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Ligue 1 side Rennes have submitted a €5m offer to Ludogorets for central midfielder Anicet Abel, according to Foot Mercato.
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The 27-year-old box-to-box midfielder is a Madagascar international who spent his youth football days at Auxerre.
There is ever-increasing optimism at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux that they will have a deal completed for 23-year-old Atletico Paranaense defensive midfielder Otávio by this week.
Sud Ouest report that the player is due in Bordeaux by the end of the week, with Globo Esporte claiming that a €7m transfer is in the final stages of being agreed.
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Leinster head coach Leo Cullen claims the focus from his side is going to be on managing the six-day turnaround for their quarter-final against Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup.
Cullen’s side advanced to the next round after defeating rivals Ulster 30-15 on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.
It was a brilliant performance by the side that was loaded with international stars fresh off their Grand Slam success in the Six Nations.
The Dublin men beat the Tigers in the quarter-finals last season, but Cullen insists that things are different this time around.
“We played against Leicester last season, they’ve a couple of changes in personnel. Obviously, George Ford is gone, Handre Pollard is there, so they’ve a tonne of experience in their team,” Cullen said.
“It’s going to be a great test, isn’t it? A really good test but, again, it’s the occasion. The dynamic of the tournament is very unusual but the occasions are still pretty special.
“Hopefully, it’s a slightly drier day so you can see bit more fluid running rugby from both teams. You see the way England played here a couple of weeks ago, that sort of Steve Borthwick template.”
The coach thought his side did well and commended the forwards for their effort. However, all focus is on recovery for the clash against the Tigers.
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“I thought the forwards did a good job in terms of laying the platform for the team. That’s on the back of a good week’s work.
“We’re pleased to be through. Ulster put it up to us.
“Just talking to the guys in the dressing room, it’s all about recovery and trying to turn the page quickly.
“It’s a very unusual sort of dynamic, isn’t it? In the past, you’d have a couple of weeks’ lead-in into this game. Now it’s a six-day turnaround.”
Meanwhile, Ulster head coach Dan McFarland gave full credit to Leinster for an impressive win but was still proud of how his side approached the game.
“Leinster were certainly the better team today,” he said. “I was proud of the effort that our guys put in. I was proud of the way we approached the game physically.
“I think some of the bits and pieces around our discipline, potentially in the aerial and territory game, we didn’t match up to them so fair play to them – good win.”
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Chiefs flyer Emoni Narawa caught the eye with an outstanding finish in his side’s 20-13 triumph over the Blues in their Super Rugby Pacific derby in Hamilton on Saturday.
Narawa, who used to ply his trade at the Blues, made an immediate impact when he gathered a grubber kick from Damian McKenzie just 26 seconds into the match, and despite being close to the touchline, he managed to stay inside the field of play before diving over the whitewash in acrobatic fashion.
McKenzie held his nerve to slot the difficult conversion from close to the touchline, which meant the home side were leading 7-0 as early as the second minute.
⚫️ The Chiefs make a sensational start in Hamilton against the Blues! Emoni Narawa rounds off in style after just 26 seconds! #SuperRugbyPacific #CHIvBLU pic.twitter.com/WYCNfsIapW
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 1, 2023
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It did not take long for the Blues to respond, and in the ninth minute, they narrowed the gap to two points when Ricky Riccitteli managed to drive over the try-line from close quarters, although Beauden Barrett was off target with the conversion attempt.
McKenzie extended his side’s lead when he landed a penalty in the 12th minute, but the Blues did not panic and drew level five minutes later when Caleb Clarke scored their second try.
Momentum between these sides continued to ebb and flow, and in the 26th minute, Narawa scored his second converted try, which gave the Chiefs a 17-10 lead at half-time.
The second half was a much tighter affair as the teams cancelled each other out with solid defensive efforts. The Chiefs went further ahead in the 46th minute when McKenzie kicked his second penalty before Barrett also succeeded with a three-pointer off the kicking tee five minutes later.
