French U19 coach Francis Smerecki has revealed the 18-player squad that will take part in the U19 European Championships – Elite Stage this summer. Les Bleus kick off the group stage against Sweden on June 5th, face Bosnia Herzegovina on the 7th and then Austria on the 10th. Each of the seven group winners will advance to the finals in Lithuania, to be held 20 July – 1 August.

Goalkeepers

Quentin Beunardeau – Le Mans
Brice Samba – Marseille

Defence

Antoine Conte – PSG
Diacko Fofana – Nice
Jordan Ikoko – PSG
Benjamin Mendy – Le Havre
Steven Moreira – Rennes
Lucas Rougeaux – Nice

Midfield

Larry Azouni – Marseille
Adrien Hunou – Rennes
Soualiho Meite – Auxerre
Adrien Rabiot – Toulouse
Morgan Sanson – Le Mans

Attack

Yassine Benzia – Lyon
Sebastien Haller – Auxerre
Lenny Nangis – Caen
Opa Nguette – Valenciennes
Hadi Sacko – Bordeaux

An interesting and exciting squad picked by Smerecki. Benjamin Mendy, Adrien Rabiot and Yassine Benzia are all featured in this year’s Le50 – you can still read in-depth profiles on all three. Two years ago, eight members of this squad took part in the Under-17 World Cup in Mexico alongside Saint-Etienne wonderkid Kurt Zouma. Lanny Nangis was featured in last year’s Le50 after his performances in that tournament. Others to have progressed since then are Soualiho Meite (who moves to Lille this summer), Sebastien Haller, Benjamin Mendy and Yassine Benzia, all of whom are starting to play regular first team football.

Last summer’s U19 team featured talents such as Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Paul Pogba, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck. Big shoes to fill for this year’s squad, but there’s is no doubt that there is some excellent potential in this group.

We will be keeping you up to date with all the international football this summer on FFW.

It looks like being a busy summer for various French international teams. First up this month an U20 side managed by legend Willy Sagnol will compete in the famous Toulon Youth Festival. Hosted in the south of France, this is a great tournament for sides to show off their talented youngsters, with plenty of scouts always on hand to look for the next big thing.

France’s competition starts against the USA on May 28th, followed by fixtures against DR Congo, South Korea and Colombia. The top two from the group along with the top two in Group B will go on to the semi-finals and then the final on June 8th.

It should be an exciting tournament and France have a history of doing fairly well. Les Bleus have reached the final in six of the last ten tournaments, their last victory coming in 2007. Sagnol has picked a talented 21-man squad with seven members of the team featuring in this year’s Le50.

Goalkeepers

Zacharie Boucher – Le Havre

Abdoulaye Diallo – Rennes

Defence

Alexandre Coeff – Lens

Layvin Kurzawa – Monaco

Loick Landre – GFCO Ajaccio

Gregoire Puel – Nice

Lindsay Rose – Valenciennes

Djibril Sidibe – Lille*

Makan Traore – Stade Lavallois

Gael Vena Diambu – Toulouse

Midfield

Valentine Eysseric – Nice

Jordan Ferri – Lyon

Rachid Ghezzal – Lyon

Gianelli Imbula – Guingamp

Neeskens Kabano – Caen

Nampalys Mendy – Monaco

Remi Mulumba – Dijon

Attack

Stephane Bahoken – Nice

Benjamin Jeannot – Chateauroux

Ulrich Kevin Mayi – Saint-Etienne

Paul-Georges Ntep de Madiba – Auxerre

There is a consistency to Sagnol’s selections, with nine members of the team, having played in last summer’s tournament, returning for a second year. Plus, with exciting names such as Gianelli Imbula, Valentin Eysseric and Paul-Georges Ntep, it should be a great watch for fans of Les Bleus.

The 2013 Women’s Champions League Final will take place this Thursday at Stamford Bridge, at 19.30 BST, 20.30 CEST. The match will be carried live by Direct 8 in France.  Tickets are on sale for a bargain price of £10, with concessions (under 18, over 65) at £5. Go go go, people.

