Jean-Michaël Seri in the jersey of Fulham.
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Michael Zemanek / BPI / REX / Shutterstock / SIPA
The Girondins de Bordeaux travel to Brest this Sunday (1 p.m.) on behalf of the 24th day of L1.
The only recruit in the winter transfer window, Jean-Michaël Seri should on this occasion return to Ligue 1, two and a half years after his departure from Nice for Fulham for nearly 30 million euros.
Loaned last season to Galatasaray, the midfielder had a solid exercise for the Turks, notably playing in the Champions League.
Returning to Fulham last summer, he has only played two games this season.
We are not going to lie to each other (you and us) it has been a while since we last heard of him.
For the followers of the round ball, his name only reappeared twice in the French press last season on the occasion of the clash between PSG and Galatasaray in the group stage of the Champions League.
Jean-Michaël Seri has indeed been discreet since his departure from OGC Nice for Fulham, two and a half years ago, for nearly 30 million euros.
And it is true that today it seems far from the time when the Ivorian midfielder aligned the matches of very high level on the Côte d'Azur to the point of being on the verge of joining FC Barcelona at the summer 2017. Since then, he had been off the radar of French football.
But not those of Alain Roche and Jean-Louis Gasset, respectively sporting director and trainer of the Girondins de Bordeaux.
So when the club had to deal with Otavio's serious injury (ruptured left Achilles tendon) on January 20, his name very quickly rose to the top of the list to replace the Brazilian.
It worked out well for him since he was on “partial” unemployment for the past six months (Fulham had not chosen him to play for the championship this season).
A fairly exceptional situation for a player of his level but not so surprising given the upheavals that his career has experienced since his exile in London.
So when it comes time to find Ligue 1 this Sunday (1 p.m.) with the Navy and White in Brest, is the Ivorian still the same player?
Jean-Michaël Seri played for three years in Nice from 2015 to 2016. - Yann COATSALIOU / AFP
After the Fulham failure, the Galatasaray rebound
This player that Jean-Louis Gasset qualifies as “oil can” of the midfielder, able “to ventilate the game and make passes forward” as during his very good stint with the Aiglons from 2015 to 2018 (12 goals and 25 assists in 123 games).
On the side of the Fulham Cottagers, the mechanics have continued to work rather well at the individual level during its first season (34 games), on the other hand it suffered a big accident collectively with a relegation in Championship.
A complicated situation to live with but the very philosopher Jean-Michaël Seri has seen others like his incredible transfer to Barça.
Here is what he said at the time: “It affected me, yes.
Everything fell apart because of a question of money.
But what can be done about it?
Life goes on.
Maybe it was god's will.
I am a Christian, I have kept the faith ”.
To bounce back, he chooses Turkey and Galatasaray last season in the form of a buyout loan.
Turkish journalist Yusuf Kenan Calik of the national news channel NTV:
“He started the season moderately as a torchbearer but with the departure of Nzonzi (for Rennes), he passed in front of the defense and there, he achieved good performances with in particular a reference match in the derby against Fenerbahçe.
He gradually became an important player in the team (37 games) ”
Jean-Michaël Seri against Neymar in the Champions League with Galatasaray.
- JEE / SIPA
As in the good days, this colleague saw “a strong player physically and valuable in the construction of the game (90% of successful passes) who just lacked, sometimes, a little consistency and concentration especially at the start of the season.
“Jean-Michaël Seri had also managed a very big match against PSG in the heart of autumn 2019 in Istanbul, obtaining a score of 7 in
the Team.
His physical condition, the question mark
"He was appreciated in the locker room and by the supporters because he is a player who poses no problem and he was really good from December to March," adds Yusuf Kenan Calik.
Unfortunately for the Turks (and fortunately for the Girondins), Galatarasay did not have the financial means to exercise the option to buy at the end of the season and then did not find common ground with Fulham for a new ready.
The Ivorian had to resign himself to returning to London where he was quickly dismissed by Scott Parker, the coach of the Cottagers, without too many reasons.
Since last summer, he has only played two English League Cup games because for his part, he refused to play with the club's reserve.
Which today raises the question of its state of form.
"I long to see in what physical state he is, even if I know that he is a great professional, said Jean-Louis Gasset at the beginning of the week, he will not have lost anything technically because that is innate but he hasn't played since October.
“And even if he spoke with two physical trainers as indicated by
Sud Ouest,
nothing can replace competition.
Arrived from London last Saturday, Jean-Michaël Seri also had to respect a quarantine of seven days at the hotel despite a request for exemption from the club.
A request that the authorities refused so as not to create a case law.
“We will get it back this Saturday.
We will see where it is, because spending a week locked in a room is hard.
He can just work [physically] in a room but he really wants to play again… ”, explains the coach of the Navy and White.
He made a big financial effort to come
Such a desire that the midfielder agreed to sharply lower his salary of 400,000 euros per month (by three according to
Girondinfos)
to join the edges of the Garrone this winter.
Indeed, Fulham does not participate in the care of it as had been mentioned according to information from
20 Minutes.
"
He greatly appreciated the speeches of Alain Roche and Jean-Louis Gasset, they had a lot of respect and consideration for him and that is why he chose Bordeaux, ”says one of his relatives.
Moreover, Jean-Michaël Seri does not refrain from anything, such as continuing the adventure beyond these six months with the Girondins.
But there, it will surely be a question of big money because a good “oil can” in the midfield, in the long term, it can quickly become very expensive.
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