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redwineconversation · 4 months ago

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Eugenie Le Sommer Contract Extension (May 23, 2024)

Me (jokingly): oh haha Lyon's bonding activity is burying poor innocent souls in the woods. They're actually lovable sociopaths once you get past the whole murder thing haha

Le Sommer (during the interview): I'm not going to give away all our secrets because there are things no other team does and it will always be like that. I'm not going to say why but - but you feel something.

Me:

@Timothee Please come back, I've felt a hole like this never before and never since.

If there's ever a player who truly embodies the concept of "let's sit down, split a bottle of wine, and just talk" it's Le Sommer. This is why I both hate the new "omg let's reach out to an international audience" format Kang has taken for Lyon on the rare occasion she remembers they exist, and why the I feel the old format worked so well. This team was never meant for dumb TikTok's. You really want to know this team? Sit down, pour yourself a glass of wine, and watch them play. Lyon's purest form is when you take their muzzle off and let them be who they are. You don't need to be parked on their social media page to get to know this team. You just need a dodgy stream or a rainy day trip to be like oh, I get it now, I like the taste of blood, too. Stop putting a muzzle on them and let a sociopath be a fucking sociopath.

This interview was done before the Olympics so obviously that discussion is no longer relevant.

Blah blah standard disclaimers apply; @OL Comms Dept pls pls pls help me pay my AC bill I am dying in this heat wave; Jesus fucking Christ would some of you just go outside, breathe some fresh air and pretend you are capable of being a normal functioning human being; y'all know the speech by now.

Tl:dr version of Le Sommer's interview: monsters recognize monsters

EUGENIE LE SOMMER OLPLAY INTERVIEW

Timothee: Euge[nie], we're really happy to see you today because you have good news for us, it's one of the outstanding questions towards the end of the season: were you going to extend for one more year? And the answer is yes.

Le Sommer: Yes, I'm staying. It's true that it's a question I was asking myself as well, but yeah, happy to continue writing history with Lyon, and happy to stay.

Timothee: You've said before it's quite a long history between you two. Was it important to you to continue being a part of this [club's] history in terms of consistency?

Le Sommer: Yes, but it must be said I needed time to think about it because - because I'm not someone who makes decisions spur of the moment. I needed to really, really think about it, to make the best decision for myself and I think that's what I did. So it took a while but at the same time I'm really happy and I've experienced some good moments this season and I wanted to continue having those.

Timothee: How does it work, when you need to think about it? Is it something rather personal, do you talk about it with others? How does the process work? Is it something you keep to yourself?

Le Sommer: No, I don't really talk about it with those around me. It's something I really keep to myself, I try to think about myself and my team but without really talking to them about it. I have a lot of things to take into consideration. There's what's going on on the field but also what is going on off of it, in your personal life. There's family, there's my husband. There are things I have to consider outside of football which still have an impact on football. Beyond that, you have to weigh the pros and cons to try and make the best decision for myself.

Timothee: And what were the arguments which convinced you this was the right decision?

Le Sommer: Well first of all we're one of the best clubs in Europe, in the world. Lyon is at the top of women's football [but for how much longer if we turn into an academy development club?] It's a really big club and I'm really happy to have played with Lyon and continue playing with Lyon. We've won a lot of titles, obviously that's a factor as well. I feel good here, the team is extraordinary. There's a quality team on the field and off of it as well. The club, everything. It's the whole thing which makes it that I feel good here. My decision wasn't directly related to the club itself because I already know what to expect but it was more a decision I had to think about myself. I know I'm closer to the end [of my career] than to the beginning. So it was also having to make the best decision regarding my career. But in any case of the reasons was that Lyon is a big club and I'm happy to stay for that reason. Beyond that there are obviously other reasons. There was this season as well, playing in the UWCL [final], having high ambitions, those are things I like. And having a talented team like I said on and off the field, having fun on the field even if there are difficult moments at times. But at the end of the day we make it through, we continue to advance and continue winning trophies. That's what matters. And yeah, I'm really happy today.

