With Marseille full-back Amavi returning to his youth squad Nice in the winter window this year, it has been not uncommon for Ligue 1 players to return to their own academy in recent years, and many of them have indeed succeeded in choosing to return to their roots. Perhaps because of this, this career trajectory with both feelings and security has also been favored by many players.
The wave of return
Amavi left early in this year's winter window to return to his youth team Nice on loan. Amavi renewed his contract with Marseille until 2025 last May, but he quickly found out that this season was not in manager Sampaoli's plans: he only made two appearances in Ligue 1 and the French Cup.
And returning to Nice is an empty wind, not necessarily without a reason. There has always been a wave of returns in Ligue 1: Gael Kakuta, Savanier, Popfar and Gameiro in recent years, and Anelka and Christophe Dugari two decades ago have all performed well after returning to their starting clubs in Ligue 1.
"Front" loop turn
The last player to return to his original club in Ligue 1 was 34-year-old striker Kevin Gamero, who returned to Strasbourg from Valencia in the summer of 2021. After returning in the summer of 2021, the French veteran has scored four goals and one assist for Strafburg.
Gameiro debuted from Strasbourg in 2005/06 and moved to Lorient from Strasbourg in 2008. In his first three seasons, he made 58 league appearances for Straffenburg, scoring 10 league goals.
In October 2020, Bofar returned to Angers after five years away. The Ligue 1 rising star made 16 appearances for Angers in the 2014/2015 season, scoring four goals and having three assists. Compared to Gameiro, Bofar's experience is more similar to Amavi's.
In 2016, Bofar moved from Lille to the Premier League. In the 2018/19 season, Bofar was loaned to Celta, where he was crowned the season's top five league triumph with 144 passes. Despite this, Boufar did not get many opportunities in La Liga and the Premier League. In 2020, Bofar returns to Angers.
In his first season back in Angers, Popfar did not show the expected ability on the pitch. But this season under head coach Battickler, the dribbling master has taken on a new look, currently holding five goals and four assists.
"Medium" is good
In addition to the return of the strikers, the return of two midfielders: Savanier and Gail Kakuta has been equally successful for the club and the players themselves.
During the 2019 summer transfer window, Montpellier welcomed back Savanier. The midfield master won the Gambadra Cup (France U19 French Cup) for Montpellier in 2009.
In his first season back, Savanier was sidelined for the first three months with an injury. But he made a perfect comeback with six goals and two assists in 19 games at the end of the season. Savanier has scored five goals and six assists this season, and scored three direct free kicks, crowning him as the top free-kick scorer in the top five leagues this season.
That same summer, Gale Kakuta returned to Lens. In his first season on his return, he delivered 11 goals and five assists in 35 games. His firmness and unhestuancy on his return is enough to see his dedication to Lens.
Later, Kakuta said in an interview: "Lens is where I started. Deleris Stadium is my dream venue! I was told that I had other clubs to choose from, but I made it clear: I didn't want to know. I told myself that I had to go back to Lens. ”
Trace the source back
Returning to Ligue 1 was not just a whim in the past few years, but when you look further down the timeline, Nicholas Anelka and Christopher Dugary immediately come into view.
On 7 February 1996, during Paris Saint-Germain's away match against Monaco, Anelca made his Ligue 1 debut. Seven months later, he scored his Ligue 1 first goal against Lens, when Anelka was just 17 years old.
In 1997, the talented teenager moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Gunners Arsenal. In the 1997/98 season, Anelka scored nine goals and seven assists in 37 appearances for the Gunners, winning both the Premier League title and the FA Cup. In 1999, Anelka moved to Real Madrid and won that year's Champions League.
In 2000, the young Nicolas Anelka returned to Paris Saint-Germain, where Paris, then ninth in the league, was in a precarious position. In his first season back, Arnelka scored eight goals in 27 league games and contributed one assist and five goals in nine Champions League games.
In 2002, after 10 goals in 39 league games and 8 goals in 16 Champions League games, Anelka returned to the Premier League to join Liverpool.
Along with Arnelka, who returned to the club where he started his career in 2000, was Christopher Dugari, who had already won the World Cup and La Liga titles.
From his debut to his move to AC Milan in 1996, Christopher Dugary scored a total of 40 goals for Bordeaux and had seven assists. After traveling to AC Milan, Barcelona and Marseille, Dugary returned to his hometown after four years as Bordeaux.
In the two years since his return to Ligue 1 in Bordeaux, Christopher Dugary scored 17 goals, helping the team to fourth place twice in the league and winning the French League Cup in 2002 as captain.
Returning to the starting point where the players themselves used to play is a combination of joy and pressure. The theorem that no player is sure to succeed in which club, perhaps the team's inclusion and the player's efforts to respond have created the success of this return. But it is undeniable that from Anelka to Gameiro, whether the prodigal son turns back or the leaves return to the roots, the return will always be a warm theme in Ligue 1.