The rest of the match was an arm wrestle as both teams battled to gain the ascendancy, but neither team managed to score points which meant the Chiefs clinched their sixth successive Super Rugby Pacific win, which consolidates their position at the top of the table.
Video credit: Super Rugby Pacific
It is rare that a fixture at the Stade de Roudourou captures the world’s imagination. Yet, on Sunday, in this unimposing corner of north-western France, the eyes and ears of football fans from across the globe will be transfixed on Guingamp’s home turf, awaiting the first glimpse of a Brazilian forward, on whom a Parisian club have spent more money than six countries have GDP.
The game is one of the most hotly anticipated fixtures in Ligue 1 history, all because of one player and one transfer saga. Seeing Neymar in the blue of Paris Saint-Germain will make what was thought to be impossible, a reality. But there is a little history that adds more weight to this Sunday’s story than would first meet the eye. Guingamp coach Antoine Kombouaré, for one, was the manager jilted by PSG’s new Qatari owners in 2011, a victim of their pursuit of a coach with a ‘bigger name’.
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Neymar’s debut presents the intriguing prospect of Kombouaré standing in opposition to his former employers as they try to showcase their latest, multi-million-euro, ‘big name’. Moreover, there is also the small matter of the last time a world-famous Brazilian in the colours of PSG strutted his stuff on the Guingampais surface back in 2003. That day, a certain Ronaldinho netted one of the most stunning individual goals in French football history. No pressure, then.
This weekend’s game has been set up to be all about Neymar. Guingamp themselves have been overlooked as an opposition. Indeed, their only mention has been to highlight the fact that the new multi-millionaire Prince of Paris will be travelling to a rural, allegedly ‘back-of-beyond’ club whose nickname is ‘The Farmers’.
This, for some, has served to reinforce the preconception that Neymar is moving only for the money, to take a lucrative contract and sacrifice playing at a ‘higher’ level. It is a far cry from the glamour of La Liga, it has been said, and thus his debut at Le Roudourou shows the transfer for what it really is; a financial investment in every sense. Ligue 1, they say, is a step-down.
There can be no denying that this weekend’s clash fits the overused metaphor of David versus Goliath. To sum it up succinctly, Neymar’s expected wage at PSG is thought to be around £537,000 per week, according to the Press Association. En Avant de Guingamp’s average annual player wage, in 2016, according to the Global Sports Salaries Survey, was £293,650, which is equal to £5,647 per week.
In terms of financial disparity, we could go on. Guingamp’s wage budget is about 13 times smaller than that of PSG. It is a similar story for another half dozen Ligue 1 sides. But beyond finances, the fixture still screams of the Great versus the Insignificant. EAG’s home, Le Stade de Roudourou, has a capacity of 18,250. The population of Guingamp itself is only 7,000.
Guingamp are small outfit. They have spent a good part of their history in the third tier and amateur football, only achieving promotion to Ligue 1 in 1995, 11 years after turning professional for the first time. They do however have trophies in the cabinet; two Coupe de Frances, both won against rivals Rennes, in 2009 and 2014. Some famous alumni may also be familiar to the English audience; Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Laurent Koscielny have all donned the red and black of EAG in recent years. Yet, in all regards, it seems, Guingamp pale in comparison to PSG.
But, despite the assumptions and the realities of their club sizes, there is one regard in which the two do not differ so widely. That is on the pitch itself. To assume that Guingamp will simply roll over on Sunday is a wildly uninformed assumption. There will be no welcoming party for Neymar, nor will there be a procession for the capital club.
Le Stade de Roudourou is certainly not a happy hunting ground for visiting sides. Paris Saint-Germain are no exception; they have only won once here in their last five visits in all competitions. Last season, Guingamp lost just four times at home, achieving the fifth best home record in the division.
