The transfer of Valentin Rongier had already been done under special conditions. Indeed, his arrival in Marseille was formalized on September 3, the day after the end of the summer transfer window. For this, OM has activated a kind of joker, which allows French clubs to afford a Ligue 1 player after the deadline.
Lovers of FC Nantes
If he is not from Nantes by blood, Rongier is yellow at heart. During his youth classes, he regularly attends the professional group match from the stands. 135 official matches with the first team later, and at the end of his 18th season among the Breton club, he decides to cross a "level" by joining Marseille. But the conditions of his somewhat hasty departure did not allow him to say goodbye to his club and his teammates as he would have liked. "They have always had a lot of respect for me, I wish it had ended a little better. I promise that I will come back, I will find a solution to say goodbye to them because they deserve it ”- he confided during his presentation to… OM.
He also wrote a (very) long farewell message to the Breton club on his Instagram account, relayed by the FCN. "The Nantes family ... (…) Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have brought me over all these years. (…) I will only remember the positive of all these years spent in my heart club, in my city that I love so much. (...) The word thank you is too weak to express the gratitude I have towards you (the supporters). (…) And I promise you to stay forever in Nantes, ”he said in particular.
Besides, he never misses an opportunity to slip a small cleat to the best enemies of his ex-club: Rennes. When he went to win at Roazhon Park with Marseille on the 20th day, when he was thoroughly whistled by all the local supporters, he said that it had "pleased" him. Then twitter this:
WE COME, WE WIN, AND WE GO @OM_Officiel No hard feelings @staderennais
- Valentin Rongier (@ Valrongier28) January 10, 2020Express integration in Marseille
Since his arrival at La Canebière, his placement and his vision of the game coupled with a quality of pass allow him to regulate the game of OM. Valentin Rongier did more than meet the expectations placed on him. The versatile midfielder was even voted the best Marseille player of October by supporters. A situation that enchants him: “I don't know if we can talk about a darling. But I realize that the fans appreciate me and that, I want to give them back every time I set foot on the ground. I thank them for that, by the way. Because the meaning and that puts me in very good conditions to start the games. "
The only little catch? While he found his way from time to time with the Canaries (4 goals last season), Valentin Rongier still cannot unlock his meter in the south of France, despite his 34 shots attempted in 40 games . Maybe a psychological block? This is what he thinks, as does his trainer André Villas-Boas: “I think my foot is capable of framing the majority of my strikes but in the match, I may have a blockage. If I mark the first one, it will allow me to continue ». Now, if we are sure that he will not celebrate in the event of a goal, we wonder even if he will not have the impression of betraying his former teammates.
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- Ligue 1 ranking
