It’s over for Lens, the locker room explodes

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By: Nicolas Gerbault

It's over for Lens, the locker room explodes

RC Lens lost two precious points in the title race this Friday in Brest (3-3). To the great dismay of Florian Thauvin and Pierre Sage in particular.

A spectacular draw in Brest (3-3), after being led 3-0 at the break… Lens, despite its Breton comeback, was especially full of anger and frustration at Francis-Le BlĂ©. While PSG faces Angers this Saturday as part of the 31e day of Ligue 1, the Sang et Or are likely to find themselves six lengths behind the Parisian leader. No joker and no net now.

In the eyes of Florian Thauvin, the championship is already lost for the ArtĂ©siens. “ I believe that this evening, the subject is now closed. There is no more title race, it will be complicatedsays the Lensois detonator, hotly, on the Ligue 1+ antenna. With a team like PSG, if you don’t win every weekend, you’re definitely out of the running. It’s a missed opportunity tonight. It’s a personal feeling, I think it’s going to be very complicated from now on. We will play it until the end but with tonight’s result, we know it’s complicated. »

Same feeling from his teammate Allan Saint-Maximin, scorer like him and yet very disappointed at the end of the game. “
Frankly, I don’t really want to talk about my second period, because it’s individual. For me, tonight, we lost collectively. Even if we come away with a draw, it’s not enough. We’re playing against a team that had nothing left to play for, we did everything, we had a very good season, we find ourselves in this situation, we have the cards in hand… and in the end, we put ourselves in a complicated situation. Frankly, it’s not normal that they had more desire than us this evening. »

“I didn’t feel respected,” breathes Sage

Started on a hybrid composition, with elements such as Thauvin, Saint-Maximin or Edouard on the bench until the 53e minute at least, Pierre Sage, the Lensois coach, went even further in the speech. “ I have more than regrets, I think I was wrong. I told the players in the locker room at halftime. (…) We are breaking a pact that has bound us since the start of the season. I didn’t feel respected. I admit to you that I gave but that I did not get the return I expected. »

And to drive the point home after having early recalled to the sidelines notably Sotoca, Aguilar, Saïd and Masuaku. “
Today, it’s really a decision on my part to rotate the squad a little in view of the match we played 72 hours ago (the Coupe de France semi-final won against Toulouse, editor’s note). This clearly shows that playing time cannot be given, it must be earned! »

Nicolas Gerbault

Written by:

Nicolas Gerbault

Nicolas Gerbault is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Nicolas discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, his expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Nicolas enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans.