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Now a mainstay at the Stade Velodrome, Valentin Rongier has continued his reputation as a quietly solid yet tenacious midfielder. The former Nantes captain is part of the leadership circle on the south coast, winning confidence as well as plaudits from previous coach Jorge Sampaoli and his successor, Igor Tudor.

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An undisputed starter in the 3-5-2 formation initially favoured by Sampaoli, the midfielder saw himself function as a make-shift right-back on a number of occasions, namely when tactics necessitated a four-man defence. With the returning Pol Lirola nowhere near the level he managed the season before, the Argentine coach saw the qualities in the 28-year-old required to fulfil relevant tactical tweaks in the Olympien game.

It turned out to be a little more than makeshift. Of the 46 appearances that Rongier made in 2021/22, 19 were at right-back with three at right-midfield. Rongier wasn’t the swashbuckling wing-back that the Marseille faithful were hoping for under Sampaoli, and that they hoped Lirola would be, but he wasn’t a disaster either.

Rongier was known as a consistent performer at the turn of the year, though he looked understandably more comfortable in his preferred midfield position where he rarely put a foot wrong, notably scoring the winning goal against Basel to seal OM a quarter-final place in the Europa Conference League.

That consistent form continued in 2022/23 – though this time without the constraints of the right-wing position under new coach Tudor, who brought in France international Jonathan Clauss and starlet Issa Kaboré. Although not as showy as his colleagues in midfield, Rongier’s tough tackling and passing ability has given Marseille a stability that is usually rare in midfield – a core point to Tudor’s tactical approach.

The new season has seen Rongier become Marseille’s de-facto captain with Dimitri Payet now largely surplus to requirements – a personal honour for the 28-year-old who, while being unable to make a late push into the France World Cup squad, lived another Champions League campaign as skipper. For how long that consistency lasts in a land of instability will remain the million dollar question, however.

Mohammed Ali | GFFN