Yoann Gourcuff Needs to Get the Hell Out of Milan
By: Laurie | December 16th, 2007
It’s the curse of being young and French and talented: You get the label “The Next Zidane.”
Some players have thrived with the label: Samir Nasri, the midfielder from Marseille, and Karim Benzema, the striker from Lyon, are lighting up the France National Team and permanent starters for their clubs. And Lyon winger Hatem Ben Arfa has had a slightly slower start, but he’s coming into his own this season.
And then we have players like that other Next Zidane, AC Milan’s Yoann Gourcuff. He moved from Rennes to Milan in 2006 and has been a perennial benchwarmer ever since. And he has yet to be called up for the full National Team despite some good performances with France youth squads.
I don’t think it’s coincidental that the other three I mentioned play in France. France is known for being a feeder country for leagues with richer clubs, partly because the tax structure in France puts French teams at a disadvantage when it comes to player salaries. So a lot of young French players head abroad, lured by bigger wages and dreams of playing for big teams, and end up not living up to their potential because they’re just not getting time on the field.
Like Gourcuff. He’s twenty-one now, so he’s not exactly a has-been. But he’s not making steady progress toward being the player he could be, either. That’s why I’ve been so pleased recently to see him linked to a possible move to Arsenal during the winter transfer window. If there’s anybody who knows how to nurture young French talent to help kids like Gourcuff reach their potential, it’s Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger. Players like Thierry Henry went from good to amazing under his tutelage, and players like Gael Clichy, Mathieu Flamini, Lassana Diarra and Abou Diaby seem set to follow.
Unfortunately, Gourcuff is denying the Arsenal rumors, saying he wants to stay in Milan.
I wish him luck. But I hope he recognizes that the time may come soon for him to get the hell out of Dodge Milan.
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Comments
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What’s more frightening for Gourcuff is that Rene Girard is not even calling him up for the U21 team anymore
Posted from
France
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I thought that was the case but didn’t want to put it in because I wasn’t certain. Thanks.
Posted from
United States -
Girard said that he couldn’t afford to call up players who aren’t playing regularly. That was a huge blow to Yoann because he is one of France’s most talented young midfielders and a CL winner to boot. I mean, when even the U21 coach disses you…it doesn’t say much about your prospects for the senior team.
You know what’s really ironic? Back in May 2006, Lyon tried to get Yoann, and Yoann agreed. Even a few months back, he said that going to Lyon and not Milan was his top choice. But Yoann’s father, Lorient coach Christian Gourcuff, said that his son aught to move to Milan because at least they get somewhere in the CL. So Yoann ended up not coming to Lyon, who got his Rennes teammate Kim Kallstrom instead.
And then last summer, Milan made efforts to get Tiago and sniffed around Kallstrom, who were both at Lyon at the time (Kallstrom still is).
I hope Gourcuff is a lesson for all young prospects: don’t leave too early!
Posted from
United States -
A move to Arsenal is a great decision for any young player.
I respect Arsene Wenger so much. What other top manager is so phenomenally good at developing young talent? I understand that the premier league and England have their drawbacks, but as far as developing and improving yourself goes, Arsenal is just a great club with a great staff.
I haven’t been following them as much as I should. I really wonder how well Diarra’s been doing, especially after his development was stalled under Mourinho.
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United States -
First of all, Gourcuff is 22, not 16. He’s already developed and has a lot of top flight experience. So he doesn’t need to be further trained. He just needs to play.
Anyway, just take a look at Diarra, who didn’t even make the bench this weekend. It’s not like Arsenal are lacking in midfielders. Gourcuff needs to go to a smaller club where he can play week in and week out. We all know he’s very talented, so if he regains his form from 2005-2006, this time he’ll be old enough to make it at a bigger club.
A move to Arsenal is a great decision for any young player.
No offense, but I disagree. Yes, Arsenal has a reputation for trusting young players (there have been several young flops out of Arsenal too), but there are other choices that can be just as good, like Barca and Manchester United. Roma, Sevilla, and Lyon are other big examples.
A young (French) player like Gourcuff or the 500 others linked with Arsenal on a daily basis shouldn’t jump on the bandwagon. Don’t get me wrong, as I think Wenger has done a good job with his kids, but the assumption that Arsenal is the best play to go if you’re a burgeoning player is wrong.
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United States -
If it’s a club for youngsters he needs, go to Amsterdam and do something. Like Inra said, Gourcuff needs to play, and maybe he’s getting in his own way. He doesn’t have his coache’s confidence this year, he might as well move and swallow his ego. Staying there will make him an example of what not to do. Look at Silvestre Dabo and Zumana Camara, all bought from Rennes at Milan when they were way too young, the first one left after a year to go to ManU, the others stayed and stilldon’t have a real career to speak of.
And no ofense INara, he can’t come to Lyon, he’s not good enough, he needs somewhere where they’ll let him play plenty and leave him alone. NOt Marseille either nor paris. He needs Rennes or Lens or maybe even Monaco. I’d like to see him play with MenezPosted from
France -
Well, it’s too late for Gourcuff to go to any of Roma, Sevilla, Lyon, etc. I listed those clubs as places who also utilize talented youth players that still compete in Europe. As it stands, Gourcuff wouldn’t even make Lyon’s bench at the moment.
I would like to see Gourcuff return to France, but he (stupidly) ruled it out. He said that other than Lyon, none of the other clubs are strong in L1, and that it’s better to stay at Milan. Normally I like Gourcuff, but he really has no right to have an ego! He might be one of the handful of French players who won the CL, but it’s not like he did a lot of playing to deserve it.
Posted from
United States
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