Currently without a club, Christian Luyindama does not rule out a return to Standard: “If the managers contact me, I am open…”

For several months, the defender has been maintaining his condition in Congo after having broken “by mutual agreement” his contract in Türkiye. At thirty years old, he still maintains the ambition to take up a sporting challenge in lucrative regions or… in Sclessin, his “House” as he recalled several times during our interview.

Questionable physique, popular divorce, unsuitable tactical system and private concerns: the reasons for Moussa Djenepo’s failed return to Standard

His News in Congo

“I didn’t want to be number 4 in the hierarchy”

When he terminated his contract last January, Christian Luyindama was no longer an essential element of Galatasaray’s central defense. “The coach would have preferred me to stay as a third or fourth central defender but I didn’t agree. Under these conditions, it was preferable to part ways amicably so that I could find a new employer at the end of the season.”

Once the agreement was reached, he returned to Congo to maintain his condition. “I work with a fitness trainer to stay in shape and be ready as soon as I find a new employer. It’s the first time I’ve been without a contract but it doesn’t bother me. Many players experience similar situations during their careers. The main thing is to keep your morale up. I take advantage of it to spend time with family and manage my businesses.”

His hospital in Kinshasa

“My goal: to make healthcare accessible for all”

Christian Luyindama is much more than just a footballer. The defender is personally involved in improving the living conditions of the Congolese population. Eight months ago, he opened his own hospital in the heart of the capital, Kinshasa. “I had this establishment built and today I am the owner.”

The objective of this project is clearly established: to make hospital care accessible to as many people as possible. “I lived in Europe for many years and saw the treatments that patients received there. There are also good hospitals in Congo but they are too expensive. In my opinion, everyone has the right to live and receive appropriate treatment. Thanks to my clinic, the Congolese can, for an affordable price, have a maternity ward, an operating room, a pharmacy or even a room for carrying out medical imaging.”

His aborted transfer to China

“The Chinese changed the numbers in my contract”

Last March, the name of the Congolese defender was mentioned in China. The Cangzhou Mighty Lions club was willing to offer him a two-year contract… before changing their mind. Officially, because of a failed medical examination and an insufficient level of play. “This is completely false. I didn’t fail my medical tests. How could that be possible when I had achieved them a few months earlier in Galatasaray? Sometimes Chinese people can be weird. They weren’t honest with me. ”

Christian Luyindama gives his version of the story. “The Chinese championship is no longer that of a few years ago, with astronomical salaries. We still found a financial agreement but when I went there, the managers offered me another offer, much less interesting. I took the time to study this offer but I couldn’t sacrifice myself for such a salary. In addition, the competition is less fierce, the stars have almost all left…”

His time at Galatasaray

“Mbappe? It’s difficult to dribble past Luyindama”

The Congolese international stayed in Türkiye for four years. Champion and Cup winner, he was long considered one of the executives of a locker room full of big names. “I was trained by Fatih Terim who knows how to be kind and severe at the same time. He was like a father to me and the rest of the group. He was very close to us and took the time to talk to us. I also rubbed shoulders with famous players like Ryan Babel and Falcao but I don’t want to remember just one name because we were like family.”

As at Standard, Christian Luyindama quickly became the darling of the public. “The fans still send me messages. I am sure that if I decide to go to Turkey tomorrow, they will be waiting for me at the airport to welcome me. At the time, I couldn’t even walk down the street without being stopped for a photo or an autograph. This has never bothered me because even if I am a choleric person on the field, I am another Luyindama in the private sector. I’m nice to my fans.”

Matthieu Epolo played his first match with Standard against Sint-Truiden: “I think I feel ready to be number 1”

His Turkish adventure took him to the Champions League with matches played at PSG and Real Madrid, in particular. His duel against Kylian Mbappe was praised by the international press, as he had shaken up the French star. “It’s a great memory. You know Luyindama, right? When he’s at his best physically, it’s difficult to dribble past him. I knew exactly how to position myself to counter his forward runs. I had done my job.”

His serious knee injury

“I could sign for big clubs…”

Christian Luyindama’s career suffered a serious setback in November 2019. The defender tore his anterior cruciate ligaments and external meniscus during a match against Gambia and spent nine months on the sidelines. “It has not been an easy time. I experienced all of my rehabilitation during confinement. I was stuck at home.”

This injury prevented him from reaching a new milestone in his career. “At the time, I could sign for big clubs. In England, in Germany but I don’t prefer to give names. Everything fell apart. It makes sense, no big club is going to spend money on an injured player, especially when it comes to cruciate ligaments. Fortunately, I quickly regained my starting place at Galatasaray but I was in so much pain that I couldn’t continue the matches. I needed time to recover. Gala is a big club that can buy any player. The management couldn’t afford to wait for me to get back to my best and so they bought a new defender.”

His love for Standard

“His Pinto asked me to join him in Cyprus”

Despite his departure, Christian Luyindama carefully follows the results of Standard. “This kind of season can happen to any club. To play at Sclessin, you have to have a crazy mentality, be a warrior”he said.

This profile corresponds perfectly to that of a certain… Christian Luyindama. Free, the Congolese defender looks like a golden deal for a club which will not be able to afford the slightest financial folly during the transfer window. “If the leaders contact me, I am open to discussion. I’m in good shape and I know the championship. The Standard is my home. I had a great time there and if I have to come back to continue writing my story, I will.”

In April 2017, José Jeunechamps decided to launch the Congolese colossus during an uninteresting playoff match against Waasland-Beveren. Legend has it that Luyindama himself asked the coach to start him because he would allow the club to win matches again. “It’s true, I went to the coach and asked him to play me. I had confidence in myself and in my second appearance, I scored a goal and provided an assist.”

His Liège record includes a Belgian Cup and a vice-championship place. Christian Luyindama has also collaborated with two of the most emblematic coaches of the last twenty-five years: Ricardo Sa Pinto and Michel Preud’homme. “I got along well with Sa Pinto and he also asked me to join him in Cyprus, at APOEL Nicosia, but we did not find an agreement with Galatasaray. With him, we had to bring grinta, physical impact. It was totally different under Michel Preud’homme, who helped me a lot on the tactical level.”

At Standard, 777 Partners is (officially) not giving up the deal