Berlin (AFP)

"Last season was difficult for me."

Uprooted from Madrid, injured, replacing, Lucas Hernandez suffered in silence until the European coronation of Bayern Munich, lived on the bench.

But since September, the French international proclaims loud and clear his desire to finally "shine" in Bavaria.

Crowned with his title of world champion, bought from Atlético Madrid 80 million euros in 2019 (the most expensive player in the history of the club and the Bundesliga), the former Colchonero has raised immense expectations.

And the comments weren't always kind to him at the end of last season, when he was "the most expensive replacement in the world".

Arrived from Spain injured, he played barely two months, without convincing, before being again arrested by a ligament tear in his ankle.

From the stands, he saw his 19-year-old understudy, Alphonso Davies, dazzle Europe and become a rising star.

"With the wounds, the operations, in a new city, with a new language, without my friends, without my family, I had a year to reflect and realize many things", admits without language of wood this young man of 24.

"But I signed on for five years, and I would like to give 100% here."

- "Neither sad nor disappointed" -

Learning to live outside the Madrid cocoon, where he had been hatched since the age of 11, has not been easy.

To the point that the media have mentioned a possible departure of Bayern this summer, after the historic treble to which he contributed little (6 minutes of play during the "Final 8" of the Champions League in Lisbon).

However, this season, coach Hansi Flick trusts him a lot, and Davies' injury on Saturday, which will keep the Canadian away from the field for probably two months, opens up a path for him to settle at the left-back position.

He should again hold Tuesday in Moscow in the Champions League against Lokomotiv, a week after his good performance against his former club at the Allianz Arena (4-0).

"It's starting well", he rejoices, "I want to show that I am at the level of the confidence that the coach and the club have in me, and I am ready to give everything on the pitch to (...) shine also individually ".

Did he regret his choice to leave Spain?

"These are decisions we make in life," he replies calmly.

"I wanted to play in a big club, to set myself other goals, to discover another culture. I am neither sad nor disappointed, but of course I still have a special bond with Atlético, it is the team who gave me everything ".

- "We breathe victory" -

Last week, he took advantage of meeting Diego Simeone, the Madrid coach, to pay him a strong tribute: "He is in my eyes the best coach in the world", he said, "I am very grateful to him for what 'he did for me. He took me from youth teams to the first team. "

Bayern coach Hansi Flick was not jealous, and openly expressed his confidence in Hernandez: "With his aggressiveness in the defensive phase, he is really doing us good at the moment," said the Bavarian technician.

"After his injury he has had a very difficult year, but he has already shown his qualities and his strengths and I am very happy with him."

At the "Rekordmeister", the "Blue" Hernandez discovers a cult of winning that very few clubs in the world share at this point: "Here, we only breathe victory", he enthuses, "c 'is the strong point of this club and its players. We enter the new season with the same motivation, the same desire. Last year we won everything, the cup, the championship, the Champions League, and our goal is to do the same again. "

With, this time, a starting place for him?

© 2020 AFP