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Leonardo Balerdi: The Argentine Defender Emerging as Marseille’s Man Mountain
Leonardo Balerdi is someone who has learnt to smile in the face of the uncertainty. At just 14 years old, he made the decision to move 700km away from his hometown, Villa Mercedes, and go to play for the academy of his dream club, Boca Juniors. At 19, he was on the move again,…
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Tactical Analysis: Eric Roy’s Brest
When Eric Roy took charge of Stade Brestois 29 on January 3, 2023, the French club were battling relegation. Today, they are on track to qualify for European football for the first time in club history, sitting second in the Ligue 1 table, 10 points behind Paris Saint-Germain, one above Monaco and four above Lille,…
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From Reading to Pas-De-calais: The Formidable Rise of Austria’s Kevin Danso
The story of Kevin Danso is one of grit and determination – from his early years in Austria and Milton Keynes to the present day in France, the powerful defender has overcome much adversity in scaling the professional football ranks and becoming a regular name for Ralf Rangnick’s impressive Austrian national team. As a…
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Tactical Analysis: Paulo Fonseca’s Lille
It has been three years since Lille edged Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title on the final day of the season, claiming their first championship in a decade under Christophe Galtier. They did so on the basis of a French-Portuguese connection, with sporting director Luis Campos crafting a young squad featuring Portuguese players like…
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Eli Junior Kroupi: Introducing Lorient’s Next Gem
Eli Junior Kroupi is Lorient’s new golden boy. Born and raised in Brittany, he is Lorient through and through – and that is in no part down to his father, Eli Senior, having plied his trade for Les Merlus for four years in the early 2000s. Eli Junior worked his way through the youth…
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How Angel Gomes is Embracing His New Environment at Lille
Manchester United have long been synonymous with nurturing underage talent to great success. But, in recent times, there has been a seismic shift in their approach. United have shown many fledgling stars the exit door rather than holding onto precocious talents on the fringes of the first-team squad and honing their skills with patience. …
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Guillaume Restes: The 18-year-old Goalkeeper Making Waves at Toulouse
Name: Guillaume Restes Club: Toulouse Nationality: France Position(s): GK Preferred Foot: Left Height: 6’1”/186cm Age: 18 Strengths: reflexes, speed, maturity, distribution, communication, focus Areas for Development: consistency, experience After long-time France captain Hugo Lloris retired in the wake of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final, there is a potential vacancy at the goalkeeper position…
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Jean-Clair Todibo Shining at the Allianz Riviera for OGC Nice
There is a certain kind of arrogance that players with ambitions of reaching the pinnacle of the game must possess. Admittedly, the brand of humility that keeps you grounded and striving for more no matter how much you achieve is important. In fact, it is crucial to balance it finely with this arrogance, in a…
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Impressing the Impressive: Warren Zaïre-Emery
Considering the current state of modern football, being a talent that comes straight out of a club’s academy to have an impact on the first team is extremely difficult. Now increase that difficulty level because the club you are climbing the ranks of is Paris Saint-Germain. Warren Zaïre-Emery has done just that. This is…
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Marseille’s Renaissance under Gattuso: Aubameyang’s Impact and the Club’s Resurgence
As the 2023/24 season kicked off, Marseille aimed to build on their previous third-place finish and contend for the title. Spanish coach Marcelino Garcia stepped in, succeeding Igor Tudor, with his fast, compact style of play intended to propel Marseille to the summit of French football. However, this hope was short-lived. During the summer,…