Olympique Lyonnais are the French champions (ten points clear of PSG with one game to go) and WCL title-holders, and are frankly as frightening as opponents get; 129 goals in 21 in the league, 40 in eight in the WCL, 50 in five in the Coupe de France. 219 scored in total – conceded 6. They have won every game this year – the closest they have come to defeat was needing penalties to knock out Montpellier in the cup semi-final after drawing 1-1*.

Their route to the Bridge (all scores aggregate) was to beat Finland’s PK-35 12-0, Russia’s Zorkiy 11-0, Sweden’s Malmo 8-0, and fellow Francaises Juvisy 9-1. Their forty goals in eight matches came from all over the park, Swedish striker and winner of the UNFP award for best female player Lotta Schelin the standout performer with seven in five matches, helped out by Laetitia Tonazzi with six, and midfielders Louisa Necib and Camille Abily each with five. The only goal they conceded was from Juvisy’s Kadidiatou Diani (in the 84th minute when OL were winning 9-0 on aggregate, so possibly they just lost concentration for a second).

VFL Wolfsburg are no slouches – they are Frauen-Bundesliga Champions with 53 points, ahead of previous finalists Postdam in second and Frankfurt in third, and on Sunday won the double by beating Potsdam 3-2 in the DFB-Pokal. However they don’t look quite as invincible as their opponents, their league record including 3 draws and 2 losses; scored 71, conceded 16. Their route to the Bridge was to beat Poland’s Unia Raciborz 11-2, Norway’s Roa IL  5-2, Russia’s Rossiyanka 4-1 and Arsenal 4-1. Those scorelines are still pretty comprehensive, although they drew the second leg against Roa 1-1, after a comfortable home win in the first leg 4-1, but not the sort of machine-like record of the defending champions.

Wolfsburg relied on two former German internationals as their primary goal-threats, striker Connie Pohlers getting eight, and Martine Muller chipping in with four. They also have half a dozen current German internationals in their ranks, as well as Hungarian international Zsanett Jakabfi, and while the team are making their debut in the WCL, they have players with experience of winning at the highest level. Midfielder Viola Odebrecht joins Pohlers and Muller in having a World Cup winner’s medal in the cabinet, and she and Pohlers are also both two-time winners of this competition (previously the UEFA Women’s Cup), the latter being the all-time top scorer in the competition with 42 goals.

To add to their underwolf status, VFL have some serious squad issues to contend with – defender Verena Faisst is out with glandular fever, striker Selina Wagner has done her cruciate and will be out for six months, and Alexandra Popp is very doubtful for the match with an ankle injury. Those three, all internationals, will be badly missed. There is experience a-plenty among die Wölfinnen, but they will need to be at the absolute peak of their game to hold back the Lyon onslaught. Defenders Luisa Wensing and Josephine Henning will be key, particularly in the absence of Faisst, and the veteran strike-force of Pohlers and Muller will need to take every chance they get.

The dominance of Lyon, in France and Europe, can make one wonder why the French national team have not had the same starry success – the squad including at the last count eleven OL players, although sadly it is not possible for them to field a full team of Lionesses as that includes two goalkeepers, Sarah Bouhaddi and Celine Deville. Possible factors in this are the presence in the OL line-up of some key players who are foreign internationals, most notably Schelin, but also leftback/winger Lara Dickenmann (Swiss), World Champions Ami Otaki and Shinobu Ohno from Japan, and for the latter half of the season US star and Olympic Gold-Medal-Winner Megan Rapinoe; there is also the sneaking suspicion that OL manager Patrice Lair is more tactically astute than les Bleues boss Bruno Bini.

In addition, as Lyon have the habit of tonking opponents in all competitions by a double-figure margin, it could be argued that their defenders don’t often have to do much actual defending, so when they do come up against a quality attack, they can be caught out. While this is mainly a problem for the national team, it has to a certain extent been seen in their WCL record – in 2010 they lost to Potsdam, and while they went on to beat them, and then Frankfurt, in the last two finals, the score each time was 2-0, not the sort of reasonable scoreline they are used to.

