Central defender Samuel Umtiti has signed up for LOSC for the next two seasons. The French international is taking on a new challenge after crossing the desert in particular caused by physical glitches.
“I chose to go to a club that wanted me” explained the 2018 world champion, formalizing on Saturday his choice to join Losc, and not Lyon, the club which trained him, for his return to Ligue 1. The 29-year-old central defender, who had released his contract with FC Barcelona in early July, signed in Lille for two seasons. Before leaving France, “I belonged to a club, Lyon, I was trained there, my heart is part of this city,” he admitted at a press conference. “Coming back to France, logically I was thinking of Lyon, I prefer to be honest, but in the end I chose to go to a club that wanted me, that had the same principles and values as me,” he explained.
Very regularly injured for four seasons (2018-2022), and loaned last season to Italy, to Lecce, where he played 25 games, Samuel Umtiti assured that he had found “very good feelings. Physically, I am very well”, he declared, thanking Lecce who “gave him (his) chance when not many people wanted (it)”. Hampered by repeated injuries, mainly to the knee, he never played more than 20 games per season in all competitions until 2022: 15 (2018-2019), 18 (2019-2020), 16 (2020-2021), 1 (2021-2022).
“I had a full season last year, even though I started playing in December. After the World Cup, I was able to chain the matches”, he underlined. In Lille “I want to be good at every match, every training session”. “The great Sam is back,” joked Losc president Olivier Létang alongside him, saying that “it’s a strong signal when a French world champion returns to Ligue 1”. Umtiti, hero of the Blues at the 2018 World Cup, said he had not given up on a possible return to the France team. “I really want to be successful with Lille (…), if I am, other things will come with it, I don’t worry about that,” he said. “I have already tasted the France team, (experienced) exceptional moments, obviously these are things that I want to relive”.
Samuel Umtiti arrives in Lille in a relatively young team, especially in defense since the departure of José Fonte (39). Several players in the northern rearguard are indeed under 25: Leny Yoro (17), Bafodé Diakité (22), Tiago Djalo (23). “I will bring my footballing qualities and my experience,” he said, aware of having to be “exemplary” on the field, while ensuring “I know their qualities, I saw that this team lacked a little experience at times, but I will not be able to do everything alone”.