (the team played so dreadfully that he had a lot to do, and he did it particulary well, much better than the very experienced Denayer and Boateng). He also is super reliable with the ball, he touches the ball more than the other defenders, completes more passes with a great accuracy, makes many progressive carries, etc. He is also fast and dynamic, I saw him (way too often) getting back to block a shot from an attacker who had a decisive advantage in his back. Of course, being only 6'0, he is not dominant in the air, but he compensate with his dynamism and anticipation. The next season, the confirmation one, will be decisive in ranging him from true potential superstar to "just" a good player.

- Jean-Clair Todibo (Nice, 22yo, 6'2) : The name could probably ring a bell as he played for Barcelona, Schalke and Benfica before settling in Nice. He was originally from Toulouse academy, where he attracted big clubs very early. He was earlier considered more a DM than a CB, he blossomed in defense. He is strong and pacey, he is aggressive and he is really talented with the ball. He has all the tools in the box to become a major player if, and this is a big if, he improves his behaviour on and off the pitch. It seems improving a lot, but he proved himself very immature in the past, hence the multiple clubs in such a young age.

- Anthony Rouault (Toulouse, 20yo, 6'1) : What I will write is mostly from hearsay, I didn't see much of him. He is another highly intelligent defender, intelligent but extremely tough and disciplined. The kind fans love. He just won Ligue 2 with Toulouse and will discover Ligue 1 next year. No doubt that if he performs well at this level, he'll be targetted by much bigger clubs. One stat to show how good and important he has been for his club: Toulouse averaged 2.4 points per game when he played, 1.1 during his foot injury this winter (10 games).

I would also mention Isaak Touré who is set to join Marseille in the summer, but I have never seen him play. He seems a physical freak (6'7 with pace). I guess he is some kind of raw material (19yo, first year as a pro) but the word is that he really is special. In what meaning and to what extent, I can't know.



Defensive Midfielders

- Cheick Doucouré (Lens, 22yo, 5'10) : For the second season in the row, Lens did better than expected, reaching the 7th place both years. One of the key players in these successes is undeniably Doucouré even if others are attracting more attention. He is a very inteligent player, reading the game perfectly and stopping zillions of the opponent passes every game. Once he recovered the ball, he makes a very good use of it, through progressive passes or carries. He doesn't try to show off, he plays simple and good. His power makes him a very hard player to pass. He probably has to level up his game should he be playing in Premier League, but my guts tell me he has what it takes to do so.

- Ibrahima Sissoko (Strasbourg, 24yo, 6'3) : Physically impressive, he is quite all rounded. He can play as a deep lying DM or as a powerful box to box midfielder. He can also drop down in central defense where his height and power are rather useful. He covers a lot of distance during a game, blocking many balls thanks to his very long legs. His passing game might be tagged as average, but he still delivered 5 assists this year. He can create havoc in the opponent's defense when he is carrying the ball, thanks to his power and pace. His footwork is quite surprising according to his stature but his decision making is far from being clinical. He also tends to commit numerous fouls, mostly in challenges against smaller players who really look like children being bullied by an out of control grown up.

- Bonke Innocent (Lorient, 26yo, 6'0) : Now this is a name that should never make to a list for Premier League. He played all his professional career in Norway and Sweden, getting to play in UCL with Malmö this year. Out of contract during the winter, Lorient snatched him on a free. He never scored a goal at pro level and barely recorded assists. So why the hell am I wasting everyone's time with him now? Because I really love the intensity he brings to the game. He is a very old fashion DM, harrassing the opponents, fighting, tacking, pressing non stop. He is everywhere, you can't get rid of him. He has ridiculous offensive stats but amazing defensive ones. With the ball, his only capability is to pass it to a more skillful player, but he does it good, avaeraging 90% of pass completion (short, mid and long distance all at the same level). I find him as a great utility player and he would be available for almost nothing.

Xeka and Benjamin André are 2 CDMs (both "oldies", 28 and 31) from Lille who are the kind of blokes you love in your team. Hard working, aggressive (one could say nasty), not bothered by the ball, they definitely do the job well. The former will be out of contact this summer.

Lucien Agoumé on loan to Brest from Inter is a young powerful CDM. Athletism is not an issue here, just he is still raw material making errors and having discipline issues. A bit the same goes for Khéphren Thuram, the son of the 98 World Champion Lilian. He plays in Nice where he blows hot and cold. But he is for sure an impact player, when he starts, it's better being out of his way.



