OL players celebrate Fofana’s goal in Toulouse (Twitter by Rayan Cherki)
Back at the center of the news with the Mbappé case, players’ nighttime outings are a major subject in clubs. At OL, we trust the professionalism of the members of the group.
It has escaped no one’s notice that football players are often young men, with a lot of means and therefore as many temptations and requests from those around them or from acquaintances. These are people with desires inherent to their age, and even if their profession is in no way comparable to ordinary mortals, the need to have fun and have a good time seems legitimate. The recent case of Kylian Mbappé and his wanderings in Sweden during the truce brought the subject of footballers’ night outs back to the table.
At Olympique Lyonnais, this theme was frequently talked about, thanks in particular to certain well-known boys. With social networks, it is more and more regular to see athletes, and we are not only talking here about OL, in a nightclub or leaving a posh bar.
“If they want to impose handicaps on themselves, it’s their responsibility“
For coaches, knowing how to manage these escapades, and especially their consequences, is necessary. If he is not constantly on the back of his troops like Guy was Roux at the time in Auxerre, Pierre Sage nonetheless remains vigilant and uncompromising. “We do not read car meters at the beginning and end of the evening (smile). More seriously, we appeal to common sense and professionalism. If a player wants to go out, not seen, not caught, but he had better be good, he proclaimed. If he’s not, it’s not me who blames him, it’s the team. With the current positive phase, it is difficult to join the group. And if some people want to impose handicaps on themselves, it is their responsibility.“Everyone has been warned.