That is a small point – Lyon are heavy favourites, currently 12/25 to win in ninety minutes, and even money HT/FT. Another 2-0 win, FYI, is currently at 7/1.

*There is some confusion about whether the semi-final result should stand, as Rumi Utsugi’s penalty was disallowed after pinging off the post and in off the keeper, but while club Presidents Louis Nicollin and Jean-Marie Aulas apparently agreed on a replay, the FFF has rejected this; Montpellier are considering whether or not to appeal.

At the risk of sounding deeply philosophical, what is ‘the soul’? Wikipedia tells us that ‘in many mythological, religious, philosophical, and psychological traditions, is the incorporeal and, in many conceptions, immortal essence of a person, living thing, or object.’ My record collection tells me it’s Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. My head tells me that it’s a four letter word used to describe something I don’t fully understand. My favourite explanation though? It’s that of Greek philosopher Plato. He and his mentor Socrates considered it ‘the essence of a person, one that decides how we behave’. An inward ‘substance’ that outwardly effects our actions, things we do or did without thought because it’s in our nature.

To make a link between such a deep and meaningful matter as this and football runs the risk of coming off as pompous. You’d be right, of course, but here in 2013 we’ve come to accept such things as the norm as we desperately try to justify our connections to our clubs, our players, and our obsession. Some teams just ‘feel right’. They ignite some feeling, some sort of emotional reaction whether it be positive or negative. This sort of bond between the two objects is why we love football and why, year after year, we keep coming back. One side that I find has always provoked such a connection between French and non-French football fans is FC Nantes.

A club without question steeped in history may not seem such an peculiar subject. Of course a club that has won 8 French championships would attract outside and local interest, as success in football attracts the masses after all. Unlike the likes of Lyon or Saint-Etienne however, Les Canaris have had no isolated period of success; there’s no era where the club dominated domestically or on the continent. The 1965 and 1966 league titles were followed by a 7-year wait until 1973 brought more success. One more league title in the seventies preceded a 3-year wait to 1980, and then another 3 years until they could call themselves champions of France once more. In the modern era their success has been even more sporadic, with the only title win of the nineties coming in 1995, though this was followed up with a Champions League Semi-Final in 1996, and Coupe de France and Trophee Des Champions success both in 1999. As a new millennium swung into life so did Nantes’ last moments of success. A Coupe de France win in 2000, the third in the club’s history, would lead to their last Ligue 1 title and a Trophee Des Champions in 2001. Fast-forward to 2005 and a narrow escape from relegation was a hint of things to come as the side were plunged into Ligue 2 in 2007. A return to the top flight the following season was met with immediate relegation in 2009, sending the club into the depths of the second tier of French football once again. Until now, that is.

If there was one word to describe Nantes this year then that would be ‘purposeful’. Not an obvious choice for promotion prior to the start of the season, manager Michel Der Zakarian has carved out a hard-working and effective unit. Work rate and that desire for a return to the top flight have certainly been the backbone of this year’s campaign, but with that said it’d be unwise to dismiss them as just a ‘hard-working team’. The likes of Vincent Bessat, Fernando Aristeguieta, Serge Gakpe and Filip Djordjevic have all provided an attacking threat to match their impressive defensive record. The Serbian Djordjevic in particular has been a key part of the promotion push with a total of 18 goals this season. His movement off the last defender, runs into the channels as well as his finishing ability has made the 25-year-old one of the hottest properties in Ligue 2.

The lethal nature of their counter-attacking has been evident this campaign also, something that they used only a couple of weeks ago to put SM Caen to the sword and themselves within touching distance of promotion. A swift and searching ball out to the right flank found Bessat on a lung-bursting run. With a touch for control followed by a whipped ball across the face of the Caen goal, a bandaged Djordjevic didn’t miss the opportunity to grab his 18^th of the season with a cool finish on the volley. Cue pandemonium in the away end of Stade Michel D’Ornano.