Central Midfielders

- Gerson (Marseille, 25yo, 6'1) : A totally different player. He is a very skillful, elegant, smooth player. His defensive contribution is limited but he s great a holding the ball up, good vision, great connection with his teammates Guendouzi and Payet to create danger in the middle of static defenses. He need a bit of time to adapt to European football when he came from Brazil, but he still got 9 goals and 4 assists. I really think he is a quality player but he probably need to be in a team with possession and a rather slow approach to the game.

- Renato Sanches (Lille, 24yo, 5'9) : Frankly speaking, I hate this player. But if I do, it's probably because he's good. He is a very provocative fellow, having the knack to get his opponents out of their game. He would drive you mad by all his diving, screaming, rolling on the pitch. But, he is super skillful with the ball in his feet. He can dribble anybody, his long passes are most of the time brilliant, and he is very dangerous on long shots. He plays in a defensive minded team, and on the counter attacks, he creates a maximum danger as his capable of anything at full speed. Definitively an energizer, but he is a very injury prone and he needs to be 100% fit to perform, otherwise, he is quite useless or even a burden to the rest of the team.

- Seko Fofana (Lens, 27yo, 6'0) : one of the sensation of last season in France. He impressed by his goal scoring abilities, his leadership and his ability to be "clutch" (late winners or equalizers, decisive tackles). He plays in a rather box to box role, but he actually is very little contributing to the defensive part. But he is really impressive when he carries the ball in crazy runs in the middle of the defense. He is also very good in link up plays in short perimeters. His expolosivity makes all his actions in the last 30 yards energizing which seemed to fill his team with confidence even against the bigger teams. They made PSG suffer as very few teams could this year. I think his lack of defensive contribution would be a problem to go higher, and I am always suspicious about late bloomers, but he really has something special.

- Benjamin Bourigeaud (Rennes, 28yo, 5'10) : the real underdog. I don't know how to put it without sounding like a total knob, but I am convinced that if he didn't look so "average Joe" and didn't go by a name that cries deep rural France, he would be valued much higher. He can play everywhere (CM, ACM, LW, RW). He is committed, hard working, elegant, clever, and has a deadly right foot. Crosses, long balls, through passses, set pieces, he masters it all. He is probably the best corner taker in the Ligue 1. 11 goals, 12 assists this year. Of course, he is not the fastest, not the tallest, not the strongest. But give him partners who run and he'll feed them over and over. One year left on the contract, reportedly willing to discover a new country, targetted by Mourinho for AS Roma it seems. No doubt there is a potential steal here.

Adrien Thomasson from Strasbourg is of the same species than Bourigeaud. Same profile, same qualities, same limits. He's just a bit less good but he is one consistent player.

Branco van den Boomen was probably the best player of Ligue 2 with Toulouse. The Dutch CM had 12 goals and 21 assists. Brilliant on set pieces, he is the epitome of the old fashion playmaker (one daring comparison that crossed my mind is with Stefan Effenberg if you remember him). Late bloomer (27 yo) or one season wonder?



Attacking midfielders

- Lucas Paquetá (Lyon, 24yo, 5'10) : There is a high probability he'll go to Newcastle, to join his very close friend Bruno Guimarães. He is a special talent, mostly a CAM even though he played a bit everywhere, his ball control is divine, he is strong enough to resist the toughest challenges, he can dribble 4 or 5 players in a small perimeter. He also has an unbelievable vision for through balls. More suprisinlgy for that kind of player, his work rate is high and he really can fight for a ball like a stray dog. When he goes berserk, it is absolutely insane. However, there is a major problem with him: he is way too emotional. This can get him out of a game, or even out of form for a long period (he was crap against WHU, for instance). This made him fail at Milan and some of OL fans are not so desperate to see him go, because of his lack of consistency and his poor decision making during his bad periods.

- Lovro Majer (Rennes, 24yo, 5'9) : I am a bit afraid to praise a Croatian offesnive midfielder here. But there is something quite Modricy about this one. A lot of skills, nice touch on the ball, great passing. He is also providing good activity off the ball, and, despite his lack of power, he applies a lot of pressure to the opponents and tackles a lot during the games. Would he be able to adjust to Premier League? I think he could, like Modric did, with the same qualities and the same limits.

