• The Girondins de Bordeaux are traveling to Nice this Saturday (5 p.m.) to try to win their first victory of the season.

  • Back from injury (Achilles tendon), the precious Brazilian midfielder Otavio has already become indispensable to this Bordeaux team.

  • With his compatriot Fransergio, summer rookie, he should form a very solid duo this season.

A masterpiece, or not far away! To celebrate his hundredth in the Bordeaux jersey last Sunday against Angers (1-1), Otavio quite simply achieved one of his best matches with the Girondins: 90% of successful passes, two shots, three dribbles and above all a number incredible duels won, including nine tackles in 90 minutes. XXL performance. But a performance a little unexpected as the Brazilian midfielder comes back from far, very far even according to his own words today. On January 20, he ruptured the Achilles tendon in his left leg on an ordinary support during training. A huge blow for the player and the club.

“It was a very complicated period, he admits, the first month, it was very hard.

A month without doing anything.

All alone at home.

It is very difficult at the moment.

I had never gone 6 months without playing football.

A character as brawler on the ground as sensitive in life, Otavio split the armor two days before seeing the Girondins move to Nice.

He admits "having learned a lot about life" during these last six and "not to be the same Otavio as before injury.

"I'm a new player," said the Brazilian.

He does not hesitate to suggest that he was afraid for the rest of his career during his convalescence.

A promising duo with Fransergio

His long absence almost cost the Girondins dearly last season. Metronome of the midfield, Otavio saw the Bordeaux ship sink in the second part of the season: five wins, one draw and twelve defeats. All this with an average of two goals conceded per game. To ultimately have Navy and White on the brink of industrial disaster. He prefers to minimize his absence and speak of a "dead" state of mind in this team. One thing is certain, his return to competition can only be good news for the Marines and Whites. “He's an excellent player,” adds his new coach Vladimir Petkovic, “he has already shown all his quality in the past.He is a real leader on the defensive level and I am convinced that he will further improve his level over the games and bring a lot of positive things to the team ”.

🔴⚽️A before and after at the @girondins


👉39% wins and 1 goal / per game with Otavio.

Since then, 17% of victories and especially 1.8 goals taken / match


👉A no man's land in the middle


👉 No one left to sacrifice themselves for the others # Bordeau #Girondins #FCGB https://t.co/8LBQbRTm8b

- Clement Carpentier (@clementcarpet) April 9, 2021

Otavio also had the pleasure of seeing the locker room take on the Auriverde accent. He who was orphaned by his great friend Pablo, left last winter at Lokomotiv Moscow. A few days ago, he therefore particularly appreciated the arrival of Fransergio. “I knew him a little. When I was in U19 in Paranaense, he was in the pro team. But we never played in France, ”explains the Brazilian in perfect French. The two compatriots could form a very interesting association with a true number 6 (Otavio) and a relay midfielder with a good vision of the game (Fransergio) and perhaps a third player who is more offensive and technical. In any case, physically there should be some response in the midfielder on the Bordeaux side this season.

Welcome Fransérgio!


All about our new midfielder 🇧🇷


➡ https://t.co/MEZfGJ1JpB pic.twitter.com/46JGlsHYkL

- FC Girondins de Bordeaux (@girondins) August 25, 2021

A future in suspense

For now, the priority is to find the best possible sensations for Otavio.

Then it will be time for him to look at his future.

At the end of the contract in a year, the question will necessarily arise very quickly for him but also the club.

He knows it perfectly well:

"A departure this summer?

It didn't cross my mind.

It is true that I have one year of contract left.

Today my only goal is to have the best season of my life to get a contract extension here or a new contract at another club.

After that it is true that I like the club and this city.

"

At 27, he reached a turning point in his career.

In the meantime, Otavio will continue to "give the best of himself for the club" as he likes to repeat.

And as he always has ...

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  • Aquitaine

  • Bordeaux

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  • Brazil

  • OGC Nice

  • Girondins of Bordeaux

  • League 1

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