Even if the North has its charm and stadium Pierre-Mauroy is part of the most welcoming speakers of Ligue 1, we suspected that the visits of Jose Mourinho, spectator luxury of several matches of the Lille football team, were not totally innocent.
Until Wednesday, the motives of the "Special One" remained unclear however, the coaching position was not free and the LOSC could not afford to align with the salary requirements of the Portuguese.
Wednesday, November 20, everything became clear: a few hours after the appointment of Jose Mourinho at the head of Tottenham, Lille announced that Joao Sacramento, a deputy of Christophe Galtier, and Nuno Santos, coach of the goalkeepers, left to join their compatriot in Britain.
It is above all the proximity of Mourinho with Luis Campos, also Portuguese and especially sports advisor to President Gerard Lopez, who brought him closer to Lille. It is this same Campos, at the origin of the arrival of Sacramento and Santos at the Doges, that the technician called to negotiate this strange transfer.
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Indirect consequence
The president quickly decided on Tuesday night, accepting that the two men leave immediately for London, even having to tinker internally until they find official replacements.
This situation is an indirect consequence of the model of the club nordiste, that of purchase-resale of players, capital gains with the key, that incarnates just Luis Campos, great sporting decision-maker, without yet being employee of the LOSC.
Let go of the elements of the club if they find better elsewhere: this philosophy, Campos was already the face in Monaco. It relies as much on its ability to find talents at low cost as on that of the LOSC to pass them a course before selling them at a high price.
The problem is that it involves a lot of uncertainty about the ability to replace advantageously starters and causes complications for the coach, constantly forced to rebuild.
"In terms of our project, are things more difficult in the Champions League? Surely. "
In Lille, we see it well this season. The results show the effects of this policy. While he finished second at Paris-Saint-Germain in the 2018-2019 championship and won a qualification in the Champions League, the club had a chaotic start to the 2019-2020 season.
At the national level, the LOSC is currently ranked fifth in Ligue 1, seven points lower than a year ago at the same time. At the European level, the team has already been eliminated from the Champions League.
"In terms of our project, are things more difficult in the Champions League?asked Christophe Galtier after the 4-1 defeat in Valencia on 5 November. Surely, because to be successful, we must have this opportunity to keep our best players and strengthen the team. The project is not this one and I do not have to complain because I know what it is. "
Weakness in defense
Impossible to prevent seen the sums involved (80 million euros of transfer in addition to a considerable salary increase), the departure in August, winger Nicolas Pepe Arsenal was for example planned for a long time – and vital for club finances then in the red.
Those, also this summer, of Rafael Leao in Milan (23 million) and Thiago Mendes and Youssouf Koné in Lyon (respectively 22 and 9 million) were more of the opportunity, at a time when the Lille leaders estimated their market value at its maximum.
Koné, who then had only 20 professional matches, was probably " good " sold. His predecessor Fodé Ballo-Touré, who went to Monaco against a check of 11 million euros, also allowed a nice financial operation.
But in the end, LOSC's left-wing defense corridor is now one of the weak spots and major projects, those who have taken over these positions, the Mozambican Reinildo and the Croatian Domagoj Bradaric, having huge difficulties to convince.
Already a golden future traced far north for Victor Osimhen
"Have the step of looking for an experienced player (to replace them) would go against the project, the progress of Reinildo and the development of Bradaric, Christophe Galtier sweeps. It's my job to find resources within the workforce to compensate for injuries and misery, it would be too simplistic to say that we will recruit. " Not realistic either, the famous "Project" so much mentioned by the technician, centered on the young people, not being able to lead only to successes.
The beginning of the season is not all black, however. Arriving from Charleroi for 12 million euros this summer, striker Victor Osimhen has shown his advantage on the field in recent months and would be worth five or six times more. Asked by Sky Sports in early October, while the Nigerian had just played his ninth Ligue 1 game, Luis Campos has even advanced to predict a golden future … far from the North.
"If all goes well, at the end of the season, there will be a big transfer for him"said the Portuguese. Realpolitik football sauce, where leaders no longer try to maintain the illusion of being able to build around their best players.
Christophe Kuchly
