Thauvin and the ten Lensois who wore the blue jersey

This is one of the most unexpected stories of this October rally: Florian Thauvin, 32, returns to the France team after 2,309 days of absence. More than six years have passed since his last cape against Andorra in June 2019. His recall by Didier Deschamps, to compensate for the Bradley Barcola package, exceeds the simple list adjustment. It symbolizes the return to the front of the stage of a player who knew the peaks, the exiles and the doubts – but also that of a club, the RC Lens, rarely represented in the blue jersey.

A symbolic return for Thauvin … and for Lens

If Thauvin again crowds the lawn with the Blues against Azerbaijan or Iceland, he will establish a singular record: that of the greatest number of missed games between two selections (77), ahead of Vikash Dhorasoo (73). Moved by this return, the former Marseillais confided:
“It's almost like a first selection. I have crossed so many steps since… ”. His two goals in seven games with Lens and his found maturity convinced Deschamps to give him back his luck. But beyond his personal career, his presence in selection recalls how rare it is to see a Lensois player among the Blues.

From Daniel Xuereb in the 1980s to Thauvin today, only ten Lensois players wore the tricolor jersey. Among them: Didier Sénac, Pierre Laigle, Frédéric Déhu, Tony Vairelles, Daniel Moreira, Alou Diarra, Jonathan Clauss, Brice Samba … A prestigious but surprisingly short list for a club as popular as RC Lens. The title of champion of France 1998 had however opened a brief golden parenthesis with Vairelles and Déhu, but the reality remained constant: Lens very rarely fuel the French team.

A historic club, but rarely at the top of the basket

This rarity is also explained by the fluctuating status of the Artesian club. Popular, trainer and respected, the RC Lens has not often played the leading roles in Ligue 1 in the 21st century, which mechanically reduces the exhibition of its players in the eyes of the coach. Guillaume Warmuz, emblematic goalkeeper of the 1998 major team, has never been called among the A. and when talents emerge, they often go very quickly to more publicized clubs before knowing the selection.

This unexpected return therefore gives a particular resonance to the relationship between Lens and the French team. Thauvin joins a short line, but he also embodies the possibility for the northern club to become a springboard to the Blues. Through him, it is a whole Lensois people who find a symbolic place within the national selection. A sign that, even without sustainably occupying the top of the ranking, the Blood and Gold club remains an actor who counts in the history of French football.