Rafael Fernandes: Lille’s New Signing Aims for Quick Impact and Admires Portuguese Defenders

Digital replacement for starter Tiago Djalo (Juventus), Rafael Fernandes arouses the curiosity of observers. If he first applies for a place in the rotation, the Portuguese intends to establish himself quickly by drawing inspiration from his compatriots who played at LOSC. Olivier Létang is delighted to have been able to do well in a very competitive file.

Rafael, what did you know about LOSC before being recruited?

“Of course I knew the club before coming. I know that it is a club that gives young players like me the opportunity to progress and evolve. It was important for me and through the speeches of the various speakers and in particular of President Létang, it was very important for me. There is nothing better for a young player than to build confidence for my development and the evolution of the club. »

Upon your arrival, you mentioned the Portuguese defenders who emerged at LOSC. Who played a role in your decision?

“It’s obviously a very important parameter and element in my decision-making. My decision was already made knowing that Lille was already very recognized in Europe, and particularly in Portugal, for giving young players the chance. It is true that for several years, LOSC has moved towards a Portuguese-speaking community. To see the repercussions on the club and on the players, of course that was important for me. This is a parameter that I cannot neglect. »

What are your objectives when joining this already well-established squad?

“The first phase of my arrival at the club is integration with the training sessions. I am already integrated, but my objective is to be able to gain strength in the group and adapt more quickly to the collective. To be available as quickly as possible and as soon as I have the opportunity to play, to seize the opportunity offered to me by the coach. »

Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport

Olivier Létang and the need to get ahead of the competition

Arriving in the final hours of the transfer window, Rafael Fernandes could very well have not been a Mastiff this winter. “ Rafael is a boy that we have been following like the others for quite some timeassures Olivier Létang. We asked ourselves if we were doing it now or later, and we said we were doing it now because the economic conditions can increase depending on the performance of the boys. (…) We brought him in now, because he is able to play and help us. » An economic question, therefore, but also competitive: “ He started to play a lot as a starter in his club with visibility and more and more potential requests. »

The president of LOSC continues: “ With the departure of Tiago Djalo, we wanted to integrate him now. We can make a comparison with Tiago (Djalo) because they have similar profiles: very aggressive, very fast, very strong. There are, as always with a young player, areas for improvement.. » And doubts about his current physical situation: “ We knew that the injury he had (in November, editor’s note) was a muscle injury, so not very serious. His downtime was not very long. He played just over 70 minutes with his club last weekend, returning from injury. The staff are also vigilant in relation to this so that there is no recurrence.. »

Beyond his immediate contribution, Rafael Fernandes is above all a reinforcement for the future, without even talking about possible future departures next summer. “ When we look at our central defense, there is the departure of Tiago Djalo and the small injury of Samuel Umititi, so it is very good to have him with us and to integrate him from now onanalyzes Olivier Létang. As we did with Edon Zhegrova who we joined in January, it also allows us to save time on integration, the language, the city, the club because with a lot of respect for the other clubs , we have a very high level of requirements and professionalism. So there is a real change for daily players. »

Source: LOSC

Photo credits: LOSC

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2024-02-03 17:29:12
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