ANALYSIS
"It's true that it's been a few months since I played 90 minutes ..." At a press conference last week, Kingsley Coman, back from injury, was cautious about his ability to play in the Champions League final. "But if I have to give 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 70 minutes fully, in any case I'll be fresh," assured the French international. Hansi Flick, his coach at Bayern Munich, opted for the high range, choosing to start the game against PSG on Sunday night in Lisbon. And great good took him: against his training club, the Habs scored the only goal of the meeting ... And therefore that of victory (1-0).
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Revenge after years of bad luck
The action, which took place in the 59th minute, after an intense first period and in a phase of play favorable to Bayern, is crystal clear. On a cross from Kimmich, Kingsley Coman delivers a uncrossed header at the six-yard corner. Kaylor Navas, the Parisian goalkeeper, is beaten. In the following minutes, Coman is still at the origin of two very hot actions, without success, before being called back on the bench for the benefit of Perisic, with the feeling of duty accomplished.
Because for the French, this role of man of the match in the final of the most prestigious European competition looks like revenge, on the bad luck that marked the first years of his career.
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Deprived of the title of world champion
It all started in 2015, with ... a Champions League final, played with Juventus. A single minute spent on the pitch and a defeat (3-1 against Barcelona) for the young Kingsley Coman.
The rest of the winger's journey was a succession of injuries. In 2018, first, two serious ligament ruptures consecutive to the same left ankle forced him to almost nine months of absence, deprived of a summons for the World Cup in Russia, and ipso facto of the title of world champion. While his Bayern teammates Corentin Tolisso, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez lifted the World Cup ...
A planned end of career
This season, less serious injuries took him away from the field again. He has only started 17 times in the Bundesliga, for four goals and four assists: not a lot for a player of his talent. To the point of making him consider, in an interview, to end his career if his body continued to betray him.
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But Kingsley Coman bounced back. Proof of this are his level of play and his speed for more than an hour, Sunday evening, despite entries late in the game only against Barcelona in quarter (8-2) and Lyon in half (3-0). Did he have a little extra soul, against his training club, PSG? Perhaps. Left the capital for Juve at 18, the hero of the day was in any case humble, Sunday evening, claiming to have "heartache" for his former team, plunged, in turn, in a great disappointment.