Phil Smith on Sunderland, RC Lens and Florent Ghisolfi | OneFootball

Sunderland face RC Lens in France on Saturday for the Trophée 1906, a pre-season meeting shaped by shared mining roots. According to Sunderland Echo, the outlet is in France this weekend to provide full coverage.

The trophy is built around a lump that underscores why Sunderland are fitting opponents. Lens’ original Stade Bollaert-Delelis was constructed by local mining workers, and a miner’s lamp still sits proudly on the club crest.

As with Sunderland, on-pitch success is helping to boost a post-industrial city. Last season Lens pushed PSG for the title and lifted the Coupe de France for the first time, and despite Pierre Sage’s move to Crystal Palace a big crowd is expected for a competitive friendly.

The clubs share another powerful link in Florent Ghisolfi, who emerged at Lens as a leading sporting director before later leaving for OGC Nice. After last summer’s transformative window, I interviewed him for the first time since he joined Sunderland. Revisiting that conversation this week, stability feels the defining theme of this summer.

His Lens blueprint prized continuity rather than constant trading or big-name hires. He promoted Frank Haise from the B team and won promotion, then handled sales smartly, with Loïc Badé going to Stade Rennais and Kevin Danso arriving, later sold to Spurs for a larger profit.

Recent academy changes at Sunderland have largely been internal promotions. He has cited Athletic Bilbao’s stability, and while recruitment will continue and the transfer record could fall, the plan is to refresh, not restart.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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