As the residents of 5 Boulevard de la Beaujoire prepare for a season in Ligue 1, the comparisons between them and (for now) Ranieri’s Monaco will no doubt come. On the one hand you have hard-working, functional Nantes, on the other the ultra-rich, ultra-slick principality. Sure, it makes for a good rags against riches story but like most of the best stories it’s based only on partial truth.  Although the rumours of Falcao, Valdes and Tevez have begun, this title win was achieved by a far more humble Monaco. Yes, they have talented players in their ranks but anyone who witnessed their head-to-head clashes will concede that Nantes were a match for ‘mighty’ Monaco, maybe even more than that. When the two sides met in October Nantes exposed a thoroughly average Monaco defence and picked up a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Stade Louis II. It was a hint that this so called one-horse title race was going to be far from that as Nantes never fell lower than 2^nd place following that particular victory.

Regardless of the money, both of these sides are historically important teams in French football and will be long after Dmitry Rybolovlev finds a new plaything to toy with. So why Nantes, if it’s not about the money, the titles or the style of football? Quite simply it’s their ‘essence’.

You know the feeling, that warm fuzzy tingle you get when you visit an old playground you played on as a child, that feeling when you clutch the wheel of a beloved car or when you see an old friend or tuck into your Mum’s Sunday roast. These ‘things’ provoke memories of better, happier times quite simply because they feel like home. Maybe that is Nantes’ charm, maybe they make you feel at ease just knowing that they’re still around and always will be. When Fabrice Pancrate, a man who has never really had a home in the footballing world,  appeared on the screen following the game with Sedan, tears pouring down his face as he clutched his children, you felt that he was home. When Lucas Deaux, sent off in the sixth minute, wept tears of relief at the final whistle you felt that it was from not letting his family down. When Der Zakarian beamed for only a fraction of a second it was out of pride not only for his own achievements but that of his ‘boys’. It was a family memory to be remembered for a long time.

I don’t know for sure what the soul is and I’m not poetic enough to put it into words, but one thing I do know is when something feels right and Nantes’ promotion back to Ligue 1, simply put, feels right.

Ligue 1

Best Player – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG)

Also nominated: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ASSE), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Thiago Silva (PSG)

Best Young Player – Florian Thauvin (Bastia)

Also nominated: Remy Cabella (MHSC), Lucas Digne (LOSC), Marco Verratti (PSG)

Best Goalkeeper – Salvatore Sirugu (PSG)

Also nominated: Steve Mandanda (OM), Mickael Landreau (Bastia), Stephane Ruffier (ASSE)

Best Manager – Carlo Ancelotti (PSG) and Christophe Galtier (ASSE)

Also nominated: Elie Baup (OM), Claud Puel (OGCN)

Best Goal - Saber Khlifa (Evian-TG)

Ligue 1 Team of the year: 

Ligue 2

Best Player: Gianelli Imbula (Guingamp)

Also nominated: Valere Germain (Monaco) Cladiu Keseru (Angers), Mustapha Yatabare (Guingamp)

Best Manager: Jocelyn Gourvennec (Guingamp)

Also nominated: Michel der Zakarian (Nantes), Stephane Moulin (Angers), Claudio Ranieri (Monaco)

Best Goalkeeper: Zacharie Boucher (Le Havre)

Also nominated: Gregory Malicki (Angers), Denis Petric (Istres), Danijel Subasic (Monaco)

Ligue 2 Team of the Year:

Division 1 Feminine

Best Player: Lotta Schelin (OL)

Also nominated: Shirley Cruz (PSG), Amandine Henry (OL)

Excluded in North Africa, Asia and N&S America.