It was their away form that proved their Achilles Heel last term, hindering their early season assault on the league’s European spots, falling away to finish 10th. That said, it was still the third highest league finish in the club’s history. Coach Antoine Kombouaré won a lot of plaudits for the way his side played, with fast counter-attacking football, which stunningly undid PSG in a famous victory last December.
And it appears that more of the same is in the offing this time round. A 3-1 win against Metz on the opening day of the new campaign put to bed the away-form hoodoo that had been lingering over the club since their last victory on the road, which came at Lyon, back in October of last year. Their counter-attacking flair was very much on show too, typified by their second goal and what would be later awarded goal of the weekend, scored by academy product Ludovic Blas. He finished off a sweeping move that saw the Farmers move the ball from the edge of their own penalty area to the back of the Metz net in under 15 seconds.
Guingamp have had a good transfer window so far, retaining their most important assets. Jimmy Briand, their standout name and club captain, extended his contract by two years earlier this summer, whilst coveted forward Yannis Salibur, remains, for now, an EAG player.
Above all, despite interest from Saint-Étienne following the departure of Christophe Galtier, the continued appearance of Antoine Kombouaré in the Guingampais dugout is perhaps the club’s biggest success this summer, especially considering that for many, a few losses in personnel, including the manager, could well have seen the club tumble down the table. Instead, there have been a number of positive new additions, including Lebogang Phiri, Marcus Thuram and Razza Camara, who have all slotted seamlessly into place at Le Roudourou.
Neymar’s arrival, as Adam White has written for Get French Football News, is fantastic for Ligue 1. It will raise the profile of the French game and bring it entirely new audiences. For En Avant de Guingamp, as the first hosts of PSG’s superstar investment, this is not only a great opportunity to introduce themselves to the world, but to also help dispel many of the preconceptions surrounding the smaller, less well-known sides in the division.
There can be no denying that Neymar taking to the field at Guingamp does have more than a little poignancy to it. It is David against Goliath, it is a clash between a remote, rural side and the glamour and prowess of the capital outfit, and it is a clash between a bottomless pit of cash and tightly held purse-strings. But it is also a clash between two very good football sides.
Despite all that may be assumed about the Farmers from Brittany, and despite the main draw for the occasion being one player wearing number 10 for PSG, rest-assured, there will be no red carpet for Neymar on Sunday night.
P.R.
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Ligue 1 side FC Nantes have made an enquiry for French winger Anthony Mounier, but have yet to follow up with a concrete approach, according to RMC.
The 29-year-old former Montpellier winger spent last season on loan at Atalanta, and is also interesting Fenerbahce, according to the report.
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Leicester Tigers fullback Mike Brown supports the idea of central contracts for England players as he believes it will ease the burden on the Premiership clubs.
Brown signed a contract extension with Leicester Tigers after he joined the club midway through the 2022/23 season and will remain at the side into next season.
Leicester secured Brown’s services for next season and added Ollie Hassell-Collins to their ranks.
The current Premiership holders have also recruited Josh Bassett, Kyle Hatherell, Jamie Shillcock and Finn Theobald-Thomas but are likely to lose England and Lions outside back Anthony Watson.
Watson is reportedly weighing up offers in France and Japan ahead of next season, despite also joining Leicester ahead of the current campaign.
The outside back – who was a standout for Steve Borthwick’s side during the Six Nations – is set to join several England stars who will head across The Channel after the World Cup.
Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie have signed deals to join Montpellier. Meanwhile, Joe Marchant is off to Stade Francais while David Ribbans heads to Toulon.
The idea of central contracts is gaining ground in England, after its success with Ireland and New Zealand, with Saracens boss Mark McCall one of the voices calling for the system to be introduced.
The move to central contracts would make England players more affordable for Premiership clubs and help ensure that they remain in the League.
“Central contracts could be a good idea, taking the pressure off clubs financially,” Brown said.
