An almost voiceless vocal leader? This is the misadventure that has accompanied Alexandre Lacazette since the start of his season with Olympique Lyonnais. “We had to celebrate the return home,” laughed the former Gunner, on August 28 in the Canal Football Club, to justify his hoarse voice. After scoring, last week against Angers (5-0), a 132nd personal goal making him the third top scorer in OL history, Alexandre Lacazette could not comment on this performance against the media, for lack of operational vocal cords.
According to its partners, the leadership of the 31-year-old striker does not suffer from it this summer. “In addition to being a scorer with a lot of qualities, he is someone who talks a lot. It is very important for the collective, ”says Romain Faivre. “Alexandre is experienced and when he gives me advice, I necessarily listen to him,” emphasizes Johann Lepenant. How did the man the club nicknamed “General Lacazette” turn into captain and guide of an OL in search of a rebound?
“He makes our young people grow”
New assistant to Peter Bosz in charge of the attackers, Ludovic Giuly is amazed by the contribution to the group of Alexandre Lacazette (4 goals in Ligue 1), who will still be decisive this Sunday (8:45 p.m.) in Monaco. He confides in 20 minutes.
Alex takes his role to heart by talking a lot with the young people in training and in the locker room. He is a natural leader and the big brother in their eyes. They have seen his journey and they are seeking advice. Alex is therefore a responsible man and a happy captain who helps our young people grow. »
Twelve years before Rayan Cherki, to whom he is very close, and Bradley Barcola, it was up to him to come into play to blast the wings with his training club. He therefore strives to share his experience with them, as Lisandro, Bastos, Briand and Gomis were able to do with him during his first professional steps under Claude Puel. Sometimes perceived as a solo scorer given his attacking carnage in Ligue 1 (seasons with 27, 21 and 28 goals from 2014 to 2017), Alexandre Lacazette has clearly gained in altruism, even in dedication to the collective, during his five years in Arsenal (11 goals and 6 assists on average per season in PL).
“Alex is a relay for the coach”
And going from regular substitute to captain of the Gunners in the eyes of Mikel Arteta is not nothing. This new status obtained in December 2021, which therefore extends with significantly more guarantees at OL, is accompanied by a permanent reflection on the game that he shares with the technical staff. Ludovic Giuly reveals this to us: “When a player enters his thirties, he understands football better. There, Alex is a relay for the coach, he is thirsty to learn Peter’s system. Honestly, apart from Carles Puyol in Barcelona, I don’t remember a player who asks the staff so many questions, and all of them related to the pitch”. In an interview with Free Ligue 1, the interested party details his approach accompanying his armband.
My role in assisting partners in the field has grown over the years. I tell myself that if I manage to understand everyone’s progress a little, it will perhaps be easier to help my teammates with their movements, or even to anticipate them. »
Lacombe’s 149 goals in sight
An amazing reflection-implication on the game that Armand Garrido, trainer of Alexandre Lacazette in U16 at OL, would not have predicted. “At the time, it was not someone who came to fish for information, he remembers. He was rather discreet in the locker room and very respectful of the work of his trainers. His armband today is proof that he has evolved a lot. Same story for Enzo Reale, teammate of Lacazette in the youth categories of OL and in the U18, U19 and U20 selections: “Basically, Alex was not someone who discussed a lot. He did the job on the field, and was always discreet in the group. With his experience at Lyon and Arsenal, we feel that he now expresses himself more.
Like his friend Corentin Tolisso, he inevitably has a responsibility in the full card made by his team (4th) this season at home against poorly ranked players (12 points out of 12), where OL have so often wasted opportunities with a bad approach to these less flashy encounters. “His attitude and his state of mind speak for him, insists Ludovic Giuly. It is Alex who will trigger the races and the pressing of the team. “And this without forgetting that the second place of Bernard Lacombe (149 goals with OL) is only 16 points away. “He is of course aware of all this, smiles Ludovic Giuly. There are records to break for him and it’s nice to see how he can mark the history of the club. It may be playable to go for second place this season. “When you are such a scorer, there are reflexes that are not lost, armband on the arm or not.