WEEK 37

Sunday 19th May

NICE v LYON

Saturday 18th May

ST-ETIENNE v MARSEILLE

PSG v BREST

SOCHAUX v TOULOUSE

RENNES v AJACCIO

MONTPELLIER v LILLE

REIMS v LORIENT

TROYES v BORDEAUX

EVIAN v VALENCIENNES

NANCY v BASTIA

What a difference six months can make.  As the end of October rolled around, Alain Casanova’s Toulouse side sat 3^rd in the Ligue 1 table with only Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais above them. With 10 games played, 5 wins and 4 draws in the bag Toulouse looked set to have a bright season ahead of them. Skip to the Week 36 and Les Pitchouns sit mid-table in 10^th, a shell of their early season form, content on seeing out a thoroughly average season. There’s no disputing that the defence must bear the brunt of the criticism as the side approach the end of the campaign conceding almost as many as they have scored. The 3-4 stunner against Nice and the 3-1 defeat against Lyon may well have been entertaining for the neutral but hint at a problem in the backline. If a poor defensive record and maybe more importantly, inconsistency is to blame this season then one man may have reason to be more frustrated than others.

That man is Wissam Ben Yedder, the Franco-Tunisian who currently stands as Toulouse’s top scorer this season. His 13-goal contribution is probably a good indication that the forward has suffered a far from steady season himself; his brace against Nice in March was the first time he’d found the net since late November. Prior to that blip, the 22 year-old had 9 goals in 13 games and looked to be a leading light in a vibrant Toulouse side. So, put bluntly, what went wrong for the pocket-sized striker?

A nightclub in Paris and a 14-month international ban would be a tabloids’ choice but it’s a lazy connection to make, filled more with coincidence than genuine reason. It is true that the Toulouse forward, along with Antoine Griezmann, Chris Mavinga, M’Baye Niang and so called ‘ringleader’ Yann M’Vila opted to hop in a taxi to the French capital following an Under 21s game to indulge in one too many refreshments, much to the annoyance of the FFF. What is also true is that Ben Yedder himself had the pleasure of nursing his hangover on the bench for 90 minutes while 3 of the other rogues had to run theirs off, in a playoff defeat that left France out of the U21 Euros this summer. Still, a ban was issued and the youngster’s chance of ever playing at youth level for his country again was gone quicker than the several shots consumed on that now infamous night out. As pointed out by Andrew Gibney at the time, the ban was certainly a harsh one that in turn could well damage the international careers of all involved. But if overindulgence in the glitz and the glamour isn’t to blame, then what is?

Maybe it is simply down to the nature of the player within the confines of his current team. Simply put, Ben Yedder is an opportunistic striker and when there aren’t many opportunities, business isn’t booming. That is by no means a swipe at the player in question but maybe more at the coach. When Casanova made his decision to let Emmaunel Riviere move to Monaco in the winter, Ben Yedder must have had torn feelings. On the one hand the club have obviously put faith in him as their top striker; but on the other, the sole responsibility to get the goals was now on his shoulders. The other problem with this situation was the loss of versatility. Although Ben Yedder is far more of a goal threat than Riviere, the now Monaco man’s varying positional play made him the perfect alternative. This of course is an idealistic way of looking the situation as it became obvious that Riviere clearly sought out first team football. Still it still hints at Casanova’s lack of a plan B and maybe lack of ambition.

The oddity in all this is the likes of Ben Yedder, Franck Tabanou, Etienne Capoue and Adrien Regattin haven’t had a particularly poor season per se. What is clear however is that the four men mentioned, as well as the rest of the side, need rejuvenation. A sturdier backline and a kick up the back side may be what’s needed come next season.

As the likes of Jeremie Aliadiere at Lorient and even Filip Djordjevic of Nantes, both of whom are similar players to Ben Yedder in that they use good movement in and around the box, raise their stock there’s a feeling the Toulouse man is being left behind. Is it a case of a move away then? In my opinion, probably not. Ben Yedder can be good, very good for Toulouse if they are in return good to him. There needs to be serious thought put into next season and a rebuild certainly isn’t off the cards. The loss of the on-loan-from-PSG Adrien Rabiot, the possible loss of Etienne Capoue, as well as the rumours circulating around Serge Aurier, all suggest a tough period ahead for Toulouse.  Plug the gaps, however, and this ship will certainly steady itself. For Ben Yedder, dropping his anchor and not abandoning ship may well bode well for him in the long run. With that said, some new crew members would certainly have him sailing back to the top of goalscoring charts and into public consciousness sooner rather than later.

