The season of Florian Thauvin's rebirth also passes through some wounds that have never completely healed. The Lens striker, protagonist of the documentary "Charbonneurs" produced by Ligue 1+, retraced the period following his experience at Udinese, recounting the difficulties encountered in trying to return to Ligue 1. The former world champion with France revealed that he had personally contacted some French clubs without obtaining the desired response. In particular he recalled the attempts made with Montpellier: "I called Laurent Nicollin twice. I told him that I would accept the salary proposed by the club. He replied that he respected me a lot, but then I never received a reply". An episode which, he admitted, affected him deeply: "I'm sorry to mention his name because he is a person I appreciate, but that situation hurt me". Thauvin said he also looked for Lorient: "At a certain point I was the one chasing them and they couldn't find the courage to answer me." However, the summer of 2025 changed everything. Convinced by his friend Jean-Louis Leca, he accepted Lens' offer and enjoyed an extraordinary season with 14 goals and 10 assists in 37 appearances, contributing to the French Cup and also returning to the national team. Today the 33-year-old looks ahead: "Life has given me a new opportunity." And with the Champions League on the horizon, his second career has just begun.
