Lacina Traoré, the Monaco UFO

There was once an Ivorian arrived in Europe 18 years. A player with a volleyball physical (2,03m) and braved the cold before experiencing a club of the European Top 50. 

Passed by Romania (CFR Cluj) and Russia (Kuban Krasnodar and Anzhi Makhachkala where he played alongside Samuel Eto'o), Lacina Traoré took advantage of a connivance between the leaders and those of AS Monaco, also Russian, to land on the Rock of Monaco in January 2014. The amount paid by the DSO (€ 10 million) and salary (€ 150,000) seemed so well behaved despite the international status of the player then 23 years old. 

Six months before the World Cup, new transfer and a loan to Everton. But an injury when his second game deprived him of his hopes of Brazil. Back in Monaco the following summer, he only played six games in 2014-15 L1. The blame for repeated injuries.

The least bad the lawn

Finally operational early in the season, the native of Abidjan took advantage of the departure of Anthony Martial Manchester to know more tenure. 

Leonardo Jardim yet wanted him to leave this summer but, for lack of supply, he found himself in competition with Argentina's Guido Carrillo. Two players not really cut to evolve into a system with a single point. 

"At one time, it was the least bad playing, says Mathieu Faure, following particular for Monaco Nice-Matin and So Foot. Both have a not very academic style of play and not very nice to see when it is a team that wants to offer the game. 

"But lack of a better Jardim had to do with since the beginning of the season and his patience ( he often protected his two strikers to the press) is beginning to bear fruit, notably with the first double Traoré in Ligue 1 Saturday on the lawn of Bastia.

Lacina, the Monegasque turtle

His first two goals in L1 are however no surprise to Mathieu Faure: "It is an experienced player. They score two goals in L1, which is more in Bastia is the minimum. 

What's weird with him, is that he took so long to put his goals. It has a very unusual style. It is not nice to see him play. He does not like to play head so I do not see the point of having a guy 2m peak. When the ball comes, he gets his head like a turtle . 

"From there to see him go from the Winter Mercato? Nothing is less certain because his salary seems prohibitive, except of course in the Premier League. This does not prevent the Monegasque leaders to prospect now able to recruit a striker to take the depth. This is not really the quality of former team-mate Didier Drogba in Elephants.

"Traoré fate of some crazy things"

Rather clever in front of goal during his time in Eastern Europe, Lacina Traoré is a more atypical scorer. The kind of player that does not happen too in modern football, 

"There you have a physical elsewhere, confirms Mathieu Faure. Sometimes he goes in surges. It is in midfield and attempts of large bridges. 

It is a little awkward, it makes a lot of mistakes. And occasionally, he released a little crazy things like in Bastia where he tried opening a pigeon wing. It is subject to mockery but for the rub, I know he does not care a bit. It remains. It is most popular in the locker room. It is a  very sweet guy. He has a very particular physics. When he comes out of a match, you have the impression he did a marathon. 

"What actually bring a little more light on a player who has remained in the shadows for too long.

Häkkinen warns Alonso

The former F1 world champion Mika Häkkinen discourages Fernando Alonso taking a sabbatical next year.

At the last Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi, the McLaren boss Ron Dennis hinted that his driver could ignore the 2016 championship.

Who wins the battle of teammates? Alonso had initially left himself some doubt by giving a first ambiguous reaction, but he has since confirmed that it would indeed from the next season of Formula 1 with McLaren.

Häkkinen think the Iberian made the right decision. After a disappointing season in 2001, the double world champion Finland had decided to take a year but was ultimately never returned in F1.

"Personally, for me, I had seen myself the opportunity to come back after my sabbatical year, but I preferred to decline the offer because I had come to the conclusion that I had done my time F1, and I was happy with this decision, "he explains.

"I finished my career by winning races and that's a good way to end your career."

Fernando Alonso  tries to MotoGP: "In the case of Fernando, I do not think it would be a good decision to take a year. It must continue to fight. Once you start the game, you do not stop during the game."

Alonso has signed a three year contract with McLaren. It is linked to the British team until 2017.

In the "sex tape" case, Benzema wants a confrontation with Valbuena

Defense Karim Benzema, indicted in the affair of blackmail "sex tape" exercised his Bleus teammate Mathieu Valbuena, asks the court confrontation between the two footballers, she said Tuesday AFP.

"We demand this confrontation," said without further comment one of the lawyers of Benzema, Alain Jakubowicz, confirming a report in Le Parisien newspaper.

Once the application is formally filed, it will be up to the judge Boutard Nathalie, who investigated the case in Versailles, to decide whether and how such a confrontation.

Benzema, center forward of Real Madrid, was indicted for attempted blackmail of complicity and participation in a criminal conspiracy, facts liable to five years imprisonment.

Above all, his judicial forbidden to date to contact Valbuena, leaving open a big doubt about its presence in 2016 in the Blues for Euro organized in France (June 10 July 10).

The French Football Federation, civil party in this matter, should take a position on the case at a Benzema its president Christmas press conference Graët Thursday, two days before the draw for the Euro-2016 will determine the opponents of the Blues in the group stage.

After each presentation their story to the judge and pending this possible confrontation, both players shared their view of the case in the media.

In an interview in Le Monde in late November, Valbuena had charged Benzema, ensuring being encouraged by the Spaniard to meet his blackmailers: "Encourage, it means" He'll have you pay "Indirectly.".

