“They don’t work enough”: Jean-Pierre Papin tackles Ligue 1 attackers

Tuesday, Jean-Pierre Papin was one of the 600 invited by the FFF to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Training Institute (INF) in Clairefontaine. The former striker for OM, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and the Girondins de Bordeaux, from the INF, was immediately questioned about the level of Ligue 1 attackers. And the Ballon d 'But 1991 delivered a clear opinion.

“I am convinced that to be a good striker, you have to work a lot,” he explained, who now serves as an advisor to President Pablo Longoria at OM. Today, it's not working enough. When you see a striker who arrives in front of goal and doesn't know what to do with the ball, it's because he doesn't work hard enough. Relaunched on his analysis which would prevail in Marseille, with the cataclysmic performances of Vitinha and Aubameyang since the start of the season on the Canebière, “JPP” could not suppress a smile and admit “it is an observation which applies to all the clubs".

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Jean-Pierre Papin's analysis comes after a disastrous weekend in terms of play, taking initiatives and spectacle in Ligue 1 with only 13 goals scored, including three by Kylian Mbappé during Reims-PSG (0- 3). If Philippe Diallo, president of the FFF, argues that we “underestimate” the level of the French championship, Thierry Henry has provided the beginnings of an explanation for the boredom felt watching L1 matches. “It’s not necessarily the goals actually. During Lens-OM (1-0), there were no shots on target, no actions, analyzes the Espoirs coach, former consultant on Prime Video. Is this specific to these two weekends? I don't know. Nice is second with thirteen goals scored. It's there, it's in front of you. Afterwards, I don't attack anyone. But apart from the crazy ones in front (PSG), where they can score more easily than others... There were quite a few risky matches this weekend too. The teams don't want to open up because you're playing your direct competitor... I tried to see the why and the how. I hope this will be the only two weekends like this.”