There are career paths that take longer than others to take shape. That of Yanis Massolin is, to say the least, sinusoidal. As we write these lines, everything is going well for the mid-23 year old. Author of a very good vintage in Serie B with Modena, the midfielder has 2 goals and as many assists in 18 matches. A statistical assessment to which must be added remarkable performances on the field and which are constantly praised by the Italian press, under the charm of the 1m97 left-hander. And with all this positive dynamic around him, the native of Moulins caught the eye of Inter Milan who secured his arrival for next summer for 5.5 million euros, bonus included. However, before this happy ending which promises for the future, nothing predestined Massolin for this marvelous rise.
Yanis Massolin is a pure product of the amateur world before Clermont and Belgium
Born in Moulins, Massolin played for many years for AS Moulins in his youth. In 2015, he tried his luck in Savoie where he played for Thonon then Annemasse. So far, no training center is really interested in him. After some experiences in Switzerland, he returned to his hometown to play in the amateur divisions in France with Moulins-Yzeure. A single season in National 2 was enough for him to be enrolled by Clermont, intrigued by his profile which combines technique and power. We are then in 2022 and the son of Richard Massolin, a former professional, is still looking for this experience which will allow him to really launch his career. Determined to succeed in Auvergne, he played under the orders of Pascal Gastien, who aimed to remain in Ligue 1. Finally, at the end of a good season, Clermont finished in 8th place.
In this memorable season, Gastien, interviewed by us, also remembers the young player’s timid, but diligent, first steps into his squad: “he had very good technique compared to his body type. He felt the game. He lacked consistency, he came from Yzeure. Despite his talent, it was sometimes uneven. He was quite shy but you could tell he was very thoughtful. He had a lot of temperament on the pitch, he knew how to be aggressive on the pitch. I really enjoyed working with him because we felt he was a young man who wanted to go far. He listened very well and was impeccable in his attitude.” During the 2022-2023 edition, the slender midfielder started with the reserve to compensate for his lack of experience at this level. Quickly too strong, he grabbed his first minutes with the professional group and will end the season with 7 matches on the clock. Eager to get more playing time, he signed up for Francs-Borains, in the backroom of the Belgian elite, the following summer.
Its elegance conquered Italy
After two full seasons in Belgium where he asserted himself and was one of the best players in the Belgian second division, he was recruited for 700,000 euros by Modena last summer. Having never known a training center, the midfielder followed the advice of his agent Yvan Le Mée who suggested that he go to the other side of the Alps to work on the many points that he was unable to assimilate without a training center: “Italy is the best championship to make up for this delaythe agent confessed to us. When you don’t do 250 training sessions per year from the age of 12 to 18, you inevitably fall behind. He plays a lot on his technical quality and his vision of the game to compensate for this delay. Physically, he has gained 6 kilos since his arrival in Modena this summer, which means he has become a monster physically.»
It’s a bit the same direction taken by Ange-Yoan Bonny, who, already under the instructions of Le Mée, had signed in Italy a few years ago before joining Inter last season and who is in the process of exploding with the Nerazzurri. The two men are only a year apart, and their paths are quite similar as few expectations were placed on them at the start of their careers. But as with Bonny, Massolin’s arrival in Italy was a game-changer in the player’s career. Promoted to the starting position in December after vomiting in summer preparation and having worked a lot in the shadows, the native of Moulins had a blast in Serie B. With two goals and two assists in eighteen matches this season and this very atypical profile, Massolin is having the best season of his career and has found the perfect place to express himself in Italy. He could even have had more assists to his credit if his attackers had been less clumsy at times.
His elegance drives people crazy in Italy and some supporters even pay for their tickets to see this player who captivates Italy with his absolutely special style. A few weeks ago, Carlo Rivetti, the president of Modena, even described the 23-year-old Frenchman as a Martian. “He arrived in Modena on the slytells us Benoît Cauet, former PSG and Inter Milan player and specialist in Italian football. Few people knew him. I had followed his journey a little in France, he still had to get physically done but he had a very interesting technical profile. He had difficulty establishing himself at the beginning. He managed to win today. He still needs to work on the physical and tactical level. If Inter bet on him, it’s not for nothing.» Nicknamed the new Rabiot because of his height and left foot, he is regularly compared to Atalanta Bergamo legend Josip Ilicic, who was considered one of the most elegant dribblers in the world during his best years. This season, Massolin has more than 30% successful dribbles compared to the average for second division players in Italy. Fast – he was flashed at 34 km/h during a Serie B match – Massolin denotes the usual profile of transalpine environments. And finally, it only took him six months in Italy to interest the biggest cars in the country. This winter, he was seen as the Serie B player everyone wanted to sign at the next level.
Inter Milan and an important international choice arriving
This winter, Udinese, Fiorentina, Bologna and three other Serie A clubs wanted him for the end of the season according to our information. And despite the keen eye of Juventus Turin and AC Milan on the player, it was ultimately Inter who had the last word by proposing the right formula because Modena absolutely did not want to lose its best player for the end of the season. A situation which also allows the player to amass a huge amount of playing time before arriving in the deep end this summer. “It’s a club with big ambitionscontinues Cauet. He will have to show enthusiasm to get up to speed directly. If he continues like this at Modena, he can win next season at Inter Milan even if Inter can also decide to loan him to another Serie A club next year to strengthen himself. If he was taken, it is because he has the technical qualities but he will still have to work. He’s a very good player and everything depends on him now.»
For his part, Pascal Gastien admits that he is half surprised to see the incredible trajectory that his former player’s career has taken: “I’m surprised because going to Inter is something that seemed difficult to me when I had him under my commandobserves Pascal Gastien. But at the same time, I’m not surprised because these kinds of clubs are always interested in players who have such talent. His journey is inspiring and shows that we can achieve great things if we give ourselves the means.” Beyond his arrival at Inter Milan this summer, Massolin has another hot file to manage in the coming months. Born to a Martinican father and an Algerian mother, the 23-year-old midfielder also has Spanish blood with his paternal grandmother. From then on, the 23-year-old is spoiled for choice for his international future. Always looking for new blood to strengthen the selection, the FAF (Algerian Football Federation) has reportedly made initial contacts to summon the player in the future. Problem is, he doesn’t yet have an Algerian passport. According to our information, the player is not closing any doors on this side and could join the Fennecs in the future. Even if his progress could be so crazy that a coach of Algerian origin decides to call him up to the French team in the future… It remains to be seen what the player’s choice will be, who will already have to manage an adaptation in one of the biggest clubs in Europe this summer.