"I am not guilty," defended Benzema last week on TF1: "I spoke with the heart with Mathieu Valbuena (...) When I hear about blackmail, we asked money, it drives me crazy. I did not need money. "

Benzema, Nasri and Varane, the most followed on Twitter French athletes. Top 10 in 2015

Karim Benzema is the French athlete who has the most followers on Twitter. 

Tony Parker would feel very alone if the team captain of France basketball leaning on the ranking of the most watched national sport on the social network Twitter. He would see that he is the only one not to tap your feet in a balloon, now in the Top and again, well away from the top three that make up Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Raphael Varane.

Benzema, Nasri and Varane are the most followed

Two bad boys of the tricolor football and becoming a player at the top of the hierarchy but overall the Blues of Didier Deschamps have power over the microbloging network, present at number eight in ten. Apart from Tony Parker, another "exception" of the Top 10, if one can say so is Thierry Henry, now retired footballer but which remains the top scorer in the history of the French team.

Tony Parker, the only one who did not play football

On average, a French sportsman Top 10 most followed on Twitter has 1.9 million followers or roughly the average of Tony Parker. Note however that even by adding all the followers of the French Top 10, the figure remains below the 39 million followers of Cristiano Ronaldo, the world star athletes on all social networks.

The 10 most followed sports in 2015 French on Twitter

• 1. Karim Benzema (@Benzema) – 3.307.584 folloowers
• 2. Samir Nasri (@SamNasri19) – 2.613.914
• 3. Raphaël Varane (@raphaelvarane) – 2.548.597
• 4. Thierry Henry (@ThierryHenry) – 1.939.188
• 5. Tony Parker (@tonyparker) – 1.768.886
• 6. Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) – 1.621.570
• 7. Antoine Griezmann (@antogriezmann) – 1.541.803
• 8. Olivier Giroud (@_OlivierGiroud_ ) – 1.533.792
• 9. Blaise Matuidi (@MATUIDIBlaise) – 1.323.564
• 10. Mamadou Sakho (@mamadousakho3) – 1.202.540

High Voltage skyrocketing at Sampdoria after slaps in Soriano, on retreat in Catania?

The defeat remedied at Marassi against Sassuolo last Sunday of the very heavy for Sampdoria . And not just because the club Sampdoria remain just two points above the relegation zone. The jolt that the patron Massimo Ferrero wanted to give on November 15 with the dismissal of Walter Zenga and the hiring of Vincenzo Montella has not yet borne fruit.

The three defeats out of three races remedied by Sampdoria with Montella on the bench (four consecutive knockouts if it includes the last game played with Zenga on the bench) have made the fiery atmosphere around the club Sampdoria. After the defeat against sassuolo, it would take place also a regrettable episode.

Some players Sampdoria would be stopped on the street by a group of ultras leaders that they would have asked for an explanation for the bad game played with neroverdi. The captain of Sampdoria, Roberto Soriano , one of the players stopped by the ultras, had a heated quarrel with them and, as reported also 'Tuttosport', it would also be slapped.

Tension is high in home Sampdoria and already during Sunday's game the fans of South Stairs had challenged the team asking for more commitment and had then studded booing the players at the final whistle. Fans have saved from contesting the only Montella, evidently considered less responsible for the difficult situation in the team.

Team that will start Thursday in retreat away from Genoa, as decided by mutual agreement between the company and the team, so he can prepare for the important match next Monday against Lazio with greater peace of mind, without the pressure made by fans. The venue of the retreat but not yet been decided, but it also speaks of the sports center of Torre del Grifo in Catania as a possible choice.

Juventus and Fiorentina on top in Europe, now counts only winning the group

It has specified very well Massimiliano Allegri at the press conference. Against Sevilla are prohibited missteps. Not winning, or not keep the first place in the group after so much effort, it would be unforgivable. The translation of the words of the Juventus coach is simple: no turnover . And patience for anyone who has not played much.

Now, if Allegri will confirm what he has said to the media ( "This time the owners are cheap ..." , ed), the training that Juventus made ​​object to Seville is taken. In front of Buffon, classic 3-5-2 with Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini in defense, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Marchisio, Pogba and Alex Sandro in midfield, Dybala and Morata in attack . The alternatives of course are pochine, as Pereyra, Evra, Hernanes , Khedira and Mandzukic were in Turin for several reasons, Asamoah and Padoin were not included in the list UEFA, Caceres is not yet ready and Lemina is still bruised. Less than a chance to surprise Zaza, Cuadrado and Rugani, Juve the Sanchez-Pizjuan should be one that you have read above. Better at the time, Allegri could not deploy.

Ultimo atto della prima fase di @UEFA @ChampionsLeague. Pronti per #SivigliaJuve? #UCL pic.twitter.com/bMmkoQuzwh

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) December 7, 2015

Someone warn the Leghorn. But how, Sunday night is the Fiorentina and against Sevilla we risk all holders? Sure, you might say for a moment taking up the defense of Allegri. The first place in the group is too important, and too close at hand to have it escape. Switch to the knockout stage as top of the class in one of the most difficult of all the Champions League , it means encountering - in theory - an opponent more affordable in the spring. Maybe it will not, and the same road as the Juventus last year would be enough to disprove what we are saying, but it is there for all to see that the draw of the Old Lady of last season have been quite benevolent.

Here, get used to it would be a mistake . If the results obtained so far have allowed Juventus to play for the top spot until the end, why not take this chance and give everything even in the last game? And then, you know, winning helps you win. Since eventual victory in Sevilla accrue new convictions which could then help children Allegri to make full loot in the league, against Fiorentina.