In distress in Mexico, Florian Thauvin is finding color in Italy, at Udinese, so much so that last summer, he attracted the interest of RC Lens.
At the age of 31, Florian Thauvin rediscovered the pleasure of football by joining Italy, and more precisely Udinese, in January 2023. Appointed captain during the summer, he greatly contributed to the promising start to the season for his club, fifth in Serie A, with four goals and three assists recorded in seven appearances. Recently pre-summoned to the French team, his season could have been completely different and taken place in France.
A little more than ten years after his brief stay at LOSC, of which he recently explained the progress from his perspective, he could have defended the colors of RC Lens, historical and territorial rival of his former team with which he already maintains a relationship. conflicting. “I’ve struggled over the last few years, until I cried, and there was a guy who made me happy when everyone was spitting in my face and telling me I was dead. This guy is Jean-Louis Leca (RC Lens sports coordinator, editor’s note)confides Florian Thauvin in the show Zack Freewheeling made by YouTuber and streamer Zack Nani. He sends me a message at the beginning of June and tells me we need to talk. He tells me he wants to sign me right away, even though everyone says I’m dead. I ask him why and he tells me he’s been watching videos of my performances from the last six months all night. He tells me that I have regained my full level, that I am a monster and that my attacker missed me I don’t know how many assists. That he wanted me straight away and that I had to come to RC Lens”assures the Udinese captain.
“It was finally someone who gave recognition to my work, to what I had put in place”
Florian Thauvin admitted to having been touched by these artesian approaches: “His words made me very happy because it was two years ago that when I spoke with a club, they told me that I was dead and they talked to me about my salary, without talking to me about football. Not one person has seen me play. He had taken the time all night to watch video montages of me. It was finally someone who gave recognition to my work, to what I had put in place. You can’t know the happiness it gave me.”he confides.
However, while his arrival would have spiced up the Northern Derby a little more, Florian Thauvin did not respond to these requests. The context was not favorable: “In the end, it didn’t happen. We discussed, but Udinese decided to make me captain, there was the problem of TV rights in France. It wasn’t the time.”he concludes. In ten years, the former Marseillais could have turned his back on LOSC twice, which is perhaps only a postponement. In the meantime, his team travels to San Siro to face AC Milan of Paulo Fonseca, former LOSC coach, this Saturday (6 p.m.).