To celebrate les Grenats’ return to Ligue 2, Sharkfoot is offering an FC Metz special this week, which will end with the publication of a webdocumentary on the club’s youth centre. 

At a time when “footballer” and “education” are two words that are rarely put together in the collective unconscious, the Moselle club are changing things up. Aware that the majority of their youths will never sign a pro contract, the youth centre’s staff is pushing them to get their baccalaureat (equivalent of A-Levels) as a priority.

“Last year we had a 95% A-Levels pass rate, as only one of our youngsters failed. But we regularly have 100%.” The tone is set by Denis Schaeffer, manager of FC Metz’s youth centre. Whilst Marseille attracted headlines last summer with a 100% fail rate amongst its youths, the Lorrain club makes it a point of honour to ensure the academic success of its players. It is not for nothing that it finds itself at the top of the 2011-2012 youth system league table in the academia section. The objective is simple: prepare its players for a non-footballing future. How to achieve that aim? Analysis…

First important factor: the youths of FC Metz are not taken out of schooling, as is the case in other professional clubs. Based on the academic track chosen, they are allocated to different academic institutions in the surrounding area, where they benefit from adapted – but not shortened – timetables. The youths have the same number of lessons as their “normal” peers. The only difference is that the others have their lessons between 8am and 3pm, the time that they are carrying out their daily training. After their shower, they start their day again! Onward to their classrooms between 6 and 8pm, where contributors take turns to help the players to complete their work. “We have agreements in place with maths teachers, French teachers, even economics teachers, whereby they come once or twice a week”, explains Julien Ducassé, head of pedagogy at Metz’s youth centre.

“Not bringing up champions”

Everything is put in place to keep failure down, because at Metz, like elsewhere, the problem is the same: the majority of young players are not going to make it and will never sign a professional contract. “parents entrust their children to us. We know very well that they will not all succeed. Our duty is to support them so that they receive their qualifications”, explains Julien Ducassé. In addition, a footballer’s career is short. Having the security of A-Levels means that they have the insurance that they will be able to change to another career, with the option of going back to continue their studies. “We’re not bringing up champions”, continues Pascal Deck, coordinator of the sport sector of the Secondary School – Lycée Cormontaigne. For him, “the school structure must incorporate the sporting side, and that that aspect does not in turn exclude the schooling side. We follow both projects – sporting and schooling – in parallel, and thus postpone the inevitable choice that needs to be made between one and the other.”

Today, it seems that mentalities are changing. A few months ago, Lyon striker Bafé Gomis admitted that he was studying for his A-Levels, which he had never sat. At Metz, some youngsters don’t hesitate to go on to higher education. That is the case with Théo Pierrot, who plays in the CFA, who is preparing for an accounting-management qualification, even though it means delaying the start of his sporting career. “It’s true that it’s not easy to juggle football and studies, but it was important for me to see and do something other than football. It’s a question of balance”, confirms the 19 year old youngster. For him, there is no obligation to complete his school hours, but he benefits from the help he receives from economics and law contributors. “The ex-accountant from the youth centre also comes to see me for two hours every Friday”, he adds.

You’ll have understood, schooling is a priority for Metz’s development set-up. During his presentation to the press, a journalist asked new professional Chris Philipps which he would choose between an appearance in the National and good grades in his A-Levels. I’ll let you guess his reply.

This article originally appeared in French on the excellent SHARKFOOT website. We thank them for allowing us to post the series in English. And a huge thank you to Jeremy Smith for the translation work.

Beckham says “I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,”

During his illustrious career Beckham made 115 Caps for England making him the most capped outfield player in Three Lion’s history and second overall, only behind Peter Shilton. At Club level Beckham won 19 titles (10 of them league titles with Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and PSG).

