Evolved from a hopeful youngster to a key member in Rennes’s attacking line within the last few weeks, Yacine Brahimi is on the verge of confirming all hopes placed in him. Touted a “future great” since his childhood, his footballing journey seems to follow an imperturbable logic, in which confirmation is now the next step… along with sights on Les Bleus?
Amongst the players trained at the club’s Academy who make it to professional football, there are some who weren’t really expected as the highest level, who forced their way into the first team by the force of their will and patience. And there are youngsters whose golden future had been predicted before they even joined the “Ecole technique privée Odorico” (Rennes’ Academy), these player whose path to professionalism look like a freeway rather than to a country road. Some make it all the way indeed, with work and the right guidance, such as Jimmy Briand, Jacques Faty… or Yacine Brahimi.
As he experienced his first emotions as a footballer in the Île-de-France, his region of birth, first in Montreuil - where he was grew up - and then in Vincennes, his technical ability and pace were already catching the eye and imagination of all the observers. Stade Rennes, and their scouting network travelling around France each week-end, were among those early pretenders. Aged only eleven, Brahimi was carefully watched, judged, and naturally went on to continue his progression by joining the INF Clairefontaine in 2003, in the institution’s pre-academy training program.
He would spend three years at the « Institut National du Football » (ed. : National Institute of Football). As all his training-mates, Brahimi would only play competitive football as an INF player in his third year. On the previous two seasons, weeks at the boarding football schools were completed by week-end matches with the club he had a licence with. In the case of Brahimi, it would be the CO Vincennes first, then Paris Saint-Germain.
His time at the INF was very much one of solicitations, as time had arrived for him to choose the Academy he would continue his training in after his three years at Clairefontaine. PSG was evidently in the race, alongside many French and international clubs, but Rennes finally got the vote of Brahimi’s family. “In Rennes, the Academy gives much importance to the schoolwork, the player explained in October 2010. It was a warranty for my parents. They advised me to choose Stade Rennes. That way, I could continue my football training while preparing my baccalauréat”.
A choice guided by studies rather than a decision from the heart, since PSG holds a very important place in Brahimi’s, as in those of many young players from the Ile de France. “I spent a superb year there”, he explained to Le Parisien a few days ago, remembering his time playing alongside youngsters such as Mamadou Sakho.
In 2006 however, he had no regret when time came to leave the Parisian region and move to Brittany. “Since I arrived there, then aged 16, I always had the ambition to turn professional in this club, he affirmed in June 2008 after signing his first professional contract. It’s a bit like a dream come true”.
But the path to professionalism proved a bit longer than expected. During his first season in 2006-2007, Brahimi knew some adaptation issues. For several months, his inconsistent performances kept him out of the French national teams, and he missed the U17 World Cup, played in summer 2007, and in which Yann M’Vila, Abdoul Camara and Damien Le Tallec all took part.
Not the type to give up in the disappointment, his following season would be much more in phase with the expectations raised by his potential. With the U18 team in the national division, Brahimi showed his brilliance and was soon upgraded to the professional Reserve in the CFA (4th tier of French football). At the term of the season, his individual success was matched by collective silverware in the clubs’ Gambardella Cup victory. The player exposed all his technical qualities, while happily taking on the physical challenge despite his small stature. A characteristic even more striking in the CFA division, where the opposition of adults would not scare him in the slightest of ways.
Naturally, all these qualities are not excerpt of numerous defaults. Even though he has the ability to become unstoppable, the French-Algerian sometimes takes dozens of minutes to show the full extent of his talent during some games. His outstanding technic on the ball also tends to get him carried away, too often favouring the quest for a personal exploit, to the detriment of the team effort.
_ Just as it was the case for most of the “Gambardella generation”, Guy Lacombe left Brahimi outside of his tactical considerations in 2008-2009, and it would take a loan move to Clermont the following season for the player to learn his trade as a professional footballer in Ligue 2. Returned to Rennes since, Brahimi took another six months to show what he could really bring to Frédéric Antonetti’s team. His performances since January? Five goals, three assists and three penalties won, all in only seven matches. Brahimi only failed to be decisive in attack once, during the nightmare trip to Sochaux.
His history remains to be written. With an early career that seems to unfold in the ideal of ways, the youngster will now have to confirm himself as a key member of Rennes’ Ligue 1 squad, and finish smoothing out the imperfections of his game. An apprenticeship which will probably continue under Frédéric Antonetti’s management next season, with the player’s contract running until June 2014.
The future may also be tainted in Bleu. A key member of the French U21 national team, he could soon become a serious pretender to a selection with the “A”. Yann M’Vila, his mate at Stade Rennais since nearly five years has little doubt, when asked who the next Rennes player to be called-up by Laurent Blanc will be: “Yacine Brahimi!”. Place your bets.
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