It’s been a season of ups and downs for Southampton loanee Duje Caleta-Car, who is having a loan spell at Lyon.
Despite being a starter under Laurent Blanc, the defender then had a tough time in when Fabio Grosso was in charge of his club, as he was sidelined and didn’t even make it to the bench for a few games.
Things got back to normal after the arrival of Pierre Sage, though, and Caleta-Car is now quoted by Ouest France talking about this turnaround during a press conference.
“I had bad moments with the last coach, it was difficult, but that’s part of football. When the new coach arrived, he spoke to us. I felt from the first training session that he gave us all the confidence we needed. That makes everything easier,” said Caleta-Car.
“I took my chance and I’m happy to be playing again. I hope to help the team as much as I can. There are good relationships within the team, morale is better, everyone is laughing, having fun, the atmosphere is better. We need to keep the same energy.”
When agreeing the deal with Southampton, Lyon negotiated an option to buy Caleta-Car, so a good season in France is crucial for that deal to go through.
The defender now has 14 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, holding a starting place in six of their last seven league games, and that’s a clear sign that he’s back for good.
That means Southampton can probably rub their hands about a summer sale. Previous reports from France said Lyon first paid €1.54m for the loan, and the buying option would cost them €3.59m, as well as a potential €2.1m bonus.
