Florian Thauvin returned to the penalty he did not take against Olympique de Marseille on Saturday with RC Lens.
Saturday evening in Bollaert, Lens brought down OM (2-1) and Florian Thauvin had an obviously special evening. Four years after his departure for Mexico, the former Marseillais returned to his favorite club – with as much emotion as modesty. The highlight? This equalizing penalty, which he left to Odsonne Édouard, author of a Panenka full of composure. A choice that Thauvin explained bluntly.
“There are several things. Odsonne asked me, and it’s important that my teammates feel confident. And then… it was OM. I didn’t necessarily want to shoot against OM. » A sincere admission, which well sums up the tension of the evening: between respect for Marseille and the desire to help Lens to win. The Artesian public also applauded it upon its release, aware that the story went beyond the simple framework of a Ligue 1 match.
A return to the Vélodrome on January 25
No triumphalism then, but palpable emotion. Thauvin turned the page without tearing it up. “It was special, obviously,” he whispered. I spent ten years of my life there. » And this is just a taste: the return to the Vélodrome is scheduled for January 25, 2026. An appointment that the world champion will undoubtedly await with a mixture of nostalgia and determination.
Between the heart and the competition, Florian Thauvin writes a new chapter, far from regrets but still linked to Marseille. That evening, Bollaert saw a man divided – and a player still capable of making the difference, even without shooting.
