From National to the Champions League in two years. If his father often repeated to him that he had fallen behind in his career, Randal Kolo Muani quickly caught up with him. Launched on the sly by Vahid Halilhodžić in 2019, the striker who grew up in the Paris region revealed himself the following season under the orders of Christian Gourcuff. And since then he has impressed European football with his ease. A feast for the eyes of lovers of the beautiful game. The 23-year-old player recently shortlisted for the France team will his farewell, this Saturday evening, at the end of the Classic against Saint-Étienne. “The supporters, the atmosphere, I will miss itbreath “Randix“. We’ll see how it goes.” The emotion, his joy at having marked the History of the Yellows, his sadness at leaving the City of the Dukes and his “friends” will certainly be read on his face. Additional proof, if any needed, of the love he has for the shirt and for the club to which he “must[t] everything“.
“I put him in the top 5 strikers in Ligue 1”
He will struggle to reach the bar of 15 achievements in a season that would have been a nice snub to his future ex-president who had launched in the daily newspaper L’Équipe “that a good centre-forward must score at least 15 goals, if not more“. He won’t be far from it with 12 goals on the clock and maybe more, if he shines again against the Greens, like in the first leg.”Me, I do not conceive the role of attacker as the only fact of scoringretorts the player who passed through Boulogne in 2019. It is also to help his teammates by the pass, by a call, by a discount, by a withdrawal. Football is collective.“A sentence that rings particularly true when we talk about FC Nantes.
I feel indebted. Nantes has always believed in me, especially at the training center.
Applauded when he left the lawn during the last Breton derby at La Beaujoire, the eternal nonchalant had been deeply touched by the supporters who had shouted his surname. “It was amazing“, he had slipped. A mark of affection for this attacker who arrived late at Jonelière and who largely contributed to the spectacular recovery of the Yellows. Against Metz, Angers, Lens, Paris, Bordeaux and in the Coupe de France – the list is not exhaustive -, “RKM” will have martyred the defenses and delighted the supporters with his calls, ball catches and his technique. “He was the striker who impressed me the most last season, had entrusted the scoist defender Romain Thomas. He has everything: he’s tall, he goes fast, he has good ball protection. In terms of intrinsic qualities, I put him in the top 5 strikers in Ligue 1.” And certainly on the podium of the least “selfish” center-forwards in the championship. A character trait that he forces himself to integrate somewhat , even if he has “difficulty accepting it”.
Kombouaré’s tribute “admiring the player and the man”
The kid born in Bondy wanted to leave his mark on his Nantes adventure. There is little doubt that he succeeded in his bet. “I feel indebtedhad blown Kolo Muani. Nantes has always believed in me, especially at the training center“. He brought him a Coupe de France before flying across the Rhine to put on the jersey of Eintracht Frankfurt, where he signed for free last winter. And play the Champions League with the very recent winner of the Europa League, competition that the Canaries will play in the coming months. “During the match, I was under pressure, like the playersassured the top scorer of the Yellows to Canal +. I’m released, they’re going to enjoy it and I’m happy for them. I hadn’t planned to play in the Champions League, it’s a childhood dream come true.” One more.
He was in a complicated situation, he signed early and could have slowed down, asked me not to play all the matches because he could have injured himself and on the contrary, he was exemplary.
A late blooming perhaps but express and an impressive progression under the orders of Antoine Kombouaré, the coach who has marked the career of the young striker the most. “He’s a great playergreets the Kanak. He has everything, important athletic qualities, speed, the ability to repeat efforts, he jumps high, technically he is very, very good. He can still improve in his game with his back to goal, in his ability to be more of a killer in the penalty area, but he is a versatile player, he can occupy all the forward positions, he adapts and he is generous, collective . I will even go further. He was in a complicated situation, in his last year of contract, he signed early and could have slowed down, asked me not to play all the matches because he could have injured himself and _on the contrary, he was exemplary_. That’s why I admire both the player and the guy.“And that Beaujoire should pay him a tribute as noisy as it is moving.