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The fact that Lille OSC won the French championship a few days ago attracted a great deal of attention beyond the country’s borders. But the newly crowned champion actually managed to surprise again afterwards.
Not Neymar, Mbappé and Di Maria can call themselves champions after this season, but Burak, Yusuf and Zeki. The three Turkish internationals played a major role in Lille crossing the finish line before Paris Saint-Germain.
Christophe Galtier has at least as large a share in the fifth title in the history of the “Doggen” club. Together with ex-sports director Luis Campos, the coach formed a very balanced team that had a consistently strong season without any real stars. But it is already clear that the face of the team, starting with the coach, will change.
Galtier announces goodbye
The successful coach, who has been with Lille since 2017, announced his departure just two days after winning the title. There were rumors before, but so far he hadn’t commented on them. Apparently he thinks that he got the most out of the team. It is not yet known where he is headed. Olympique Lyon, OGC Nice and SSC Napoli are looking for a new head coach and are considered interested.
There is also speculation about the future of Burak Yılmaz. The 35-year-old striker, Lilles best scorer with 16 goals, is currently preparing for the European Championship with the Turkish national team. If he plays a convincing final round, he should be presented with well-endowed offers towards the end of his eventful and successful career. He is still under contract until 2022. It is also uncertain whether players like Jonathan David or Mike Maignan will stay. Keeper Maignan is popular abroad and has been linked with a move to AC Milan.
Favre could come
Galtier’s successor in the coaching position could meanwhile be Lucien Favre. The ex-coach of Borussia Dortmund has a good reputation in France and speaks the local language. He is regarded as an absolute expert and promoter of talent, although he has been denied the winning mentality.
He last worked for BVB for two and a half years, but missed winning a title during this time. The Dortmund team was particularly promising under Favre in the 2018/19 season when they had a six point lead over Bayern Munich during the winter break, but lost it in the end.
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