After signing a long contract extension (until 2027) ten days ago, Wesley Fofana could not have hoped for a better return. Thursday March 17, in the round of 16 second leg of the Europa League Conference, the central defender scored Leicester’s only goal against Stade Rennais (2-1), more than seven months after his fibula fracture. Scorer from his first minutes, he allowed the Foxes to qualify for the quarter-finals of the C4.
We were playing the 51st minute when Wesley Fofana showered the entire Roazhon Park, filled with 27,000 spectators. In a little weak Rennes weather, the French international hopefuls rose from a corner to win with a header. The ball touched the post before entering the goal of Dogan Alemdar (51st). The goal of the equalizer became that of the qualification at the end of the match.
The joy of the young 21-year-old central defender after his goal was a pleasure to see. “It’s just incredible emotionhe confided in a press conference after the meeting. It’s my first goal for Leicester and it’s high on the list of the highlights of my career.”
Pursued by his teammates, he immediately went to his coach Brendan Rodgers to thank him warmly for a hug. A few hours earlier, the name of Wesley Fofana lying as a holder on the match sheet could however surprise.
The former Stéphanois had not played for more than seven months. On August 4, 2021, Fofana was dried in a friendly match against Villarreal. The diagnosis was terrible: fracture of the fibula of the left leg. His season therefore began this Thursday evening in Ille-et-Vilaine (Brittany). “It was in my recovery protocol to be a starter tonight”he admitted at a press conference.
“I should have played the first leg already but I contracted Covid-19, I was ready for quite a while.”
Wesley Fofanaat a press conference
“He’s an excellent player. He was burning to play again. He has such determination, a perfect mentality.”congratulated his coach Brendan Rodgers, in the first row during the long rehabilitation of Wesley Fofana after his injury. “I wanted to come back as soon as possible to relive this kind of thing, this kind of match”confessed for his part the central defender of the Foxes, who recently extended his contract, now binding him to Leicester until 2027. The road has been long since last summer but the end of the tunnel took a nice turn on Thursday.
As a symbol, Fofana scored his first goal with Leicester in France. Against a team he had already beaten in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France 2020 with Saint-Etienne. A few months later, he signed in the Midlands for nearly 35 million euros. “I remembered that Rennes was doing well for me, we will say that I like playing against them”, he slipped into a smile to conclude. The Red and Black cannot say the same.