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In an extensive interview with France Football, Italy and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (22) explained how the return of Zlatan Ibrahimović, now 40 years old, influenced his development as a player and a person before leaving his boyhood club last summer: “Zlatan is very important to me. He will remain a big part of my life. I matured and progressed a lot since his return to Milan, and not just in football. He gave me that boost that I was missing.” “He has this tenacity, this strength to bring out the best in you. And, even when he says something to you that may seem harsh to you, it’s to…

L’Équipe report that Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has been internally managing the fallout of Director of Sport Juninho’s announcement of his likely departure at the end of the season. The Brazilian had explained that he would reflect on his future, in an interview with RMC Sport on Wednesday evening, citing the mental fatigue of the job as one of his motivations. A meeting took place on Thursday between Aulas, Juninho and team manager Peter Bosz as well as Director of Football Vincent Ponsot. The OL president began by apologising on behalf of the club to the Dutch coach for the previous evening’s episode. The former Bayer Leverkusen manager had been surprised…

As reported by La Provence, Marseille defender Jordan Amavi has been told by coach Jorge Sampaoli that he no longer features in the manager’s plans after just 130 minutes of action this campaign in all competitions. At his press conference before the meeting with in-form Brest tomorrow, Sampaoli explained: “It’s a special situation for him, he had a lot of injuries last season and we couldn’t really assess him. This season, he had some problems with our system, he’s a linear full-back who goes back and forth and it didn’t go very well for him when we tried him. Jordan, and others, have the right to find another way out.”…

In an interview with RTL, Marseille’s on loan Arsenal defender William Saliba discussed his stay at Marseille, explaining that friends have described coach Jorge Sampaoli’s touchline antics as “crazy”. On Jorge Sampaoli: “It’s only at the press conference that he’s calm. He yells at us in training to rally us or when we’re sluggish. Before the match, even in the locker room, he starts to pace back and forth. From the bench, you hear him the whole game. My friends sat behind the bench say to me: ‘yeah, your coach is crazy!’ That’s just how he is, he’s really passionate”. On the Velodrome atmosphere:“The supporters push you to be better.…

As reported by RMC, heard by the French senate’s culture, education and communication committee on the future of French football this week, Ligue 1 governing body (LFP) president Vincent Labrune explained that, due to recent financial issues linked to Covid and the TV right debacle, “in one and a half to two years, there’s an urgent need to create an ultra-efficient, attractive, spectacular national competition to maximize our domestic call for new rights TV bids in 2023.” Click Here: Labrune highlighted the “need to be performing on the European stage over that same period before reforms to UEFA competition are implemented in 2024. We are fifth in the European coefficient…

As reported across the French media, LFP president Vincent Labrune, in speaking with a government committee this week, laid out his plans for how French football should evolve. “We’re working with the DNCG and UEFA on the establishment of a salary cap which will take the form of a maximum ratio of payroll to turnover,” Labrune said. Another “idea would be to cap squad numbers at 24 players per club, excluding youth contracts, which would have a period of five years and would not be capped.” The LFP president explained that this would aim to “avoid aberrations that we have seen at certain clubs who reached 72 professional contracts. The only…

As reported by L’Équipe, the future of Lille midfielder Renato Sanches remains uncertain with the club hoping to keep the player until the summer despite likely January interest. The 24-year-old’s contract runs out in 2023 but, the sports daily say, a gentleman’s agreement between club and player exists, as suggested by president Olivier Létang in October, saying: “If an offer from a big club arrives, he can leave.” However, the club are quietly optimistic Sanches will end the season at Lille with the Champions League knock out stages to come not to mention a tough fight for European places in the league. Earlier this month, the player suggested interest in…

RMC Sport report this afternoon that the investigation carried out by the Paris public prosecutor on Friday night’s crowd trouble at the Paris FC-Lyon fixture also involved a group of PSG ultras. More specifically, video footage has shown that the “La Porte 411” group were at the Stade Charléty, as the cup tie was abandoned at half-time amid flare-throwing and pitch invasions. Around 20 of these “supporters” have been identified in the chaos that ensued, along with those in the Lyon away end. Identifying many the hooligans has nevertheless posed a problem, given that many of them were wearing balaclavas. Investigators have nevertheless noted that there was an intention to spark…

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE 47 PAGE DIGITAL MAGAZINE It’s been a thrilling year of French football. Les Bleus stuttered and spluttered to a dramatic EURO 2020 last 16 penalty exit to Switzerland, but were superb in winning the Nations League. Domestically, meanwhile, Ligue 1 made huge strides on the pitch, despite growing off-field issues surrounding crowd violence and finances, as Lille won the title and Lionel Messi signed for PSG. Starting with a 30 man shortlist, including French players from all over Europe’s ‘Big 5’ leagues, votes were submitted from across the Get Football team to decide the winner of GFFN’s inaugural French Player Of The Year Award. Who…

This article is taken from the new GFFN 100 2021. The GFFN 100 ranks the top 100 players in French football over the past 12 months, see the full list and read all 100 profiles right here on GFFN. Normality is relative. For Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time and used to scoring 91 goals in a calendar year, as he did in 2012, expectations are inflated as obscene output has become the norm. But, at 34-years-old, and after leaving the relative comfort of the Nou Camp, Messi’s glorious normality is under threat from a harsh reality. Despite the feverish excitement that followed his move from La Liga…