Timothee: You were talking about the season. It's a season where you showed you're still here, it's not the end for you just yet. You still have something to prove, notably at the start of the season where you were pretty much unstoppable. It's a season where I want to say you showed you still have a lot of things to bring to the team.

Le Sommer: Yes, of course. It's true that I was a little hurt when last season I was criticized, when I heard some things. I don't think some people expected me to be at this level this season. I knew why I was staying with Lyon, I knew I had my qualities, I knew what I could bring to this team. So I never doubted in myself. But it's true I heard a fair amount of things from the sidelines. Now it must be said that my season started off well with the World Cup because I think it was the starting point in this 2023-2024 season. And it's true that having done a good season at Lyon, that already confirmed my choice in wanting to stay and wanting to continue writing this story with the club.

Timothee: Your relationship with Lyon goes way back. It started in 2010, is that correct? It must be important to stay somewhere where you feel at home.

Le Sommer: Well yeah, I feel at home here. It's true that after all these years, of course I feel at home. Being at the best club in the world, in Europe, and be at home, I don't think there's anything better. So yeah, I learned a lot here. It's true that I learnt a lot about myself as a player and as a woman. It's the longest relationship I've had with a club. That counts for something. And I didn't want my last game to have ended with an injury. So there were really a lot of reasons which meant that I couldn't see myself leaving. So yeah. I'm happy to continue [with Lyon]. Of course Lyon is a special club to me, having spent all these years here is extraordinary. I've won a lot of things here, all the trophies in France, we've won eight UWCLs, I hope there will be a ninth. But in any case for me, I'm at the best French club.

Timothee: There's also the aspect of being in a stimulating environment precisely because there are competitive clubs like the English teams, Chelsea, there's Barcelona. Being at a club where you have to defend your place, it pushes you to be at your best.

Le Sommer: Yes, of course. And I've said throughout my career, competition makes you grow, the competition makes you be better. Whether it be on the field, having competition as a player there isn't anything better. It pushes you to give your best and perform as best as possible. And of course the competition with other clubs, it's important as well to be able to ask questions of yourself after each game, after each season in order to continue to improve and to grow, continue winning trophies. You can't rest on your laurels. We saw it in France with PSG who is pushing us to always be better and stay on top. And on a European level for several years now, there are some really good teams who are able to push us to the maximum in order to win the UWCL.

Timothee: We're starting to know what the recipe of success is at Lyon. It's a recipe based on transmission [of knowledge]. It's a transmission - do you think it's important for the club to be able to count on players like yourself who are in a way to keepers of Lyon's mentality, a mentality that's pretty special and which means that year after year, team after team, no matter the changes, no matter the opponents, you remain at the top. It's important to have players like you in the team, no?

Le Sommer: I think so. But beyond that, can I answer it? Not really. I think the future will speak for itself. But in any case I think it's important to have a certain stability but also with players who know how to ask questions of themselves, who try to continue to perform at the top level. It's not about being at the top for the sake of it. When I say I want to continue wanting to be the best and playing those games, it's because I want to stay at the level of performing at your best. I still have objectives. So yeah. The team is special. This club is special. I don't know if that's the recipe to success but in any case it's certain that there is something in this team which gets passed on from recruit to recruit you could say. It's something which was embedded before I came and it's something which I continued to pass on, to share. I think there's a lot of good intentions within the team but at the same time we're not nice for the sake of it. It's just that we know where we want to go, we know what we need to do and everyone is focused on the same goal. But there's a lot of due diligence, there's a lot of hard work because you might think it's easy because when you look at all the titles we've won you're like "how hard can this be?" But each season you have to go back and question yourself. There were some really difficult games, there were some very complicated wins. But the only thing that matters in the end is lifting the trophy. Today we remember the trophies and we forget the difficult games we experienced. Well, I don't forget. That's what makes us stronger, it's what makes you look within yourself after a loss, after you fail. You have to know how to bounce back. That's another strength of this team.

