He had become one of the darlings of the public, until this missed penalty against Stade Rennais, one evening in August 2019. A few days and a European elimination later, the captain of Racing Club de Strasbourg Jonas Martin had alienated some of the Meinau supporters by signing with Rennes for three seasons.
The slender midfielder trained in Montpellier then had the difficult task of replacing Rennes captain Benjamin André, who had left for LOSC. He will not really have had the opportunity to assume it as he will have been often injured. The proof: two and a half years after his arrival in Brittany, Jonas Martin has still not played at La Meinau where the reception of the public could be fresh. He will do so this Wednesday for one of his last appearances in the Rennes jersey (kick-off at 9 p.m.) against his former coach Julien Stéphan.
Six more games before leaving Rennes
At the end of the contract in June, the former Strasbourg player was not extended by Florian Maurice and will leave Stade Rennais free at the end of the season. Without bitterness but with the desire to end well. “I have six games left with Rennes and I am 100% focused. I will be with them until the end. I must and I want to do the maximum. I will leave with my head held high, ”said the midfielder on Tuesday at a press conference.
Plagued by repeated injuries, Jonas Martin played 48 games in three seasons at Stade Rennais. We read in his beautiful blue eyes that he would have liked to dispute many others. “Yes, I was disappointed because everyone knows I’m good here. But I’m not going to cry. I know the club’s policy. I am a loyal, whole person. Despite the injuries, I never gave up. The club has always been there for me and helped me. I didn’t want to leave with a failure. I wanted to give back what was given to me. And I hope to leave a good image”.
His aggressiveness could miss next season
This Wednesday, more than his return to Strasbourg, it is on the crucial match between the 3rd and 5th in Ligue 1 that the midfielder wants to focus. Especially after the defeat conceded against Monaco on Friday. “We will have to be focused on this game. We can have an exceptional end to the season. I do not fear my return. I think some fans will whistle at me, others maybe applaud me. But we can’t please everyone, ”slips Jonas Martin with a smile. In the first leg, he exulted in front of the visitors’ parking lot during the only goal of the match scored by Nayef Aguerd. “Look at every game, when I score what I do. I was happy because the match was closed, it was a release. It didn’t stop me from having my ex-teammates on the phone in the evening to wish them a good season”.
In a fairly young workforce and sometimes too tender, even a little smooth, the former Strasbourg player has nevertheless done good. Experienced, crafty, Jonas Martin was one of the few surly players in Bruno Genesio’s team, capable of putting the little cleat to destabilize the opponent, of making the mistake to cut off the opposing counter-attack. In an already well-supplied midfield, the Breton club preferred to opt for youth by letting the 32-year-old midfielder go free. But he will have to be careful not to lose the “fighting spirit” that Jonas Martin embodied so well. Especially in the event of the departure of his other fighter Benjamin Bourigeaud.