Florian Thauvin’s Marseille years resurface as Lens forward returns to the Vélodrome | OneFootball

Florian Thauvin returns to the Vélodrome on Saturday at 21:05 with RC Lens, seven and a half Marseille seasons set to flood back. Lens arrive top of Ligue 1 before matchweek 19.

He later revealed the behind-closed-doors 2020-21 tensions, recalling Payet’s dressing-room challenge, "Toi, Flo, si tu as un problème avec moi...", he told Zack Nani in October 2024.

He first signed in September 2013, aged 20, after a drawn-out tug-of-war with Lille. Then-president Vincent Labrune later called the pursuit borderline reckless, saying it placed huge pressure on him.

Sold to Newcastle in 2015 for €17m to ease cashflow, he left in tears and soon pushed for a return. Loaned back in January 2016, he was hit by a bottle in a 2-5 defeat to Rennes, yet still spoke of becoming OM’s Francesco Totti.

A second loan with an option arrived under Giovanni Ciccolunghi, later exercised by new owner Frank McCourt. Thauvin flourished under Rudi Garcia, made France’s squad and, in Labrune’s view, became a world champion thanks to his OM return and calm under pressure. In 2017-18 he hit 22 league goals, four in Europe and 11 assists, and president Jacques-Henri Eyraud valued him at €80m, lost the Europa League final 0-3 to Atlético Madrid, then later left free for Tigres in 2021, with Payet departing in 2023 under Pablo Longoria.

On Saturday, Marseille’s crowd and observers will feel a jolt of nostalgia as Thauvin, 33 on Monday, steps out again.

Source: L'Équipe