NO STRASS IN THIS BURG: Scouting RC Strasbourg
Introduction
With a little bit of time on my hands, I wanted to have a quick, opportunistic look at RC Strasbourg for two reasons. This is a quick introductory word, lightly edited mostly for context.
First, the farmers’ league is full of talent once you know where/what to look at, and that sometimes requires going off the beaten track. That’s not to say that the Cherki, Moffi and other Todibo aren’t (obviously) on top of everyone’s shopping list (already) without a good reason.
But there’s definitely a lot of “second tier” top scouting targets worth looking at, as starting quality material for top 10 Premier League club, or solid backups for top clubs.And second, albeit Chelsea buying stakes in Strasbourg is kind of grounhog day as far as the reporting of the thing has been going in the past year or so, it is certainly convenient to take a head start and wonder which players could possibly get into a conversation and cross the channel at some point in the future. Things might accelerate in coming months now Strasbourg stayed up for certain, and once Chelsea advance on more pressing things of the to-do list.
Vitesse Arnheim’s Marko Van Ginkel? We don’t talk about Marko Van Ginkel
The format will be more an initial shortlisting to flag up 5 interesting players, with data visualisations and some embed video compilations (that aren’t mine) for a clearer idea of the players on tape.
Strass are “rhinestones”, fake jewels. Burg is apparently also understood as “old city” in English usage. Pun is definitely cringe but you will please indulge.
Viz are provied by the McLachbot, Robotic Head Of International Scouting for Chelsea Football Club (parody). Built by @ChicagoDmitry
There’ll be some fbref and smarterscout as well
And also some DataMB_ for the plotcharts
Why bother with screenshots?
Looking at plays like it’s a flipbook isn’t ideal, granted.
However, Ligue 1 don’t allow YouTube highlights embeds (and the YouTube algorithm holds people hostage better than Brighton and Hove Albion retains talented trivela addicts beefy Ecuadorians).
Ads are annoying and some of it possibly isn’t available in other countries and or one day, become offline.
There’s still a level of attention delved into chosing the right frame, which invites to look at things like: position of the feet, shoulders.
Tag or “landmarking” plays makes it easier to figure out what players did (or should do) between two snapshots.
Who is that for, besides you, kind enough reader?
Well, not every player is destined to nail a starting spot and dislodge Enzo Fernandez or Wesley Fofana in West London
Some might be interesting options for say Brighton (no don’t say Brighton) or Aston Villa, Crystal Palace type of clubs.
But RC Strasbourg Alsace has also been the home (the burg?) of players such as Youssouf Fofana (20 million to Monaco in 2020) and Mohamed Simakan (15 million to Leipzig in 2021), so why couldn’t others follow suit.
No strass in this burg
Strasbourg experienced big financial troubles in the early 2010s, almost went bankrupt and were taken over; and rebuilt their position in the French ecosystem by climbing up the ladder.
Started back in “CFA2”, now called “National 3” which is the 5th tier (3rd level below Ligue 1 and Ligue 2)
Won back to back National (3rd tier) and Ligue 2 (2nd tier) titles to get back in Ligue 1 at the start of 2017-18.
Strasbourg even won the 2019 League Cup, that gave them a run… in the preliminary rounds of the Europa League. Still that.
They’re a well run club, with a solid and passionate fanbase (that broke attendance records all the way back to Ligue 1), family friendly crowd, with a productive academy recruitment with good results. They’re financially sound, don’t destroy their wage bill nor engage in over the top financial shenanigans with agents.
One + One equals Two (only football understands this as you can spend 3), this is not to say playing by the rules in a wildly unregulated environment is the reason why they were trying to avoid the drop this season.
But of course, it’s much easier to buy your way to (short term) (semblance of) success throwing cash around like Luna Park flyers, and turning the head when various invoiced “consulting” fees end up in Louis Vuitton bags proudly worn by an areopagus of sporting advisors all sorts.
Whilst waiting anxiously for TV rights to rise as if TVs were by any mean interested in broadcasting the outcome of full week of head tennis training directed by unqualified caretakers head coaches on the week end.
Quick look at how many Ligue 1 clubs in 2022/23 thought the “honeymoon” caretaker effect would adress the reasons why they found themselves there.
Also taking into account clubs being bailed out with state tresury bonds when Mediapro deal went tits up and also during the pandemic.
Many clubs will want to eat raw coffee seeds any time soon to heal their future (financial) hungover in the next 18 months when they’ll have to repay some of the loans they got themselves into.
Strasbourg are well ran, the chairman is Marc Keller, former Strasbourg player, who finished his playing career playing for West Ham, Portsmouth and Blackburn between 1998 and 2001 - if that rings a bell closer to home.
Before becoming an influential football figure in France:
A succesful sporting director at RC Strasbourg then AS Monaco, and leading a 10 people consortium to buy Strasbourg on the brink of bankruptcy in 2012.
Marc Keller is a succesful businessman, knowledgeable and sensed media pundit but also someone with a level of influence at the French Football Federation, being a member of the Board.
To the point that he’s often mentioned as being the best person for the role of FFF Chairman, but probably only once FFF finishes the clearing out.
At which point he’d obviously have to put an end to his tenure as RC Strasbourg chairman.
There’s probably not a lot of second guessing here in suggesting that Chelsea’s interest in RC Strasbourg is likely a combination of
Being a healthy well run club which makes them an exception in France
Being close to the Belgian and German frontier (or Luxembourg)
Having a strong efficient process at first team and academy level
A forthcoming change of ownership due to circumstances
All of this to say that Strasbourg probably won’t be one of the French clubs going to take a big financial hit in the near future once they’re presented the bill. Say Dijon, freshly relegated to third tier, still have former Sunderland Didier Ndong on 20k a week on their books.
Looking at Strasbourg’s top earners (that’s not the shortlist)
35 years old former France international Kevin Gameiro for his last dance in his first pro club on 35k/week, despite spells at Valencia and Sevilla. Well worth the money for the handful of top corner volleys he’s scored for two seasons.
Goalkeeper Mats Sels is on 32k/w,
Deep lying playmaker Sanjin Pricic is on 30k/w
Habib Diallo scored 20 Ligue 1 goals, and is on 27k/week, Senegal international
Alexander Djiku is the central defender and captain, on 25k/w, Ghana international.
Morgan Sanson earns 90k/week, but Strasbourg only fork out 25k/w and parent club Aston Villa pay the remaining 65k.
All of this to say that Strasbourg generally work well, with good players that are the protagonists of the strong work ethic that the club is known for.
Which is always good to consider when trying to conjecture how players might adapt to a new environment.
The players that I won’t include: Morgan Sanson and Frédéric Guilbert, because they sort of had their chance already. Which doesn’t mean they won’t have it again, but first and foremost found a burg to kickstart their career after being on and off the first team picture at Aston Villa.
