On Sunday 9 April, a 116th chapter of Northern supremacy will be played on the lawn of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. And for the first time since his rise to Ligue 1 in 2020, RC Lens, undefeated in 17 games, is the favorite against Losc. “It is true that after the 2000s in favor of Lens, then Lille in the 2010s, the trend is reversing, recognizes Guillaume Warmuz, champion of France with club Lensois in 1998. For three seasons, the RCL has had a linear trajectory towards the top of the standings. “
Indeed, if we refer to the statistics, Sang et Or finished last season in front of Lille (10th) and there are three consecutive victories in all competitions against their rival Lille. “ After, to say that Lens have taken the place of Lille, it is still too early, tempers Sandrine Arrestier, journalist at The voice of the north. We must remember that the comeback year, LOSC won 4-0 and 3-0. “
Franck Haise, the X factor
Despite everything, for three seasons, the formation led by Franck Haise seduced with its attacking game. “ At this moment the planets seem to line upcontinues Sandrine Arrestier. With the owner Joseph Oughourlian, the managing director Arnaud Pouille, the now former sporting director Florent Ghisolfi and coach Franck Haise, relationships are well oiled, everyone has their place in a well-defined framework. And the confidence in the coach is total. “
Arriving at RCL in 2020 with no real Ligue 1 experience, Franck Haise is one of the symbols of Lensoise’s success. ” I didn’t think his principles would match the club and the squadadmits Guillaume Warmuz. But he was able to intelligently mesh his ideas and the players available by relying on values that correspond to the region..
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Similarities to the 1998 generation
An offensive game, a lot of work and a team that wets the shirt, so much so as to give even more ambition to the fans. ” I find similarities with our generation, continues the former goalkeeper. The passion, the recruits and the coach have made it possible to transform the club from a great team to a great team capable of winning titles. There really is a lot of resemblance to the seasons leading up to the title in 1998 “.
Having narrowly missed Europe last season (7th), the Lensois club first tries to stabilize the club before thinking about C1. Among the fans we are starting to talk about the Champions League, but for the leaders the primary ambition is to maintain and stabilize the club in Ligue 1.specifies the reporter from The voice of the north. The leaders are aware of the possibilities and limitations of the club. Proof, Franck Haise regularly reiterates at press conferences that the team is getting over. “
The stakes will therefore be multiple for this short trip to Lille: winning the derby, maintaining one’s invincibility and continuing to dream of Europe.
