Yoann Gourcuff, the shock divorce

Among the numerous injuries that Yoann Gourcuff faced in Lyon, the one that occurred on March 21 marked a definitive break between the midfielder and the Rhone club.

The match between OGC Nice and Olympique Lyonnais, on March 21, 2015, left an unforgettable memory. Not because it was the 100e confrontation between the two clubs or due to the defeat recorded by Les Gones at Gerland (2-1). If the meeting is remembered by everyone, it is because of the injury suffered by Yoann Gourcuff.

The injury was certainly nothing extraordinary. While he made his return after suffering from a slight detachment of the aponeurosis (envelope) of the biceps femoris (behind one thigh), the French international seemed to feel his thigh again at the very beginning of the second half . But rather than wait for the trainers, the former Rennais decided to go to the locker room himself, contenting himself with a vague gesture to the Lyon staff, who were caught off guard.

“I hope he’s hurt.”

The incomprehension was such that the fourth referee thought for a moment that Olympique Lyonnais were playing with 12 men when Mohamed Yattara came on to replace the Breton player. To his advantage in the first period, Yoann Gourcuff was sorely missed by his teammates. The frustration was also palpable at the end of the meeting and Hubert Fournier, the Rhone coach, did not hide his annoyance. “Ihe does not wish to comment. We will see with the medical staff… I will not make individual comments. I only express myself on a collective level », he said to begin with at the press conference.

But the tone became more virulent during his passage into the mixed zone. “I hope he’s hurt.”, he blurted. The controversy was only just beginning and a few days later, the Lyon coach was left with having to put out the fire, with some claiming that Hubert Fournier had forced Yoann Gourcuff to play injured. “It would have been professional misconduct on our part if we had put him back on the field when he would have warned us. He didn't warn us. He had his heart set on leaving again and unfortunately, things failed. This too are erroneous things that have come out. Besides, neither Yoann, nor his lawyer (Me Didier Poumaire, editor's note), who is a bit like his spokesperson, have put forward this thing.” he said to the media.

“I have no problem with Yoann Gourcuff. I was unpleasantly surprised by the way he left the field on Saturday during the match against Nice but we explained ourselves, he continued. I am disappointed that he is injured again, obviously, because it handicaps us. The only problem is his injury. » One more time. Relations between the Breton player and his coach nevertheless deteriorated and he quickly disappeared from the Lyon group before leaving the club at the end of the season.