Back in November 2010, when Football Manager 2011 was launched, Lyon had been nonetheless among the many prime canines in French soccer and may not have imagined how the next decade would go.
They’d didn’t win the Ligue 1 title in every of the previous two seasons after successful seven in a row between 2001 and 2008, and completed as runners-up to Marseille in 2009-10. This was earlier than PSG’s takeover modified every thing, with a way of optimism that the membership’s kids could usher within the good occasions once more.
FMScout earmarked six wonderkids from that version of the sport, and a pair, particularly, loved sturdy careers. Here’s how issues have gone for them in actual life over the previous decade.
Lamine Gassama
Marseille-born, Senegalese right-back Gassama has earned 47 caps for his nation since first breaking by means of from Lyon’s academy as an adolescent within the 2008-09 season.
But he solely made 24 senior appearances for his first membership and needed to make a swap for extra alternatives, with frequent Ligue 1 appearances coming as an everyday for Lorient between 2011 and 2016.
Gassama may not have made it on the highest degree as some tipped him to however he was a gradual presence in considered one of Europe’s main leagues for years. Now 31, after a spell with Alanyaspor, he stays in Turkey with Goztepe SK.
Miralem Pjanic
Having impressed at Metz, Pjanic’s three seasons at Lyon – between 2008 and 2011 – noticed him catch the attention additional, not least for his good dead-ball placing capacity.
He continued to exhibit that at Roma, after which Juventus, the place he received the Scudetto in every of his 4 seasons, however as soon as Cristiano Ronaldo arrived we noticed much less of his trademark pinpoint free-kicks and that continues to be the case alongside Lionel Messi since he moved to Barcelona final summer time.
Plenty questioned Barcelona’s knowledge in buying and selling 24-year-old Arthur Melo for the 30-year-old Bosnian worldwide, and two-thirds of the way in which by means of his debut season on the Camp Nou with simply six La Liga begins and no targets or assists in any competitors, we’re nonetheless none the wiser.
READ: Remembering a younger Miralem Pjanic’s time as Juninho’s inheritor at Lyon
Clement Grenier
With a popularity as one of many membership’s brightest younger gamers, the attacking midfielder made his Ligue 1 debut in September 2009 and remained there till January 2018.
While there have been shiny moments, his profession was blighted by accidents and he averaged simply 14 Ligue 1 appearances a season throughout his eight full campaigns with Lyon.
Having represented Les Bleus in any respect youth ranges, Grenier would ultimately go on to characterize his nation on 5 events and was even named in France’s squad for the 2014 World Cup, however withdrew resulting from harm and was changed by Morgan Schneiderlin.
Recent years have seen the 30-year-old characteristic extra prominently within the French prime flight at Rennes.
Yannis Tafer
Top scorer on the Under-17 Euros in 2008, Tafer was nonetheless a France Under-20 worldwide when this version of Football Manager was launched. The winger hasn’t fairly hit the heights anticipated of him for membership or nation however he’s loved a modest profession throughout the border.
Having solely made 15 appearances for Lyon, he signed for Lausanne in 2012 earlier than departing for St Gallen two years later, racking up 180 appearances within the Swiss Super League between them.
He’s nonetheless in (*10*) at the moment, however down within the second tier with Neuchatel Xamax.
Alexandre Lacazette
The Lyon-born striker went on to attain precisely 100 Ligue 1 targets in 203 appearances for his hometown membership, together with a career-best 28 within the 2016-17 marketing campaign, his remaining season earlier than becoming a member of Arsenal.
He hasn’t been fairly so prolific in north London – 45 targets in 118 Premier League appearances on the time of writing, and 58 in 156 in all competitions – however he’s scored some necessary targets for the Gunners. And some pretty ones too.
The swerve on that Lacazette strike! 🌪🤯
An important first aim again in entrance of the Arsenal followers 👏 pic.twitter.com/1NPJoM7N5R
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 3, 2020
Ishak Belfodil
After making the step up from Lyon’s Under-18s a decade in the past, Algerian ahead Belfodil has appeared for no fewer than 9 totally different golf equipment, together with transient stints at Inter Milan and Abu Dhabi-based Baniyas Club.
But the journeyman has been settled at Bundesliga aspect Hoffenheim since 2018, and scored a career-best 16 Bundesliga targets throughout his debut marketing campaign beneath Julian Nagelsmann. However, amid harm points, he’s scored only one league aim for the reason that begin of final season.
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