Lille was crowned champion of France, to the nose and beard of PSG, after an exceptional season.
A consecration for coach Christophe Galtier, who was able to rely on a group of players mixing experience and talented youth, like Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz and goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
DECRYPTION
Nobody expected them and yet they did.
Ten years after its last title, Lille was crowned champion of France on Sunday evening, at the end of an exceptional end of the season.
The "Mastiffs", impressive in consistency, did not let their chance to steal the national crown from PSG slip away, far from their usual standards with eight defeats.
But Losc has well and truly deserved its title, thanks to a group of players skillfully combining very high level experience (Yilmaz, Jose Fonte ...) and young talents (Maignan, Ikoné, Bamba, David ...), perfectly supervised by the coach Christophe Galtier.
Europe 1 portrays these decisive men in the Lille epic.
Christophe Galtier, the consecration
Since his arrival in Lille, Christophe Galtier has changed dimension. "Galette", as it is nicknamed, had already acquired the respect of France of football since its long successful stint in Saint-Étienne (2009-2017), offering a trophy - the Coupe de la Ligue - and several historic European qualifications to the Green. But the Marseillais by birth and heart then had the reputation of a cautious coach, focused mainly on defense. Criticisms that he has swept away since his arrival in Lille on December 2017, as much by his results as by the manner.
The results, first of all, command admiration. When Christophe Galtier sits on the bench at Losc, he recovers a club in distress, fighting for maintenance. After saving the Mastiffs from relegation, Galtier led them to a superb second place in his second season, with the Champions League at stake, then a fourth place last year. Before, therefore, the consecration: this title of champion of France, acquired after an exceptional return phase (only one defeat against Nîmes), like the two superb victories on the lawns of PSG (1-0) and Lyon ( 3-2).
Galtier, whose contract with Lille ends this summer, is now being courted on all sides.
Nice and Lyon have even made it their priority target for next season.
Unless he made the big leap abroad, where his performances did not go unnoticed ...
Burak Yilmaz, the star striker
He too, impossible to miss.
With his 88 meter and colossus physique, Burak Yilmaz has literally stepped on the French championship in recent weeks.
The Turkish striker chained decisive goals, particularly during the return phase, like his doubles in Lyon during the 34th day and in Lens during the 36th (3-0), including a mule strike mind-boggling.
Astonishing performances for this 35-year-old veteran, who has spent almost his entire career in Turkey (Besiktas, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce…).
Le Losc in any case had a hollow nose by recruiting him free last summer, while many thought so at the end of his career.
"Kral", his nickname, is even nominated for the title of player of the year in Ligue 1 and will be one of Turkey's main assets at the Euro.
The Mike Maignan wall
He too should be present at the Euro, with the Blues.
Mike Maignan, the Losc goalkeeper, has had a series of high-level performances all this season, showing himself to be decisive on numerous occasions.
At 25, the player trained at PSG seems to have taken a step forward and gained in regularity, to the point of being considered the best goalkeeper at present in the French championship (with Keylor Navas).
Impressive on his line, very good at the foot, he could decide to leave the North this summer for a foreign club.
Several media have reported an interest from AC Milan and… Tottenham, where Hugo Lloris is currently playing.
The two goalkeepers will meet in any case at the Euro, where Mike Maignan will be n ° 3 in the hierarchy.
Luis Campos, the builder who left in high season
Luis Campos is no longer at the club, but it is not usurped to say that without him Losc would not have been champions. The Portuguese, unparalleled talent scout, has been essential for three seasons in the North. The former sports advisor (equivalent of sports director,
editor's note
) has thus multiplied the blows of brilliance on the transfer market, in particular by selling forwards Nicolas Pépé and Victor Osimhen respectively to Arsenal and Naples for nearly 70 million euros of capital gains. It was also he who recruited Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches from Bayern (20 million euros) and French striker Jonathan Ikoné from PSG (5 million), while attracting veterans Burak Yilmaz and Jose Fonte, all essential in the conquest of the title.
Luis Campos, however, left the North last December, at the same time as the former president and owner Gérard Lopez, when the club was bought by the American investment fund Merlyn Partners. It is now up to the new management team, headed by President Olivier Létang, to build on the legacy.