- Sofiane Diop (Monaco, 22yo, 5'5) : I am also afraid to mention a hot prospect named Diop on here. But this young winger is really talented. He has a very all rounded game, he can dribble, pass and shoot with great ease. His decision making is rather good for such a young player and he is also working hard on the defensive end. Of course, he is small and he can find it difficult against the most physical opponents, but they better be well organised as he has all the tools to unlock tight defenses. I really like the way he plays, he has a bit of Ludovic Giuly in him.



Forwards

- Mohamed Bayo (Clermont-Ferrand, 24yo, 6'2) : He had a tremendous Ligue 2 season last year, helping the team to get promoted to Ligue 1 with 22 goals and 7 assists. He scored 3 goals and delivered 2 assists in his first 4 Ligue 1 games which brought him under the spotlight. I really thought he would find it difficult to maintain good form, but he kept on scoring a lot until the ACON during winter. It was a bit harder for him afterwards, but the whole Clermont team was strugling at the time. He finished the season well with 4 goals and 2 assists in the last 6 games. So, definitely, he is not just on fire. He is a tall and powerful striker, who was trained as a right winger during his youth. He kept from it nice footwork and the ability to dribble a player. But he mainly impressed by his instinct in the box, being where the ball falls and nick it into the net with a single touch. He may be not great in the patient building up of attacks and not the highest working forward you can imagine, but on open plays and on set pieces, he is a consistent threat. I like his story as he is a local boy (he was born in Clermont-Ferrand) who developped into a potential football star while it was never really expected from him.

- Kevin Volland (Monaco, 30yo, 5'10) : An unusual player, I think he would be best described as a secondary striker. Despite limited height, he is very good in the air and Monaco use him as an anchor to their attacks. His scoring ability is questionnable, with ugly misses and long drought periods. But he is still a real problem for the defenses who just don't know how to deal with that kind of player. I guess there is a bit of Antonio in his profile, though he doesn't have the pace and the physical strength the WHU player has. 9 goals and 9 assists this season.

- Martin Terrier (Rennes, 25yo, 6'0) : A quick striker, with clinical finishing. He really blossomed this year, especially being played wide on the left side. Smart player, he doesn't carry the ball much, he is much better in link up plays with players like Bourigeaud, Majer or Laborde. He is great on open plays but can be struggling against tighter defenses. His time in Lyon was not so great, he failed to secure a starter position and the fans consdired him lacking of mental strength. He proved them wrong on that point. I think he is a very nice fellow, very sound in mind but I reckon he needs a positive environment next to him to perform, which he didn't have here unfortunately.

- Gaëtan Laborde (Rennes, 28yo, 5'11) : One of my favorite players, I might be biased when it comes to him. He is tall (edit: not as tall as I thought in fact, his aerial skills made him look talker, I think) and rather powerful, but his main assets are vision and a soft touch. 15 goals and 8 assists in a very offensive side. He will probably never be a massive stats player, but he has an incredible stylish way to play. He is also very good in the air, which gives Rennes another dimension to their game. He can play on both wings as well where he would create danger by smart moves and cutting inside the box. He offers a lot of diffrent tools for his managers.

- Moussa Dembélé (Lyon, 26yo, 6'0) : Well, I know how bad an impression he made to WHU fans but he is a prolific goal scorer (among the best ones in Europe in 2022). Many Lyon fans don't like him for his lack of ability in layoffs and link ups in small perimeters, which they consider the way OL have to play. He is not well suited for a team playing high with high possession rates and patient build up. On the contrary, he is particularly efficient on transitions, turning around defenders and making a difference from 25 yards, resisting to challenges with his power and nicking it any way possible in the net. He is also blamed for big misses, but when you look at the stats, he creates himself a fair amount of chances and his conversion rate is not bad at all. He had a woeful 2020-2021 season but he managed to resurrect this year (21 goals, 16 without penalties, in 30 games) which tells me he is well committed to his job now. I can see him coming back and thriving in English football.

