Kenny

After two years in Greece with Olympiacos, Kenny Lala most likely anticipated his time within the Champions League and Europa League had come to an finish. The fullback’s profession had at all times seemed on the cusp of breaking by to wider recognition corresponding to when he seemed near a world call-up with the France crew in 2019. 

Nevertheless, as a participant now in his thirties, that recognition felt unlikely to come back, particularly after he terminated his contract at Olympiacos in the midst of the 2022/23 season and joined Brest. The northern facet are many issues, however they’ve hardly ever been referred to as glamorous and have spent nearly all of the twenty first century within the second tier. 

Lala possible anticipated to spend his time at Les Pirates combating to maintain the membership within the high tier of French soccer. Neither he nor France would have anticipated Brest to enter 2024 with a shot at an unprecedented podium end and an opportunity to compete within the Champions League. Nevertheless, that’s precisely the scenario that Brest and their skilled fullback discovered themselves in. 

Lala had confirmed himself invaluable as he helped the membership safe their highest-ever league end once they ended the 2023/24 marketing campaign in third. A place that might safe them an computerized spot within the Champions League. The defender was an ironman on the proper of a imply defence that conceded solely 34 targets (the second-fewest within the league alongside Lille). 

Lala snug on the elite stage

The one minutes that Lala would miss throughout all the season was when he was suspended for a match in opposition to Lyon. It was this consistency that has been relied upon by his head coach Eric Roy within the 2024/25 marketing campaign, as Les Pirates have as soon as once more completed the sudden and charged in direction of the Champions League knockout rounds. 

Lala has principally seemed snug within the elite competitors, as Brest have crushed RB Salzburg and Sturm Graz, and drawn with reigning Bundesliga champion Bayer Leverkusen. A 3-0 defeat to Barcelona was the one time that the fullback seemed outmanoeuvred and below strain in an in any other case flawless European marketing campaign. 

Brest’s league marketing campaign has not been as gorgeous as we enter 2025 and the membership look off-pace to have the ability to end within the podium positions once more. Nevertheless, that can do little to take the gloss off their unimaginable 2024. A 12 months that appears as if it will likely be unattainable for both Lala or Les Pirates to simply neglect. 

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