The European tour of Lenglet: “Conte is a fantastic coach. Emery? Among world bests”

Meeting Clement Lenglet, though remotely, reveals a genuine personality that would floor anyone. When in the call, all the trophies, the appearances with the French national team and his bulk suddenly dwindle. “Sorry if I asked to anticipate this call an hour before. I hope this did not bother you”. His smile is sincere, prone to jokes. The signature is on the nose: it highlights and embodies a career built on resilience: “In my first professional game, the nose broke. It was ten minutes into the game, I remember making a slide tackle and a teammate landed on my face. I went to the hospital, it was terrible. After that episode, I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll never have the opportunity to be on the field at this level again’. It’s a funny story, but at that moment it wasn’t funny at all. I still have the mark on my nose, although it’s less visible now”: the 28-year-old player, who now is in Birmingham playing for Aston Villa, recounts gianlucadimarzio.com.

Read the interview also in italian and french version

Lenglet and football: a matter of family

Entering the Lenglets’ household in Beauvais some years ago meant being surrounded by nothing other than football. Daddy Sebastien scouting new talents, the younger Corentin and Nathian following Clement’s steps and the little Alexis growing as a striker. Actually, even the current Aston Villa defender used to play forward: he wore the shirt number 10 of Chantilly. “When I started playing football, in a team near my city, I was an attacking midfielder. One day my father and my coach told me, ‘There are many good players in that position, if you want to make it to the first team, you have to move back’. So I played as a full-back for the next two years and then moved centrally”.

If all the four brothers have been growing with the ball at their feet, all thanks are to dad Sebastien: “He passed on the passion for football to us: my brothers and I always played with him at home. He still follows me a lot today: he calls me every day to ask how I’m feeling and gives me several advice”. Yet Clément didn’t always see football as his future: “As a kid, I wanted to become a physiotherapist. Becoming a footballer isn’t easy, so you need to have some alternatives if things don’t go well. When I was 15 and in the youth team at Nancy, I put 100% of my energy into football. I started working hard from that moment”.

 

 

Sparring partners, coaches and… a football godfather

Lenglet’s career, now supported by the Wasserman agency, speaks for itself: many experiences, all in big clubs. From Sevilla to Aston Villa, passing through Barcelona and Tottenham. If Clement has such a resume today, much of it goes back to a special mentor: “Monchi was very important to me. When I was 17 and playing for Nancy, he tried to bring me with him. At the time, it wasn’t possible, so he tried again in 2017, and I signed with Sevilla. Last summer, he called me again: he said Aston Villa needed a defender, and I followed. I have great admiration for what he has done and is doing”.

Living Barça world is a unique experience. A club steeped in history that instils a philosophy impossible to find elsewhere: “The passion surrounding Barcelona is impressive. It’s not easy if you didn’t grow up in their youth system because you have to understand their principles quickly: there, you have to play well every game. It was a great experience, it’s a top club with a winning mentality. They see football differently from others, it’s their philosophy”. There, Lenglet shared the locker room with some of the best players in the world, all spurred by a guiding light: “I have only positive words for Lionel Messi. I faced him as an opponent in the past, and I can say I preferred having him as a teammate… He made the difference at every moment, I’m proud of the years I shared with him. Off the field, he’s a good guy, I hope he continues to play for many years”.

 

 

Satisfaction is always steered by efforts. First duty, then pleasure: a mantra that Clement has learnt on his skin – literally – when faced Antonio Conte at Tottenham. “I suffered a lot in the training sessions he made us do during the preparation. But after that period, it felt like we were flying on the field: the benefits were insane. I felt good, I felt at the top throughout the season”. Yet memories are only positive when dealing with the Italian coach: “Being trained by him was fantastic, I improved a lot. His way of coaching could be summed up with the word ‘passion’. He tries to push every player every day to reach a higher level. He’s a strong coach, sometimes a bit tough, but that’s what I needed to improve”. With a special thought to one of his historical staff members, died in October 2022: “We must remember Giampiero Ventrone: he was our fitness coach and a fantastic person”.

 

Talking about coaches, when Clement chose Aston Villa last summer he found a new guide: “The fact that Unai Emery called me was important in accepting the offer. He’s very competitive, has great experience. He built a great project last year, and we follow him every day. The club is very happy with his work: he’s one of the best coaches in the world. Competing in the Premier League is never easy: when he arrived here, Aston Villa was in sixteenth place, now we’re fighting to reach the Champions League. His impact has been magnificent”.

The impact of Birmingham, courtings and the U-turn of Lenglet

In the first part of this season, Lenglet found little space: “I arrived on the last day of the transfer window and had an injury after a week that kept me out for ten days. At the time, the team was playing well, so it wasn’t the moment to change for Emery: I understood and accepted it”. So, last January, various clubs courted him. Among them was Milan: “I wasn’t playing regularly, so I wanted to find a solution. My priority was to play, and at that time it wasn’t possible, so there were contacts with other clubs. Then unfortunately Pau Torres got injured, and my time came. When I started playing, plans changed. But I like Serie A”.

 

 

Now Clement is focused on contributing to Villains’ goals. A Conference semifinal to play and a fourth place in the Premier League to defend. In the background, the Euros in Germany: the end of the season is close, but summer plans can still wait. “I haven’t booked my holidays yet, I’ll wait a bit… I’m honest, it will be difficult to be part of the team. The squad (French national team) is very deep, there are many central defenders who are doing well. The competition is high: we’ll see how the season ends and then wait for Deschamps’ decision. France is in a good position to fight for victory”.

Les Bleus will surely bring some talents from Italy: “Thuram has had an exceptional season. I watched some of his games in recent months, and he’s a different kind of player now. He’s strong in duels, scores goals and assists: he’s one of the best strikers in Italy. I’m very happy for him, he’s someone who works hard but always with a smile. Pavard is also playing very well, it’s never easy to leave Bayern Munich but he made the right choice at the right time”.

 

 

Home sweet home…

At 28, Lenglet is still at the peak of his football European tour, but roots keep his feet grounded. “Six years ago, I became the honorary president of Chaumont-en-Vexin. It’s a small town not far from home. Whenever we can, we try to help young players improve: it’s not easy because you have to manage many things. But we are very happy to help the club”. His dad Sebastien is a live-in as sports director at Chaumont, where he can set off the Lenglets mentality. He still makes banter to Clement about the scar on his nose, maybe with a bit of nostalgia, aware and proud of the signature that has brought his son far from home.

In collaboration with Davide Masi and Gianluca Di Marzio