Timothee: Beyond your role on the field, do you feel a responsibility to pass on what you have learnt to the younger players?

Le Sommer: Yes, it's important because I know it matters. It's something which matters in terms of performance on the field. You can't just tell a player - we saw it, putting the best 11 players on the field doesn't mean you will win. You have to build on other things. There's something in place here and we have to keep building on it. Of course I try to bring something to it as well but just like everybody, even the recruits. Everyone has something to bring to this team be it the oldest [player] or the youngest or the one who has been at the club the longest or the newest at the club. So we try to do it so everyone has their place on the team both on the field and in the locker room. That's important.

Timothee: It dates back a bit but who took you under their wing when you came to the club? Some may be in the staff today [Bompastor and Abily at the time]. But how was it when you were the young new player? Which Lyon player took you under their wing and taught you about Lyon's DNA and winning mentality?

Le Sommer: It's true that when I arrived I was really impressed because I was coming into the best French team made up of entirely international players. So there was a lot of investment and they were really experienced. But at the same time I was really welcomed. Of course I was the new young player who had just arrived but the players and pretty much the entire team really made me feel welcomed. It's maybe because of that that I want to do the same thing today because I want to copy what helped me in my career. But I think that was part of Lyon's identity before. But yeah, the players really made me feel welcomed, they helped me integrate the team even better, they gave me advice. When you talk about Lyon's forwards, it's true that all the forwards I've played with, they've all helped me in some way. Some of them was just by talking with me, giving me advice, some were when I was watching them play or when I was watching them during practice. I learned a lot from that. So that transfer of knowledge is important as well because that's what gives a team strength. I'm not going to give away all our secrets because there are things no other team does and it will always be like that. I'm not going to say why but - but you feel something. You can't see it, you can't reach out and touch it. You can't - experience is a part of it. There are other things, like in the way the team lives, the way the locker room works, the way it works on the field. Those are things you also feel. But you can't reach out and touch it.

Timothee: You said you had objectives. What are they? There's not a lot left for you to accomplish.

Le Sommer: [laughs] To always win. Always win. And - you know, I almost don't understand the question "Aren't you tired of winning?" or "You've won everything, what still motivates you?" It's winning. That's it. When you're here [at Lyon], you just want to win, really. That's the mentality of the whole team. So you don't even have to question it, it's normal. I even saw it when I was injured. I only wanted one thing and that's to be back on the pitch, to be play the big games. Those big games, it's so hard to watch them on television or from the stands. I want to play them. So it confirms to my decision to stay at Lyon and play at the highest level.

Timothee: Is there a form of satisfaction to know that despite the changes, like the transfer of power between Jean-Michel Aulas and Michele Kang, just watching the club evolve, is that one of the factors? Like when you saw the staff get bigger, like when you saw all the changes due to Michele Kang becoming the owner, did that play a factor in your decision?

Le Sommer: Yeah, of course it matters. It matters. The fact that the club stays at the top, be it in France or Europe [Ed: not gonna happen with this recruiting class!!!] Well, I hope. And obviously it was a factor because I want to be a part of a project where you have the means to obtain the objectives. We want to be the best in every aspect [Ed: so why the fuck are we putting an emphasis on giving academy players playing time???] That's something I liked. It's true that Michele [Kang] has a really good project with a lot of ambition. It falls in line with what Jean-Michel Aulas had put in place. And actually the transition was pretty smooth. You can say we took it in stride and that we want to continue with her without forgetting the past, of course. The past matters. We don't forget. We know. That's also something we try to pass on. Michele didn't come in and start from scratch. It's something that it is built on, and I'm really happy to continue playing in a club where I guess you're looking forward and not towards what you have accomplished in the past.

