Fabien Le Floc'h, Media365: published on Sunday December 29, 2024 at 10:37 a.m.
The arrival of Brice Samba in Rennes compromises Steve Mandanda's starting position and could hasten the end of his career.
Stade Rennais is making the first big moves of the winter transfer window. While waiting for Seko Fofana, the Breton club should very quickly complete the arrival of Brice Samba from RC Lens, for an amount estimated at nearly 15 million euros. But the arrival of the French international (3 caps) should cause a traffic jam in the Rennes goal, where Steve Mandanda expected to end the season. End of contract in June 2025the 39-year-old goalkeeper had understood that his adventure in Brittany would not continue next season and was already thinking about what follow-up to his career. But he didn't expect to have to face such competition for his last six months.
“He will persevere”
Steve Mandanda had put aside his grievances against Jorge Sampaoli when the Argentine coach arrived in Brittany in November. However, it was he who had already placed Mandanda on the bench for OM, in September 2021, preferring Pau Lopez. “ My relationship with Sampaoli is very goodconfided the experienced goalkeeper to Ouest-France after the success against Angers (2-0) in mid-December. We never had a conflict and I'm not saying that to pretend, it's a reality. » The South American coach had not identified the goalkeeper position as a priority for the upcoming transfer window, while Rennes is seeking to strengthen its squad to redress the situation after a failed start to the season (12th in Ligue 1).
At present, Steve Mandanda is not yet considering leaving Brittany or retiring early. “He is a huge professional, who has always had responsibilities during his career, he will persevere, he will be very respectful in group life,” a close friend of the French international (35 caps) told L’Equipe. . But the resumption, planned for this Monday morning at La Piverdière, still risks being more eventful than expected. While waiting for the first sessions between the two goalkeepers, who met on the OM side between 2013 and 2017. Brice Samba never managed to unseat Steve Mandanda from his starting position. But times have changed.
