In six years, maybe he too will have his face anchored in the skin of some supporters, sculpted in front of the city's stadium or painted on the facade of a taco merchant.
Florian Thauvin signed this Friday at the Tigres de Monterrey, the club where the French and soon to be Mexican striker André-Pierre Gignac has been having fun since 2015.
There are some similarities between the two men.
Both wore the colors of OM before attempting to everyone's surprise the tropical bet.
But will the Orléanais know how to become an idol and earn his nickname as Gignac renamed "El Bomboro" even if that does not mean anything in Spanish?
As much the latter arrived in Mexico at the age of 29 in full possession of his means.
Both the world champion, a year younger, comes out of two sluggish seasons on the Canebière, handicapped by a serious injury to the right ankle in 2019.
"Over there, you have to run and give your all"
"I'm a little surprised, but I'm very happy for him," says Aurélien Collin, who went to export brilliantly to the United States ten years ago.
The 35-year-old Frenchman has been able to taste “Mexican madness” several times during his travels within the framework of Concacaf, the Champions League bringing together the best teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
“It's a very physical championship, sometimes very messy.
But one thing is certain: there, you have to run and give your all.
Gignac did not take it lightly and he succeeded.
Besides, I don't think the Tigers would have taken him if he was over 30, ”commented the Philadelphia Union defenseman.
Read also Gignac becomes top European scorer in the history of the Mexican league
On the side of OM, we regret to see one of the tauliers leave, especially when he is at the end of his contract.
At the club since 2013, except for a bland semester in the Premier League with Newcastle in 2015, Thauvin has scored nearly 86 goals and delivered 61 assists in 279 games.
“Sometimes there are things that the coaches don't control.
There are financial questions, there is the time spent here, perhaps the desire to know something else, ”resigned coach Jorge Sampaoli, while a five-year extension had been offered to him.
His last selection in Blue dates back to June 2019
Florian Thauvin's future in Blue (10 games, one goal) also raises questions as his last call dates back to June 2019. He has of course no chance of seeing Mbappé, Pogba or Griezmann this summer other than behind his television set. , but the door is not for all that closed
ad vitam aeternam
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The profile and temperament of the one who played only one ball at the World Cup in Russia - against Argentina in the round of 16 - has always pleased Didier Deschamps.
Perfil Tigre es create that siempre es possible ... Vamos tigres 🐯 @TigresOficial 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/apOq1q8lbu
- Florian Thauvin (@FlorianThauvin) May 7, 2021
To help him, there is still the example of Gignac, selected for Euro 2016 and a few centimeters from the liberating goal in the final against Portugal. Only going to Mexico can also turn into sporting disillusion, like Andy Delort (2016-2017 at Tigres) and Jérémy Ménez (2018-2019 at Club America). Thauvin will therefore have to wet the jersey if he wants this transfer to really be that of the relaunch, or even a return to the selection. For this, he will also be able to cling to the motto of his new team, which he pronounced in Spanish on Friday in his presentation video. “The Tigers style is to always believe that it is possible. "