“If the RFU are paying for a decent amount of the top players’ salaries, then there’s money there that can be used elsewhere in the salary cap. It takes the pressure off them, their load management and the alignment for players.
“Hopefully, we won’t in the future see players having to go abroad through lack of jobs or financial pull. We need to stop that happening.”
Brown was a free agent before joining Leicester after Newcastle Falcons released him at the end of the 2021/22 season.
The 38-year-old kept in shape throughout with solo training before he was granted a trial with Leicester in January.
Following the departure of Freddie Burns to New Zealand to play Super Rugby Pacific for the Highlanders and Freddie Steward on Six Nations duty, the door opened for Brown to make his return to the Premiership.
He took advantage of the situation and now looks ahead to his 19th professional season in 2023/24, and he sees no reason to map out the finishing line.
“I knew I could still play and contribute; it was just about getting that opportunity,” Brown said.
“It’s been good to have the chance to show that I was right in my own head and prove to myself I could still do it.
“I’ve come in with no expectations and thrown myself into it, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.
“I never wanted to think about how long I can play for. As soon as you start putting a deadline on it, mentally, that is when your body starts winding down.
“I use (former England and Harlequins number eight) Nick Easter as an example of this. That guy was an absolute machine.
“He didn’t train that much in the gym, but he never got injured, and he played 80 minutes every single week.
“As soon as he said he was going to retire at the end of that season, he started getting injuries, so I always looked at that as an example.
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“I just feel mentally freer on the field now. Mentally I enjoy the parts of the game I want to take enjoyment from; there is no pressure on me, really. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.”
Gloucester effectively saw their Premiership play-off hopes ended as they succumbed to a 17-12 defeat to a Newcastle Falcons side that played with 14 men for over an hour.
The Falcons were 7-5 ahead when Richard Palframan was red carded for a shoulder to the head of a Cherry and Whites player.
Adam Radwan had given the hosts the lead following Sebastian Blake’s opener but, when Ollie Thorley touched down after Palframan had received his marching orders, it seemed a tall order for the Falcons.
However, Newcastle battled superbly and Gloucester would not score another point in the final hour. They defended brilliantly and took their chances to stun the West Countrymen.
Brett Connon reduced the arrears with a penalty just shy of the interval before man of the match Elliott Obatoyinbo crossed the whitewash in the second period to deservedly win the game for Mark Laycock’s men.
Laycock was named interim head coach at Kingston Park following Dave Walder’s departure, and had to endure a rough opening half to his tenure.
The visitors hit the front after six minutes when Blake powered over following a tap penalty from five metres out.
Santi Carreras failed to convert – despite hitting both posts – and the north-east side made them pay seven minutes later with a superb try.
Obatoyinbo moved through the tightest of spaces and showed brilliant awareness to dummy the ball, beat both Jordy Reid and Thorley, and find Radwan on the outside to score.
But the game turned when Palframan caught Freddie Clarke’s head with his shoulder, and the officials decided to issue a red card to the Falcons number three.
The Cherry and Whites quickly regained the lead as Blake delivered a line out to Lewis Ludlow who found Thorley and the winger bulldozed through to the try line, with Carreras adding the simple conversion.
The lead could have been extended when Thorley looked certain to dot down after a threaded through ball from Lloyd Evans, but a slightly casual approach enabled Radwan to dart in ahead of him and prevent another try.
🕺 Stunning work from Elliott Obatoyinbo to set up Adam Radwan's try. 🔥#GallagherPrem #NEWvGLOpic.twitter.com/qNLvJpSq4C
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 24, 2023
Reid was also denied before the break, with the TMO spotting a knock on in the build-up to his touchdown.
Connon struck a penalty just before half-time to reduce the arrears to 12-10 after Kirill Gotovtsev caught Mateo Carreras with a hand to the face.
And the visiting side were made to pay for their earlier missed chances in the second half when Obatoyinbo received a kick from Connon on 63 minutes and weaved past Carreras to dot down, before the fly-half kicked an excellent conversion from the left wing.
