A Plan B named Hadji

While Frédéric Antonetti had expressed his wish, earlier this month, to recruit a striker « who has charisma and instils confidence in the dressing room » (read previously) , the Rennes manager will finally have to settle with an additional player in the attacking rotation, who couldn’t pretend to be a key player in attack as Mevlüt Erding could have become. An emergency solution after the Turkish striker was the victim of PSG’s management refusal to let him go, Youssouf Hadji returns to Brittany four years and a half after he left.

A revenge to take

Recruited in 2005 after a promising season in Bastia, Hadji had not fully convinced during his first spell in Rennes. As he joined the “Rouge et Noir” to continue affirming his status in Ligue 1, the Morrocan forward struggled to find his place in Laszlo Bölöni (he spent most of his time on the right wing, in competition with John Utaka, and suffered from the comparison with Olivier Monterrubio, managing miracles on the left wing), wandered aimlessly on the pitch for several months and scored only four goals, three of them in September 2005.
At the beginning of 2006-2007, Pierre Dréossi’s installation as head coach didn’t arrange his situation. Instead, his playing time was reduced more and more, with Daniel Moreira recruited to play at right back. The divorce was unavoidable, and finally signed in January 2007.

Despite the disappointment, Hadji left without discussion or complaints, leaving the image of a failed recruitment but also of a man with a great mentality. He then returned to Nancy, his training club, which had already tried to get him back after his spell in Bastia. “I return to a club that has evolved well and relies on a superb squad. Also, I come back closer to my family. I’m delighted”, the Moroccan international then rejoiced, who soon proved ASNL their decision to bring him back was a good choice.
After finding his marks in the second half of the season, Hadji merged into the Nancy squad and found again the goal scoring abilities he had lost in Brittany, notably profiting of his return at a central position. During the last four seasons, he went on to score 37 goals in Ligue 1 (Including four penalties) and delivered nine assists.

Benatia : «He can do anything»

Rennes - Nancy, Nancy - Rennes, now 31 years old, the striker continues swapping between the two clubs. His departure from Lorraine was announced since months. As for Julien Féret, his move should allow the AS Nancy to solidify their financial situation although the transfer fee, announced as very important at the beginning of the summer, has kept on reducing as the interested clubs (Lille, Saint-Étienne...) kept on refusing to match Nancy’s expectations. Finally, the player is reportedly returning to Brittany for a fee in the region of two million euros. A normal fee for a player over thirty, but Nancy will naturally feel slightly aggrieved as they lose one of their best players.
In comparison to what Mevlüt Erding would have cost, Stade Rennais will add the finishing touch to an economical recruitment. No more mention of the player able to score fifteen goals per season, as Frédéric Antonetti wished. Although he doesn’t have that profile, and doesn’t exactly fit the description of a typical striker – but rather this of a supporting striker or an advanced play maker – Hadji has characteristics totally different to Victor Hugo Montaño, especially in terms of technical ability. A profil also wanted by the Rennes manager. “Youssouf has got experience, he is used to big games. He can make the difference and unlock a game with a genius inspiration », his team-mate with Nancy and Morocco Mickaël Chrétien explained to L’Équipe last June. “It is when I played with him for the national team that I understood what player he is, Mehdi Benatia added. He can do anything: pace, heading, technique…”

Although Stade Rennes won’t see the arrival of the serial goal-scorer they expected, the club will instead benefit of more variety and quantity upfront, with a player whose versatility is well-proved. A solution, which will allow the club to rotate and vary the attacking lines, probably in a more satisfying way than with Verhoek or Camara, who offered different profiles but weren’t anywhere near as experienced at Ligue 1 level. The player’s integration will also be made easier by the presence of his former Nancy team-mate Julien Féret, but also those of Romain Danzé and Jirès Kembo, already in the squad during his previous spell in Rennes.
By signing – for two years - a player as experienced as Hadji, Stade Rennes also found a short-term solution and keep their options open to sign the expected striker – Erding or someone else – in January or more likely next next summer. Until then, the Moroccan international will be wanting to erase the memory of his mixed first spell in Rennes, probably playing at a more central position than in 2005 and 2006.

- Photo : srfc.frenchwill.fr