Timothee: Another point of satisfaction when it comes to you, and that's seeing you in a French jersey again. We got to follow you all season with the French National Team. It's coming up quickly and Lyon fans are hoping to see you in the Olympics. What are you approaching that hurdle?

Le Sommer: It's something that is both at the forefront and also at the back of my mind. But in any case it's one of my objectives. From the moment my season was over with the club regarding the injury, my first thought was about the Olympics. I told myself I needed to get ready and that I needed to try to do everything to be there. So today my rehab is being done with regards to that. So I hope we manage to take each step at a time with regards to that goal. I mainly hope that I am ready. But of course it's an important competition for me and the French jersey is important to me. So I hope I get to play in thee Olympics. In any case I'm giving myself every chance. And also it's here. There are two games in Lyon. So the fans could come and support us with France like they did against Germany in the League of Nations.

Timothee: Do you think it has had a big impact on your career, returning to the French National Team, being called back? From the outside we got the impression it gave you a second wind. Well maybe not a second wind, but that it - you became the player you used to be. We got the impression you were whole again, that it was really important for you.

Le Sommer: Yes, of course, and I've always said that. It was a difficult time for me, not being selected for the French National Team. Not only that, it wasn't just not being called up, it was not being called up and not even being considered. So for me it was difficult because of those two reasons. I thought it was unfair and also it happened from one day to the next. With everything I had done for that [French National] team, I didn't really understand the reasoning. And I was performing well with the club when I was left off and not being called up. [Le Sommer sighs] So it was a difficult period, and maybe when I was called back again, it gave me a boost. That being said the French National Team also puts a spotlight on us, so obviously I was a bit more in the shadows when I wasn't being called up. When I went to the NWSL people forgot about me for a bit. So I don't want to think about what if I hadn't come back, etc. But in any case I'm really happy to have been called back and that it went well, because I could have been called back and two games later it's done and dusted, one call-up and then I'm home and that's it. So I was able to seize the opportunity, I think. But I also needed to show strength of character, that I still had the level because I spent two years without playing any international games. So experience matters, too. So when you talk about experience, I think that was a factor. That I had played a lot of games in the past really helped me when I came back and perform better. Then I really gave myself every means to stay [in the team], I gave it my all. And I know what it's like to not wear the national jersey so yeah, I wanted to continue wearing it. But to do that you have to play well. So that's what I tried to do be it with the club or with the national team.

Timothee: You talked about experience. Sometimes that word is a little abstract. Sometimes it's a little bit difficult to really understand everything that it comes with. And sometimes there are moments when it's really concrete, you can almost see it on the pitch. I feel like that's what we saw this season, that this Lyon team just knew what to do to win, even when it was complicated, even when there this player or that player wasn't there, there was still that capacity to show up in big games, that continuity in winning. Is that not what experience really is in the end?

Le Sommer: Yeah, to an extent. When you say that, I think back to some seasons where we had major players out injured [2020-2021; 2022-2023]. We still had to go out and win titles. It's not the case in every club. We don't hide behind injuries or players who aren't there. We know that when you're able to play and you're wearing Lyon's jersey, you owe it to yourself to play your best and to win. There's something about this team that makes you do that. And we saw it as well this season, we had Wendie [Renard] out injured and that was a big loss, but the team had to pull itself together and play without Wendie. And I think that's one of our strengths at Lyon. We don't rely just on one player. The team is bigger than one player, than each individual. Now of course if you're really good individually you're going to help the team but the most important thing is always the team. The team is the pillar. The players come after that.

Timothee: So what can we wish for you [personally]?

Le Sommer: To come back well. For rehab to go well. Those are one of my objectives. I'm really focused on that right now because I know it's important. And of course to play in the Olympics. We'll catch up next season on the pitch.

#all good love stories start in the rain #eugenie le sommer #monsters recognize monsters #I hate Lyon's international branding so fucking much

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