Passed by Montreuil, Paris FC, Inf Clairefontaine, OL, FC Lorient and FC Sochaux, Yann Kitala Recovers at the moment after its serious injury at the end of August.The 22 -year -old striker gives us news of his rehabilitation and returns for Footboks on his journey, his best memories, his arrival in Sochaux and his celebration.Interview with a crack.

Hi yann, you can introduce yourself ?

Hi, it's Yann Kitala, I’m attacked at FC Sochaux.Before that I went through OL and FC Lorient.I did all my training in Lyon and during the 2019-2020 season I was loaned to FC Lorient with whom I was champion of Ligue 2. I then went to continue my career at FC Sochaux where I have been sincethis summer.

How would you define yourself as a player ?

I am a very explosive player who likes to run and who has the grinta.As soon as I make an effort I don't go halfway.Since little one I was always told that I was an attacker who relieved because I like to put pressure on the defenders to recover the ball high on the ground.

Are you playing number 9, is that your favorite positioning?

When I started football in Montreuil, I played attacker, number 9 in the axis, all alone.At Paris FC, I was repositioned on the left side.Afterwards, I did the inf Clairefontaine where I also played on the left, and when I joined OL in U16 and U17 I still played a left winger, either in a 3 attack or in a 4-2-3-1.It was when I arrived in the second year U19 and I made entries with the OL reserve that the coach started to get me in the axis.

You must have to manage real physical challenges, right?

It is true that I played matches where I had a little strong defenders, and I was 18 years old, I was big defenders on me so I had to adapt and get used to it because it isLike what the coach wanted me to play.So I adapted myself, I limited a new training in the axis, and I worked a lot in the room.I did everything to strengthen myself, because I was less strong at the time.I even did a program in Lyon where I stopped for 1 month and where I only did weight training sessions from Monday to Friday, no training and no games.It really helped me and I had taken a lot physically during this period.

And being associated with another player ahead is something that you like?

In Lorient we sometimes played 2 in front, so again, I adapt.After I think what I would like to be less is to play in 4-4-2 associated with a player with the same profile as me, but it never happened because I think the coaches are more like complementarityBetween attackers in this type of system.

What is your best football level?

I would say it's the Youth League with Lyon.The year it was created was right the year I arrived in U19.When I played it I felt limited in the shoes of a very high level player who plays the European Cup during the week and the weekend championship.The match that marked me the most was the 1-0 victory against Juventus over there in Italy.I think this is the most beautiful match I have made since I play football.In terms of content, an incredible determination had been shown.We had taken 3-0 on the outward journey but we got there and we put a very big intensity, it was really strong and it marked me.

Yann Kitala against Juventus

You made the inf Clairefontaine, generation 98, with a pack of cracks, like Mbappé, Claude-Maurice, Lauriené ... Which one did you impress the most?

There was also Arnaud Nordin and others, but we were very young, there was not really a player above the others, we were all in the training phase and in learning, so I cannotNot telling you that there was a player who really impressed me.What impressed me, however, is more the margin of progression they have had and the career they have now.

Game level, with whom did you have the best alchemy?

I can cite a few players like Kylian Mbappé, Fakri Amadi Ali, Arnaud Nordin, Boubacar Fofana who was in Lyon and who is in Servette.

Let's go back to your news a little, you signed in Sochaux this summer, how did it go?

After the last season with Lorient, we finished Champions, well, I did not necessarily have the playing time that I would have ideally wanted but I go out up from this experience, with big training sessions and very good teammates.I learned a lot there.Several clubs were interested in me and I wanted to take my time at the start of the transfer window to listen to the different proposals a little.My project for the season was really to play, to settle in a club where the coach would trust me to be able to show what I am worth.Coach Omar Daf called me and his speech really pleased me, my decision was mainly made on this.

How was your integration? 

When I joined the group there were a lot of new ones so we thought that we were going to install a good understanding between us directly.We got to know each other on and off the field and I quickly stuck with the group.It surprised me because it just took one or two weeks before I knew all the names, whether I know who is left -handed or right -handed and I know each other's game styles.We really have a group that wants to go ahead and we all advance towards the same goal.

The group was very united following your injury, how did you experience it?

It made me happy, especially because they did it spontaneously.I was watching the match at home and when I saw them scoring and making my celebration showed me that we had a united group.It's been 2 months since I was at the club and I felt like it had been 2 years since I was there.

Where does this celebration of the long view come from?

Basic, it's gone to Twitter on social networks. I was talking With a supporter of Lorient Who believed a lot in me, he often mentioned me on the networks and I saw that, so we discussed in private and we sympathized.He arrived a week when the titular striker injured, suddenly I applied for a place on weekends.The supporter came to see me in training during the week and he told me that I was going to score and that he would like me to do a little trick for him.I thought about the celebration, I sent him that I was going to do that, and I marked!So I celebrated and it became a bit of a trademark.

The celebration of Yann Kitala

You seriously injured yourself on August 22, scoring in the 2-0 victory in Auxerre, how did it go? 

It was a somewhat improbable injury, we got into it with the goalkeeper, and the shock was made between different body surfaces, mine was less solid and it broke.

Where are you in your recovery?

I came across an injury where there is no exact delay because the bone was broken.It has been repaired and consolidation is on time so I am satisfied with this.It is planned that I do rethletics in December and January and after, everything will depend on my feelings to find out when I am ready to return to the field.Today, I'm in the phase where I'm going to start running.I don't have too many discomfort and I get strength at the level of my muscles.At the level of my thigh and my calf I have recovered well but I am working a lot at the moment on the toes and the sensitivity in my foot.I am with the physiotherapist and the physical trainer in the morning and in the afternoon.

Do you have small techniques to recover well?

Yes, I massage my foot a lot, I put a lot of recovery socks and hugs too because in terms of work I work even more on my muscles than usual. I also use a lot Arnica creams, the gels cryo, that I also use when I play.When I played I recovered well with that, so even injured I continue to use them.

Do you attach great importance to the recovery aspect?

Yes I find that it is very important especially that I am an athletic player and that I run a lot on the field.When I was younger, I had a lot of cramps around the 70th and in Lyon I really learned to recover better, which allows me to avoid these cramps.

Yann Kitala #TeamFOOTBOKS

How did you know Footboks? In Lorient I had the chance to play with Yoane Wissa who already received the footboks.Whenever he received his box I asked him for products and he shared them with me.It served me well, and at the beginning, the product I always asked for Yoane was the energizing chewing gum.When I was on the bench or that we played on Monday evening after the day and I felt a little soft, I took the chewing gum and it woke me up, I arrived on the field with motivation and grinta.I now take them before all training and matches.Since I started to receive the boxes, I started to try everything and I am really satisfied.

You have a message to convey to the #TeamFOOTBOKS ?

I have always been told that in football you had to think of invisible things like recovery.Your body is your work tool, and arrived in the field your work tool must be ready and 100%.It's like you had a racing car and the week you didn't clean it, you didn't repair it.This car is important for the race so you have to take care of it.To be good you have to see far, and you have to take care of your work tool to be efficient on weekends.

Interview on December 2, 2020. Photo credits FCSM, FOOTBOKS