From our special correspondent in Seville
His smile and his pride in posing in the press room with the man of the match trophy were a pleasure to see. After months spent dragging her spleen; Jonathan Ikoné may have finally found the click on Tuesday night in Seville. Decisive by scoring the goal of victory on Andalusian soil, the northerner striker finally found the net after almost three months without scoring.
A real relief for those who did not hesitate to show their trophy to the 500 Lille supporters who remained in the stadium after the match to celebrate the feat of Losc. “It was important because the supporters made the trip and were able to give us momentum so that we can get back to the score before winning this match. We dedicate our victory to the supporters, ”says Jonathan Ikoné.
A big failure before the deliverance
However, Ikoné came close to going from hero to zero. Before scoring Lille’s second goal in the second period, the 23-year-old missed the inevitable just before half-time. Left alone against, he got tangled up when he ran into the Andalusian goalkeeper. A golden opportunity to take the advantage really wasted by the attacker.
“I was revenge after that because these are actions that must end at the bottom. In the locker room at half-time, my teammates came to support me and I came back in the second half with the intention of finishing what I had missed in the first half, ”continues the Losc player.
In doubt for many months
A few weeks ago, Ikoné would have plunged into doubt after such a failure. But the striker, already brilliant last Friday at the Parc des Princes against PSG, seems to be on the path to renewal after a long period of doubt.
“It’s good for ‘Jorko’ because he had a difficult last season despite the league title. He got off to a good start this season. We have already seen it twirling this season. The next stage was efficiency and I think he was in good shape in Seville. He has regained efficiency by scoring and that is a sign that things are improving. He is rewarded for his efforts. We see the Jorko who allowed him to be international, ”said Jocelyn Gourvennec, his trainer.
No longer called in blue for months by Didier Deschamps, Ikoné saw the Euro pass under his nose. By showing decisive Tuesday at a great of Spain in the Champions League, the striker found the best way to remember the good memories of the coach.