- Karl Toko-Ekambi (Lyon, 30yo, 6'0) : In my initial message on the forum, I think I described him as 100% ugly, 100% hard boiled, 20% efficient. I still stick to this statement, I see him giving hard times to the defenses on a regular basis even if he is not an academic player. Cutting in the box from the left wing, dribbling oddly his way to the goal, he creates a lot of troubles. He has a major quality the rest of OL squad lacks, he loves to run, offering a lot of solutions for deep passes and thus stretching defenses. However, he tends to be a bit selfish, taking a difficult shot when an open teammate was easily reachable. If decision making was better, he would probably never play for OL, anyway. At the end of the season, there were great tensions between him and the hardcore fans and I wouldn't be surprised he asks to go. Being 30yo, it is probably his last chance for a big contract in a big league, and Wolverhampton is said to be interested.

- Rayan Cherki (Lyon, 19yo, 5'9) : Now, this is one player I would normally not mention here according to his actual performances. But the thing is that he has only one year left in his contract and seems reluctant to renew it which means the club could be selling him this summer. And as he had been tagged as a very hot prospect since he was 14yo, he still could attract big teams. He is a pure talent, his dribbling skills are amazing and he is way too good for the youth categories. The problem is that he fails at becoming a real pro. The defensive contribution is erratic whereas the decision making appalling most of the times. On top of that, he suffered a major injury in February at the very moment he was finally getting some regular playing time. Now, he reaches a turning point in his career: will he grow up and stop believing the point of the game is to buzz on the net or keep on being a useless trick freak?

- Hugo Ekitike (Reims, 20yo, 6'2) : this kid is attracting a lot of attention, more than his actual perfomances should normally do. Why? Because the potential seems almost limitless, in the meaning that he is tall, athletic, dynamic, very skilled with a correct left foot for a right-footed player and a good instinct. He is also working hard defensively. He still has to improve his decision making and, this season, he was sometimes better out of the bench against tired defenses than when he started games. But he improved a lot and fast.

- Jonhatan David (Lille, 22yo, 5'10) : I honestly am underwhelmed by the player. The €45m value for him seems crazy to me. I understand that he is young, fast, quite a good finisher with both feet and capable of nice footwork in the box. But he really blows hot and cold, he needed 6 months to adapt to Ligue 1 and was again goalless for a long period of time in 2022. He needs to be paired with another forward who will have to be in charge for holding the ball up and create space for him. On the defensive side, he is hard working and rather committed, which of course is positive. I am very curious to see how his career will go.

- Elye Wahi (Montpellier, 19yo, 6'0) : a young striker who impressed by his quckiness when turning around a defender. He has the power, the balance and the acceleration to create himself space when he receives a ball with a defender guarding him closely. He also has nice finishing skills with many different ways to score a goal. Of course, he is still very unexperieced and he lacks of some of the tools a confirmed pro needs, but I really like the impact he can make in the game.

Among the other promising strikers, it is worth mentioning Amine Gouiri who had an exceptional season last year but failed to confirm with Nice, Mohamed-Ali Cho from Angers who is a super explosive striker who needs to refine his game and Arnaud Kalimuendo, the PSG youngster who had a good season on loan to Lens with 12 goals.

A quick note also about Rhys Healey, the English striker of Toulouse who is the best goal scorer in Ligue 2. At 27yo, he just had the best season of his life. He is a good finisher, able to eliminate defenders in the box to make his way to the goal. True grit and hard work despite average technical skills. I like him but I am not sure he can make it at a higher level. His next season will be interesting to follow.

[Albie Beck]

Misko - many thanks for all the work you've put in to this thread in particular. Really interesting, particularly for those of us that don't have much knowledge of French football.

[norse]

Liverpool reportedly chasing Martin Terrier

[hammer1975]

Fantastic - really enjoyed that Misko

[Nels]

Another round of applause Misko. Very interesting and detailed.
Thank you

[Bubbles Fortuna]

Our best signing this window has been Misko

[sicknote]

Bravo et merci Misko

Sicknote , de la cote d'azur

[Misko]

The summer transfer window is about to open. Let's be honest, it became one of the highlight of the life of a fan, prompting us to talk about wages, investments, player scouting, physio, marketing, and so on, all things we actually have very limited knowledge of. But, hey it feels good, right? Anyway, there is no game to talk about (at least for one month).

60 years ago, however, even with all the gigabytes (terabytes? petabytes?) of useless articles, tweets and other digital junk produced about football, there would not have been much to say in France. Why is that? "Le contrat à vie", the lifetime contract.

After WWII, professional football was refounded in the country. One of the main features was that players would now not be allowed to change clubs before the age of 35, unless the chairman of the club accepts it. Moreover, the chairmen could send a player to another club without their consent! And, of course, the wages were absolutely not comparable to the current ones. Indeed, the average salary was only 20% superior to the minimal one in France.