The kicker could not extend the lead six minutes later with a penalty attempt, but it did not matter as Newcastle earned a gutsy victory.
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Spanish side Valencia have agreed a deal to loan Inter Milan midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, with an option to buy worth around €20m at the end of the campaign.
Kondogbia, 24, underwent a medical with the club today ahead of the proposed move.
The Frenchman has experience in La Liga with Sevilla, having played for a season in Spain before his move to Monaco in 2013.
Valencia winger João Cancelo is reportedly set to go the other way on loan, as part of the deal.
S.H.
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The much maligned Intertoto Cup ran from 1995 to 2008 and acted as a wild card means of entry into the UEFA Cup. Producing either two or three qualifiers each year, it was perhaps taken most seriously in France. The likes of Guingamp, Bastia and Montpellier all gained a taste of top level European competition via this route.
For ESTAC Troyes, an Intertoto success remains the club’s sole honour. In 2001, the team from the Champagne region overcame high-flying Newcastle United on away goals, with a 4-4 draw in the North East of England following a goalless encounter at Stade de l’Aube.
This is indeed ancient history but that same year saw Benjamin Nivet’s debut for Troyes. Now 40, Nivet is in his second spell at a club with whom he has experienced three relegations and three promotions. Throw in another relegation and promotion during his spell at Caen between 2007 and 2012 and Nivet’s career profile, spanning 668 games and counting, begins to resemble a game of snakes and ladders.
But this is no journeyman player. Quite the opposite. The Clarefontaine graduate is a cult hero in both Normandy and Champagne, admired for his visible dedication to the cause and eye for a key pass. Commitment? Since returning to Troyes in 2012, Nivet has missed just 12 league games in five years. Goals? Yes, 40 in that same period including a crucial late winner in the home leg of May’s promotion play-off against Lorient, a game in which he was a full seven years older than any other player on the pitch.
At 5’9”, and wiry rather than stocky in build, the attacking midfielder has a modest CV having debuted at Auxerre and then moved on to Chateauroux before joining Troyes in 2001. There is little doubt Nivet could have played in the higher reaches of French football but perhaps his innate modesty and loyalty have prevailed. Certainly his affection for Troyes is obvious and the feeling is mutual – it is reported that Nivet recently declined the City’s offer to commission a statue in his honour. That is simply not his style!
It is fair to say that ESTAC Troyes are one of France’s yo-yo teams so manager Jean-Louis Garcia would have been relieved that Nivet accepted another year’s playing contract this summer ahead of a challenging return to Ligue 1. His experience and composure will be vital if the club is to avoid another demotion. Last year served as a healing process of sorts after the disastrous top level campaign of 2015-16 which saw the team win just three matches and suffer some heavy defeats, most notably a gruesome 9-0 reverse at home to champions elect PSG.
Naturally, with this bitter experience in mind, Troyes have approached the new season with caution but four points from their first three games offers encouragement. A home draw with Rennes was then followed by a surprise 2-1 victory at Nice, with Nivet’s pinpoint 50 yard through-ball feeding Malian striker Adama Niane for Troyes’ opener. Their hosts may well have been distracted by Champions League qualification matters but this still represents a major scalp for the promoted side.
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That telepathy between Nivet and Niane, 16 years his junior, is likely to be a key feature of Troyes’ forward play this year. The young striker hit 23 goals in 2016-17, the highest return in Ligue 2, and this relationship may prove vital for a side which managed only 28 goals in its last season at the top level.
The neutral observer of Ligue 1 may have little interest in Esperance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne (to give them their full name) and the club is certainly a modest proposition with average crowds of just 10,000 at the increasingly shabby Stade de l’Aube, but if this is to be the evergreen Benjamin Nivet’s final season it would be heartening to see them at least survive in the top tier. Nivet himself will almost certainly retire without an honour to his name but few players have proved as popular.
T.M.