Larry Azouni has not forgotten anything from his beginnings to OM. Today midfielder in Dibba al-Hisn, in the United Arab Emirates, the 31-year-old Tunisian international returned to Top transfer window On his start in Marseille, under the attentive gaze of a certain Didier Deschamps.
Formed central defender, the Marseillais quickly climbed the ladder at the training center. At only 17, he already competed in the Next Gen Series, a real young people's champions league. A match against Manchester City changes its trajectory: “Deschamps had come to see us playing. That day, I had a good match and the next day, during an international break, I did my first training with the pros ”he recalls.
Didier Deschamps, then coach of OM, will however trace another way. “He told me that if I wanted to make a career at the highest level, I had to go to the middle, because my size was going to be a problem behind”tells Azouni. A decisive discussion: from that day, he will no longer put a foothold in defense.
“It was not phew”
The conversion takes place without a hitch. “It went well in the middle, where I had already played a few games too with young people. But from this discussion with Deschamps, I set myself in the middle ”says the one who already saw himself as a more technical than physical player. This new position opens the doors of the French U18 team to him, before he chose to represent Tunisia internationally.
With OM, Azouni will only have official appearance, against Limassol in the Europa League. A mixed memory: “It was not phew. We were already eliminated. But for the stats, I could say that I played in the Europa League with OM! »» A wink full of lucidity, for a player whose career has changed the day Didier Deschamps pointed out his size problem.
