Berlin (AFP)
Bayern Munich welcome the stars of the France team, while Leipzig is betting on the generation "U23", semi-finalist of the Euro in June.
This season again, a record number of French will evolve in the Bundesliga: 27 "Blues" are listed on August 15, two weeks after the closing of the transfer window.
. The Lords of Bavaria
Bayern, whose ambition each year is to win all competitions, recruits only world-class players: three world champions, Corentin Tolisso, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez, alongside Kingsley Coman, also international but private World Cup last year with a left ankle injury.
Tolisso is 25 years old, the other three 23. The next chapter in the history of the "Rekordmeister" will be written in French, with the goal of winning the champions league, which has eluded the Bavarians since 2013.
. Leipzig has Hope ...
The RB Leipzig, which aims to become a long-term rival of Bayern in Germany, counts in its workforce five "Bleus", but the next generation, more affordable economically.
The central hinge of the RB, Ibrahima Konaté and Dayot Upamecano, 20 years old each, was the team of France Espoirs at the Euro in June.
Nordi Mukiele, 21, Christopher Nkunku, 21, and Jean-Kévin Augustin, 22, also made some appearances at Les Bleuets, but were not on the Euro trip.
. ... the rest of the Bundesliga too
Marcus Thuram (Lilian's son), arrived in Mönchengladbach from Guingamp, Jean-Philippe Mateta (Mainz), whose rating as center-forward is rising very fast, and his team-mate Moussa Niakhaté were all three also from the adventure of the Euro in June in Italy.
In total, more than a dozen French have been summoned to Espoirs in the last two years who will play in Germany this season.
. The "U20" in formation
These are at the very beginning of their career and have yet to confirm. Dan-Axel Zagadou (Dortmund), Moussa Diaby (Leverkusen), Michaël Cuisance (Mönchengladbach) and Evan N'Dicka (Frankfurt) have only worn the U20 blue jersey.
Zagadou is the most prominent. He has just celebrated his 20th birthday, played 17 Bundesliga matches as Borussia's central defender last season, and only lost his place on injury. He is fortunate to be part of an ambitious workforce that is openly aiming for the title of champion.
. The pillars of Bundesliga
Older, having sometimes missed the international car, several French pursue in the Bundesliga a career less publicized in clubs of tradition.
This is the case, for example, of two Wolfsburg executives: Josuha Guilavogui, 28, seven times selected in A between 2013 and 2015, and Jérôme Roussillon, 26 (0 selection).
Or Benjamin Stambouli (29), one of Schalke's managerial players, and Anthony Modeste, 31, a serial-striker in Cologne in 2016-2017, who had a few mishaps in China before returning to the club. German during last season.
© 2019 AFP