Monegasque Charles Leclerc at the end of his Formula 1 dream?
He has already achieved three of his four dreams as a driver: racing in Formula 1 (2018), joining Scuderia Ferrari (2019) and embracing victory at home, on the majuscule stage of the Monaco Grand Prix (2024).
At 27, he still has a target to reach. The highest: becoming world champion. Without a doubt, Monegasque Charles Leclerc has the driving skills required to join the stars of the track. But opposite, there will still be a “galactic” Max Verstappen, a super-powerful McLaren team… And in the garage next door, from now on, a certain Lewis Hamilton who hopes to capsize the hearts of fans by winning an eighth supreme crown in the habit of red light.
Suffice to say that the challenge promises to be arduous once again for little Prince Charles. See you at the last bend!
Manon Fiorot, MMA champion from Nice: the world is at her feet
The dream of his life is within reach. Four years after her UFC debut (1), Manon Fiorot will fight for the belt in 2025. Where, when? This has yet to be defined by the world’s most prestigious Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. But only five rounds of 5 minutes, maximum, and Valentina Shevchenko, the Kyrgyz flyweight title holder (-57kg), separate the 34-year-old from Nice from her childhood prediction: “I want to be world champion”. No Frenchman has managed to do this in 31 years of UFC history. Undefeated in seven fights in the organization, Manon has the pedigree and the power to become a pioneer.
In the world of MMA, she is nicknamed ”The Beast”. The legacy of Dad Daniel, a distinguished firefighter who also extinguished his opponents on the wrestling mats. An inspiring hero, the chief warrant officer who died in 2016 is immortalized on a fresco in the Fodéré barracks. In Nice, Fiorot is a name already engraved in rock. Manon promised her father to put her on the roof of the world.
1. Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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Footballer Maghnes Akliouche, a nugget shaped on the Rock
Gold in the feet and a well-shaped head. Bold on the pitch, Maghnes Akliouche is the shy type off it. His game and his performances speak for him: trained at the AS Monaco academy, the 22-year-old won the silver medal with the Blues during the last Olympic tournament and has just delivered a fairly impressive 2024.
Author of 9 goals and 8 assists over the calendar year, he celebrated the club’s return to the Champions League with a goal against FC Barcelona in September and seems to be built to look forward to 2025. Responsible by his coach Adi Hütter, he seems to have already acquired the keys to the high level with an ability to defend in addition to his ability to unsettle opponents. His last match of the year against Paris Saint-Germain (December 18) was another reminder of how great his talent was. The princely club is aiming for the podium in Ligue 1 and the Top 24 in the Champions League? Akliouche must help him slip in.
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Elie Okobo towards the summits
Elie Okobo, basketball player at AS Monaco, towards the heights “The sky is the limit to his talent”said his former coach at Monaco, Sasa Obradovic, about him. Only here, Elie Okobo was not part of the Paris-2024 Olympic adventure of the Blues, the last player “cut” after having participated in the summer preparation of the France group. “I took the opportunity to go to the beach and walk my dog”he said when resuming the season with ASM. A painful episode for the brilliant left-handed back of the Roca Team who could have his revenge in 2025. The 27-year-old native of Bordeaux, who played for the Phoenix Suns (NBA), has had a breathtaking first part of the season with Monaco in the Euroleague, too. good scorer (13.9 points) and creator, with more than four assists on average. His agreement with the megastar of the Rock, Mike James, could well lead the ASM to the summits of Europe. Until the supreme title in the Euroleague? Why not, maybe it’s the year of Monaco. And even if French basketball has no shortage of candidates for its position as leader, it is difficult to see how the French team could this time not call on him for Euro-2025 (August 27- September 14, final phase in Latvia). The new coach of the Blues, Frédéric Fauthoux, was the assistant coach of Elie Okobo during the Villeurbanne era (2021-2022). The two men like each other, which can also count when making choices. They have in common that they have proudly worn the colors of Pau-Orthez. “Okoboss” already has his nickname among Roca Team fans. It’s now up to him to play boss.
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