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To justify his mediocre penalty shootout against Rennes, the OM goalkeeper came up with a vague theory…
Sunday evening, during the round of 16 of the Coupe de France between Stade Rennais and Olympique de Marseille, Pau López stood out at the very end of the first period. The Spanish goalkeeper managed to stop Benjamin Bourigeaud’s penalty. However, during the long penalty shootout which closed the match, he failed to stop a single Rennes shot.
Worse, the former AS Roma player did not dive once on the right side. “Penalty shots are the lottery. It’s also a matter of luck. So we worked on it, but sometimes, it’s like that (…). It’s the goalkeeper’s life, sometimes you stop him, sometimes you don’t. I think we need to analyze the match we played, more than the penalties,” he confided in the mixed zone, after the elimination of the Marseille club.
Pau López gives you a crazy penalty in the match and then he takes 10 in a row in the penalty shootout.
There’s no more Olympique de Marseille than that.
— (@Vincent_1393) January 21, 2024
However, all the studies carried out around the exercise in question go in the opposite direction to Pau López’s statement. “Penalty shots are not a lotteryexplained to Eurosport Christophe Revel, former goalkeeper coach for Morocco, OL, Rennes and Brest today. It is an exercise that is prepared technically and mentally using repetitions of gestures and situations, getting as close as possible to reality. The most important thing is to make the goalkeeper an actor in this moment, to put him at ease and to take all pressure off him to optimize his chances of success.“
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Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.