From Provence to Emilia-Romagna. From Marseille to Sassuolo. From a lively and fiery square to its exact opposite. Different environments, a common denominator: the green rectangle and the ball between his feet. Roberto De Zerbi has a new kid to turn into a star. Although Maxime Lopez already has a lot of experience.
Born in Marseille with gifted feet and a great vision of the game, the young Maxime immediately begins to familiarize himself with the ball. Growing up in the Burel Football Club, one of the best young teams in the Marseille environment, Lopez immediately shows for his qualities as a playmaker. "From an early age you could tell he was gifted with a football intelligence above the others," says Serbe Obre, head of Burel, in an interview with the former Olympique Marseille television channel.
Since early on the OM radar, Maxime Lopez joins the youth sector of his hometown team. To get to Ligue 1, however, the road was not easy: “My height was a problem (he is 167 centimeters tall, ed), they told me clearly. I was too short, and for this reason, I was always the third choice ”. A problem that had prompted him to listen to external offers, such as that of Liverpool, which was about to sign him. But in the end, he followed his heart. He signed with OM, for the happiness of parents and relatives. Those who have always lived for Olympique: they were in Monaco on the evening of May 26, 1993, when OM won the Champions League against Milan. Now it was Maxime, l'enfant du pays.
In October 2016, the second major turning point: OM changes ownership. Rudi Garcia arrives on the bench, he recognizes in him great gifts and decides to trust him despite his young age: little Lopez begins to grow up. First game in Paris, against the stars of PSG. First start, first great performance: “Max is a player with great technique and great vision and he can play well with the ball chained at his feet. He is very mature for his age and he has personality, which is why I like him" commented the former Lille and Roma coach. Appreciation that within a few weeks will come from all over the world: in December he gets the award for best player in the league, and shortly after comes the praise of someone who knows football (and Marseille) quite well. "What he does is amazing, given his age and the personality he shows on the pitch." Thus spoke Zinédine Zidane, another enfant du pays.
His role models? Kroos, Iniesta, Thiago Alcantara, Modric: “I have always observed them, to learn”. Learn from them, and from their mistakes: "Also about my games, to understand what I did well and where I did wrong". 22 years old? You wouldn't think so.
Technique, personality, desire to never throw the ball away and try to play it forward, even when you are under heavy pressure. A few statistics: two years ago he was the footballer in the French league with the highest percentage of passes made (91.7%, OPTA data). This is the identikit that attracted Sassuolo, a club that focuses on young people, a team led by a coach who knows how to produce good forward-looking football.
Maxime Lopez arrives in Serie A after ups and downs. “Sometimes it was my fault,” he will tell Canal +. Barcelona's fault. Such as? "After the first year with the OM they told me about their interest, and talked to my agent. They told him that if I had a good season, they would have bought me ”. The call of the Blaugranas, the idea of joining the idol Lionel Messi. Easy to dream and lose focus. And football never gives discounts: "The first six months of that season I wasn't in my head. I was somewhere else. I didn't even recognize myself ”. Maturity obtained thanks also, and above all, to these errors, which allow us to become great. Ups and downs. A swing of emotions. A bit like his Marseille, an unpredictable team. But in Sassuolo it won't be like that.
A boy full of talent and desire to discover himself arrives at the court of Roberto De Zerbi. Maxime Lopez still has everything to prove, but the premises bode well. The distance from home can be an obstacle, especially in the first few weeks: "This club and this city represent my whole life. My heart is crying to leave”, he said in the greeting message. But Jérémie Boga, also born in Marseille and an OM fan, will take care of dampening his homesickness. And make him understand that the green and black jersey is the perfect one to work and grow. In serenity and always with the ball at your feet.
