“Finally, Lemar seems to be a world champion!
".
This title published by the daily Marca at the end of November reveals everything about the period lived by the attacking midfielder of Atlético de Madrid.
Since his transfer from Monaco and his 2018 world title, Thomas Lemar has never really convinced in Spain.
"His first two seasons were a disaster, even dares David Medina, specialist in Atlético for the newspaper Marca.
He did not add anything, spent an entire year without a goal, nor an assist.
The club has almost lost faith in him ”.
Finally back in the foreground, the 25-year-old Guadeloupe is expected as the holder, again this Thursday evening, in Eibar.
After trying to loan him or transfer him, Diego Simeone's Atlético, a charismatic Argentine coach, gave him his chance, especially with regard to his involvement in training.
"His apparent lack of confidence was the main problem," Medina analyzes.
Publicly, Simeone has always stood up for him.
He knew Thomas had talent and he would show it.
Never has he given so many opportunities to a player ”.
Martial and Coman are ahead
The key was finally found this fall.
In La Liga, since his brilliant appearances against Valencia or Valladolid, Lemar has never left the starting eleven.
And when Simeone is looking for a solution to revive his team in the derby against Real, it is the former Monegasque who comes out of the sidelines.
Above all, Lemar offers the Argentine technician a real balance in a 3-4-2-1 system that allows Atlético to play for the league title.
Alternately offensive midfielder, right winger or second striker, the left-hander trained in Caen has become a centerpiece, ahead of Joao Félix, the Portuguese nugget at 120 million euros.
“He will be one of the important men in the La Liga race,” thinks David Medina.
With this performance, he will continue to play a large part of the games and will be part of the 12 or 13 who play the most.
Maybe he just needs to turn a corner as he approaches the surface and create more chances ”.
After a significant dip in his career, Lemar reappears at the best of times with the prospect of returning to the France team (22 caps and 4 goals, the last in October 2019).
Euro 2020, postponed by a year due to the health crisis and which he would never have played on the right dates, is clearly his goal.
Among the Blues, he notably participated in the Russian epic of 2018 by playing the match against Denmark.
By continuing to perform well in La Liga, Lemar could return, more or less, in the discussion for the list of 23 Didier Deschamps communicated in mid-May.
The strength of character of the attacking midfielder, at the origin of this club renaissance, does not go unnoticed.
For the moment, Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman, his direct competitors for the positions of winger in selection, are clearly ahead.
Not to mention the recent return to form of another world champion, Ousmane Dembélé, with Barcelona.
If the road is therefore still long, Lemar will work to make the coach's choices difficult, even if it means being transferred to a list of reservists.
