Lisandru Olmeta, son of Pascal Olmeta and AS Monaco U17 goalkeeper, has just been called up for an internship with the French U16 team in Clairefontaine from January 18 to 21.
His father, one of the best French specialists in this post in the heart of the 80s and 90s, looks tenderly but lucidly on the career of this 15-year-old teenager with a bright future.
How did you welcome your son's first call to the France U16 team?
PASCAL OLMETA.
I felt great pride, for many reasons, but already because I know what it means for him to bear my name,.
Deep down, I even thought: "One day I can leave in peace, the succession seems assured."
In football as in other sports, it is never easy to be the son of ...
Of course.
The comparison is inevitable.
All the more so when, as for Lisandru, he evolves in the same position.
I never gave him brainstorming to play football.
For a long time, I did not even go to see his matches.
If tomorrow he doesn't turn pro, I won't make a disease out of him.
The most important thing, in my eyes, is that he is happy and fully fulfilled in his life.
Is that your speech to him?
I encourage him to have fun first.
After the announcement of his selection, I explained to him that his work was starting to pay off.
That no one had to be trusted, that he had no friends and had to make his way.
Afterwards, if he has to follow in my footsteps, let him go for it because there is nothing more beautiful.
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Has he always been a goalie?
At 4 or 5, he was a bit of a jack of all trades.
Then he started to evolve as a goalkeeper, he liked it and he didn't move.
But I don't think it's related to me.
This is the position where he is most accomplished and for which he has the most dispositions.
He aspires to become professional?
He is only 15 years old.
I insist on this point.
It is difficult to project yourself.
But I'm not going to tell it to you.
It's his dream.
He lives football, breathes football.
On his phone, he continuously watches the saves of Manuel Neuer (
Editor's note: the goalkeeper of Bayern Munich
) and those of the best goalkeepers on the planet.
Why did he choose to join Monaco in March 2020?
When he was fired at Gazélec, where he enjoyed the unwavering support of the club's educators, he was spotted by West Ham.
He carried out a test there, then another in Cagliari in the space of six months.
Marseille has also come forward.
He's been there three times.
In the winter of 2020, he was preparing to join OM, where a proposal was certainly awaiting him, when Monaco called me.
What happened next ?
Once in Monaco, the person in charge of the goalkeepers quickly informed me of his strong interest in Lisandru.
It matched their research.
By correction, he then went to Marseille, as planned, but in his head, his decision was made, it was Monaco.
Do you now follow his matches and how do you judge his progress?
At his age, the regular presence of parents is important.
With my wife, we often go to see him.
I take this opportunity to attend some of his meetings.
If it wasn't for my son, I would have said to the different clubs in all fairness: "Take care of this boy, because you may be dealing with a very good future".
What are its qualities ?
He fears nothing.
He talks a lot to his supporters.
He exudes a great maturity, the same that I could transmit when I was 20 years old.
He's ahead of me.
One day, I worked with him specifically.
What I saw at my "little one" pleased me very much.
Does he watch some of your matches?
Recently, Alim (
Editor's note: Ben Mabrouk
), my former partner in Racing, sent me two videos of our matches against PSG in particular.
I sent them to Lisandru.
He could see that I never hesitated to go out in my area.
At the same time, Fabien Barthez called him to advise him, for the sake of standing out from many goalkeepers, never to stay glued to his line.
It is thus for the goalkeeper to show his confidence and to transmit his confidence to his defenders.