Here is a video that puts together his best moments in a PSG shirt (don’t laugh!)

To celebrate les Grenats’ return to Ligue 2, Sharkfoot is offering an FC Metz special this week, which will end with the publication of a webdocumentary on the club’s youth centre. 

In 2010, FC Metz’s Under 19 team won the Coupe Gambardella. Two years later, some of those Cup winners have established themselves in the Grenats’ first team squad and are playing an active part in the club’s return to Ligue 2. Portrait of two those players.

One was born in February 1991. The other 11 months later. One is from the Vosges, the other from Franche Comté. One is an attacking midfielder. The other is a full back. One is left-footed. The other right-footed. Two players who have practically nothing in common. And yet they are both part of a golden generation of Metz’s youth system: on 1 May 2010, Gaëtan Bussmann and Yeni N’Gbakoto were in the starting line-up in the Stade de France, in the team that won FC Metz its third Coupe Gambardella. Just three years later, it is as established first-teamers that the two applauded the Saint-Symphorien faithful after confirming an immediate return to Ligue 2 for the club of the cross of Lorraine. Gaëtan Bussmann is even the player most used by Albert Cartier this season, whilst Yeni N’Gbakoto has probably been the most decisive.

Grenat in the blood

Saturday 23 May. Metz host Carquefou as part of Matchday 29 on the National. Half an hour into the match, N’Gbakoto hits a free kick from the left, about 35 metres out. Bussmann meets the ball on the six yard line and opens the scoring. A special goal for José Pinot and Olivier Perrin, coaches of the Metz reserve team and the Under 19s, respectively. “When we saw Yeni’s free kick and Gaëtan’s header, the 8,000-strong crowd at Saint-Symphorien were surprised, but we’ve seen this regularly for the last 4-5 years. When that goal was scored we were standing side by side. We looked at each other and smiled, because we’d seen it so many times…”

The work is clearly paying off, as the two players have been playing together since 2007. At that time, it had already been two years since the young Gaëtan had left SAS Épinal for the Moselle club. Yeni, meanwhile, was already attracting interest from Europe’s big clubs, but preferred to sign for FC Metz. Together, they go through each step of the youth system. Yeni signed his first pro contract in June 2009, aged 17. Gaëtan did likewise a year later, at 19. The two players were integrated into the first team squad during the 2010-2011 season – although Yeni had played 7 minutes in Ligue 2 the previous season. That year, FC Metz just stayed up. The two players had the opportunity to learn quickly. Gaëtan made 17 appearances, whilst Yeni made 26, scoring 4 goals.

Made from the right stuff

It’s not hard to imagine an attacking midfielder being decisive. But a left back? Constantly bursting into the opposing half, Gaëtan Bussmann is one of those full backs Version 2.0, equally capable of posing a threat to the opposing goal. His four goals in the National prove it. His heading ability and also his quality of shot. At 18, he was even the Metz reserve team’s top scorer. As for N’Gbakoto, he is made to win matches and points for his team. In his first season he scored 2 goals in Ligue 2 and also started to make a name for himself in the Coupe de France, with two goals and two assists in four matches. This year he has taken on a whole new dimension, becoming the Grenats’ number one impact player: numerous assists and eleven goals, most of them scored in close matches. During the Grenats’ bad run, he equalised against Vannes and Amiens, helping the club to keep a little rhythm going.

FC Metz still has two matches to play. But behind the scenes, preparations for next season have already begun. Perhaps by researching possible new recruits. Certainly by looking to keep working on their young first-teamers. Because the club’s salvation in Ligue 2 lies with those youngsters who have gone through a fast-track apprenticeship in the National, and not with vintage mercenaries. Gaëtan Bussmann and Yeni N’Gbakoto will no doubt be courted by other teams, but if the club of the cross of Lorraine manages to name them in their starting lne-up on 31 August, they will have two great weapons in the fight for survival.

This article originally appeared in French on the excellent SHARKFOOT website. We thank them for allowing us to post the series in English. And a huge thank you to Jeremy Smith for the translation work.