Islam Slimani brought a lot to AS Monaco last season.

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Elyxandro CEGARRA / SIPA

  • OL took advantage of the winter transfer window to lend their only major offensive player in difficulty, Moussa Dembélé (Atlético de Madrid), while recruiting Islam Slimani.

  • Released from his last months of contract with Leicester, the 32-year-old Algerian striker arrives with a fierce desire to be crowned club champion for the first time in his career.

  • 20 Minutes

    traces the atypical career of the former Monegasque, focusing in particular on his last seasons in Algeria, with CR Belouizdad (from 2009 to 2013).

Can we lose a striker who scored 45 goals in 108 games in Lyon, hero of OL's greatest European feat for ten years, last summer against Manchester City (3-1), and grow stronger?

It will be the challenge of Islam Slimani (32 years old), formalized Wednesday by the surprising autumn champion, replacing Moussa Dembélé, on loan to Atlético de Madrid.

Determining last season with AS Monaco (9 goals and 8 assists in 18 games), the Algerian international remains on nine frustrating months, with only 19 minutes of the Premier League played in the Leicester shirt.

🎙 @ Juninhope08 tells us about our recruit @slimaniislam! # Slimani2022



To see or review the press conference, go to #OLPLAY 👉 https://t.co/DsBudxbsXy pic.twitter.com/yf7uZPZhZu

- Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) January 14, 2021

Released by the Foxes, here he is from Lyon until June 2022, with the immense challenge of winning a first championship in his atypical professional career.

At 21, the native of Algiers was still playing in Chéraga, an Algerian D3 amateur club.

Argentinian coach Miguel Angel Gamondi remembers noticing a “little gem” in training, when in 2010 he became coach of CR Belouizdad, Islam Slimani's first pro club.

It was clear that Islam had not had any real formation.

He had real tactical flaws, and our own audiences even laughed at times when they made mistakes.

He was not yet taken seriously.

But I perceived right away that he had a huge heart, that he was not at all selfish, and that he had incredible physique and learning speed.

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"He was running around all the time"

It will be necessary to wait for a memorable quadruple against JS Kabylie (7-1), in May 2011, so that the career of Islam Slimani does not take off for good.

Thanks to four seasons in the elite with the CRB, he reached the national team in 2012 and he already stands out with his intensity at all times.

“In Algeria, most of the center forward spend their time in the area,” says his ex-captain at CRB Mohamed Herida.

But he was running around all the time, it was a whirlwind.

In training, as a defender, I was always wary of him, his pressing and his calls.

"

On this point, his agreement with Wissam Ben Yedder often regaled Ligue 1 last season.

“He has always been more efficient with another striker near him, decrypts Ishaq Chebli, journalist for DZfoot.

He was mostly a surface player at the start of his career.

But today, I think he will be more valuable to OL than Dembélé for the quality of his pivotal passing game.

Because with a coach like Jorge Jesus at Sporting [he scored 31 goals with him in 2015-2016], he was able to improve his game. "

Here against Porto and Mangala, Islam Slimani only discovered Europe during the 2013-2014 season with Sporting.

- Patricia De Melo Moreira / AFP

"Combativeness, experience and the rage to win"

A success which then led him in 2016 to a transfer of 35 million euros (bonus included) to Leicester, which had cost ... 300,000 euros to the Portuguese club three years earlier.

Well placed to recruit the neo-Fennec in 2013, FC Nantes had missed a big blow, by offering him a salary too modest.

His career is almost unexpected for a player who left the Algerian championship at 25 years old.

Especially that we must add as a major title the African Cup of Nations 2019, even if it was in the shoes of a replacement.

"Islam had the firm belief that he was going to play in Europe," remembers Miguel Angel Gamondi.

I tried to reason with him by reminding him that it didn't make sense, that he was already 23 at the time, but he didn't budge.

"Since his presentation to the press Wednesday, three months after seeing his transfer blocked by the non-departure of Memphis Depay to Barça, the person insists that he can bring to a group in full success" fighting spirit, experience and rage of conquer ”.

A cocktail that has always defined Islam Slimani, as when the general public really discovered him at the 2014 World Cup, where he carried Algeria to the first round of 16 in his history by scoring two goals.

On June 26, 2014, Islam Slimani marks the history of the Algerian selection by scoring against Russia (1-1) the goal synonymous with the first round of 16 of the World Cup in history for the Fennecs.

- Michael Sohn / AP / SIPA

"It is the Algerian dream"

What will provide you with a dose of confidence for life, even in the event of failure situations such as Leicester or during a loan to Fenerbahçe (2018-2019).

"Believe me, he will not need time to adapt, assures his friend Mounir Ouassel, journalist who created the site Le Score.

The Lyon challenge has excited him since this summer.

He may be a good joker but in his mind he is coming to become a starter.

He has no limits in his head, he is a warrior with a mind of steel.

"Former teammate of Islam Slimani at CRB, Adel Messaoudi adds:" He has always had very high ambitions.

He is ready to give everything, to work like crazy in training until he has reached his goal.

In recent months he had attractive offers from Gulf countries but he prefers to play at the highest level ”.

After all, it will only be the fourth season of his career in one of the five most important leagues in Europe.

“His work ethic and his mentality have always impressed me, insists Mohamed Herida.

He has become an example in Algeria as he started from nothing before revealing himself in Europe.

"In February 2020, the emblematic midfielder of the Fennecs Sofiane Feghouli even indicated on France Football:" The personal journey of Islam Slimani could be the subject of a feature film in the cinema.

It is the Algerian dream ”.

The new chapter could also make Lyonnais dream, looking for a coronation in Ligue 1 for 13 years.

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