After 8 years of waiting, Sunderland is back in the Premier League, and with the firm intention to settle there. “It's only the beginning”promised Juan Sartori yesterday, the Uruguayan co -owner of Sunderland. Relegated to Championship in 2017 at the end of a chaotic season (last with 24 points), the Black Cats had to go through last years of wandering, marked by a relegation in the third division in 2018. The Netflix series “Sunderland: Towards and against all»Had made it possible to better measure the infernal decline of this historic club, crowned six times champion of England since its creation (1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1913, 1936).
In 2021, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, son of the former president of OM Robert Louis-Dreyfus, had become the new guarantor of this institution. After spongeing the Swiss debts up to 273 million euros, he had been able to recover an economically healthy club, with a modern training and infrastructure center, and especially an emblematic Stadium of Light, inaugurated in 1997 by Prince Andrew and Duc de York. Before the COVID, the enclosure already brought together on average nearly 30,000 spectators. With the return of the explosive derbies from Tyne and Wear against Newcastle, we no longer have too much problems for ticketing recipes from the northeast club of England.
Régis le Bris conquered them
Besides, this return to the Premier League could have intervened earlier. As soon as it went up in Championship in 2021, Sunderland had not passed far from chaining the pass of two, before finally falling in the 1/2 final of the dams against Luton (2-1, 0-2), future promoted. The 16th place of last year was therefore quickly stored in the box by bad memories, and Régis Le Bris released the magician's cape from his first season abroad. “I am quickly recognized as soon as I go out, of course, but there is still a form of modesty of fans when they see me. Well, maybe a little less right now, anyway “he joked in the columns of The team. After a 4th place in the regular season, his men knew how to take the bull by the horns by leaving Coventry (1-2, 1-1), then Sheffield United yesterday, at the end of a match rich in twists and turns.
Led 1-0 and dominated in the first period, the Black Cats finally found their salvation in the person of the very young Tom Watson (19), a pure product from the vintage that will join Brighton this summer, and a scorer in the 90+5th. But this season will also have had strong French accents, with the arrival of Wilson Isidor, author of 13 goals in Championship and whom Régis Le Bris had already met during the Derbies between Rennes and Lorient in young people. That of Enzo Le Fée in winter, will also have its importance, like that of the French -speaking and former Sochalian, Eliezer Maynda, whose international future should rather be written in Spain (it was called with the hopes in March).
A significant return of money, and the movement to be expected
How not to mention Jobe Bellingu, Jude's little brother, who should be one of the summer attractions after being elected best young people in the championship? Liverpool, Chelsea but also Borussia Dortmund would be instantly to attract it. Bild reported in recent days that his possible transfer to the marsupials was going to be around 40 million euros. Conjugated to this the astronomical amount of income related to the rise in the Premier League (around 238 million euros according to the BBC), Sunderland should put a little butter in its spinach. We will also have to follow the summer of promising Chris Rigg, born in 2007, or Dan Neil and Trai Hume. Enzo Le Fée, he saw his clause of 23 million euros being lifted automatically with the rise of his club.