One player stood out in the fight for the players' rights. It is Raymond Kopa, the best player France ever had until Platini, and still one of the top players in French history.


He played for Reims, the dominant club in the French league at the time, between 1951 and 1956. The last year, he carried on his shoulders his team to the first ever final of the Champions Cup, lost 4-3 to Real Madrid. The Merengue were so thrilled by his talent that they decided to offer Reims a fee they couldn't refuse to bring him to Spain. They paid the equivalent of €800k, which would be €12m today (a bit more than £10m). They also offered wages to Kopa that represent more than 10 times what he had in France, where he was already by far the best paid player. The club also used its influence to repeal the Moscardó law which prevented foreign players to play in Spain. He eventually became the first French player (at least, the first renowned one) to play abroad.

With Real, Kopa won 2 league titles and 3 Champions Cups in 3 years. He also brought the French national team to the 3rd place in the 1958 WC in Sweden. However, he decided in 1959 to come back to Reims, signing a new "contrat à vie". He made this choice to be able to keep on playing with the national team as it was decided to exclude the players playing in a foreign league. However, in 1963, he made publicly a statement that players are trated like "slaves". He was subsequently banned for 6 months, which actually marked the end of his career at the top level. His age and the mutiple injuries he contracted due to the roughness of the defenses of the time took their toll.

His fight for a fairer treatment of the professional players would not come to fruition until 1968. I don't know how familiar you are with it, but the month of May 1968 is a milestone in French social history. The whole month was one of major civil unrest, with most of the country being paralysed by massive strikes. Football was no exception, and a group of a hundred players, federated around professionals of Red Star, a Paris suburban professional club known for its proximity with the Communist Party, and around the writings of the communist magazine "Miroir du football" invaded and occupied for 5 days the headquarters of the Federation. They even held the general secretary and the manager of the national team hostages for a while but released them quickly to avoid a negative reaction from the general opinion.

One more year was needed to negotiate and deployed "le contrat à temps", fixed-term contract. This contract is the one still in use today. 3 years later, the first chart of professional football was published, regulating the relationship between owners and players, opening the door to modern day football.

[Up the Junction]

Great thread Misko. In due course I shall lift and add to KUMB's main Articles section:

https://www.kumb.com/articles_archive.php

[Misko]

Great thread Misko. In due course I shall lift and add to KUMB's main Articles section

Thank you! I am glad you find interest in all this.

I will keep on posting news and also stories about the history of French football like this one if it's OK for you.

[dal]

Really good read and very informative, will be interesting to look back on if any of them make it over here in the future.

Makes our transfer thread look a shambles

[Albie Beck]

the month of May 1968 is a milestone in French social history

I was at school then and about to take a French exam... "Les événements de Mai " were part of the studies, although the football aspect escaped us at the time.

Thanks again Misko.

[HammerAl]

100% ugly, 100% hard boiled, 20% efficient.

I have absolutely no idea what this means, or how the calculations were made, but it’s one of the finest descriptions of a player I’ve ever witnessed!

[Colours never run]

Bonke Innocent (Lorient, 26yo)

Who doesn't like an Innocent Bonke every now and again.

[Sawbo]

Top man Misko. If you ever plan on coming to the London stadium I'll buy you a beer or two.
As a Lyon fan, are you pleased your local rivals got relegated?

[Misko]

Top man Misko. If you ever plan on coming to the London stadium I'll buy you a beer or two.
As a Lyon fan, are you pleased your local rivals got relegated?

I will sure come to London one day soon, it's been a while. I'll for sure try to come to the LS if possible

Lyon fans have a grudge against all the 3 relegated clubs, Bordeaux, Metz (I should explain the reasons for this rivalry, it implies fireworks and snowblowers) and Saint-Etienne of course! I am actually not really thrilled by the perspective of not having local derbies next season. And honestly, when it comes to Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne, it could get even worse than a simple relegation as they already are in very tight situations with the money. I am afraid than at least one of them, if not both, would just go bankrupt and have to start again at amateur level. I don't like the clubs but they are historic ones, and we need them to make the league stronger and more interesting.

But, I have to confess, deep deep down, despite having had a dreadful season as well, a part of me feels exactly like this about those 3 clubs :