Like every year, the UNFP Trophies deliver their truth about the past Ligue 1 season and distribute the good points. Best Player, Best Coach, Prospect of the Year...
As soon as the lists of nominees have been revealed, passions run wild, especially on social networks, and this 2022-2023 exercise is no exception to the rule.
What saddens us the most in these individual awards is the absence of Alexandre Lacazette in the list of five nominated for the coveted title of best player. Returning from England last summer, the OL captain is having a remarkable season in a Lyon team that is regularly struggling. On what he has shown in recent months, he has nothing to envy to Messi, Mbappé, Openda, David and Fofana, the five named. As for the Argentinian, it seems that his name was enough to place him on this list... After a convincing first part of the season before the World Cup, his performances were unremarkable in 2023.
✨�� The nominees for the UNFP Trophy for the best Ligue 1 player are: J.David S.Fofana K.Mbappé L.Messi L.Openda
With 26 goals scored this season so far, Lacazette is even a candidate for the title of top scorer against Kylian Mbappé: such competition has been rare in recent years under QSI. Moreover, since the arrival of the Qataris in the capital, Alexandre Lacazette is the only player outside PSG to have scored at least 25 goals in a season. He even did it three times: in 2014-2015, 2016-2017 and therefore 2022-2023. Falcao, Ben Yedder or even Gignac did no better. And Lacazette is not only an exceptional scorer in Ligue 1. He is also a player with a very good football IQ, who can even think and treat like a number 10.
And beyond the statistics, it is also for his role on the ground that he makes an impression. In a very young team, Lacazette is much more than a camp leader: he takes his role as captain very seriously and guides the young people of Lyon to find the heights. His teammate Rayan Cherki was in any case complimentary about his captain after the victory against Monaco (3-1) on Friday. “Alexandre brings a lot of things, serenity. He shouts, he runs, he defends, he attacks, he scores, he is an exemplary captain and a friend. We are happy and proud to have him with us. To start his presidency, John Textor can thus count on a genuine "boss".
Other highlights of this season in the Talent League would have deserved their mentions, such as Alexis Sanchez (OM) and Kevin Danso (RC Lens). We also know the voting methods: it is the players who designate their favorites, knowing of course that they cannot name their teammates. Perhaps opening up this vote to other people, such as consultants or journalists, would make it possible to avoid this kind of annoying oversight. Some would also like supporters to be consulted, but even if we like them very much, including them would run the risk of ending up with only Parisian or Marseille named players.
Throughout his career, Alexandre Lacazette has been accompanied by many contradictions. He has not set foot in the France team since 2015 when he scored twice against Germany in his last appearance; in an Arsenal under reconstruction, he never knew how to guide the Gunners to find the heights. It was therefore in Lyon that the 31-year-old striker decided to write his legend. He may not win the UNFP trophy for best player of the season, but we can imagine that the supporters of Groupama Stadium are delighted with this return to their roots which could open the doors to European evenings again.
