Florian Thauvin savours title chase with high-flying Lens
Florian Thauvin has spoken of his determination to help Lens secure a historic trophy this season, with the club firmly in a Ligue 1 title race and a Coupe de France semi-final. The 2018 World Cup winner, who joined Lens on a free transfer last summer after his contract with Tigres UANL expired, is relishing the club's unexpected challenge to Paris Saint-Germain's domestic dominance.
Lens currently sit second in the table, just four points behind leaders PSG, whom they will host at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in the coming weeks. They also face Toulouse in the French Cup semi-finals on April 21. In an interview with Le Parisien, Thauvin acknowledged the rare opportunity at hand. "We are living through something extraordinary and, day to day, I am taking enormous pleasure from it," Thauvin said. "Obviously, I have this desire for a title, it is strong, but I force myself to stay lucid. In football, everything can change very quickly: two bad results and everything collapses."
The 31-year-old winger emphasised the importance of collective focus over individual accolades, a perspective he attributes to his maturity. He admitted that earlier in his career he had a tendency to "look a bit too much at my personal interest." Thauvin stated that now, the team's results come before all else. "Scoring 10 or 15 goals is thrilling, but if the team finishes 10th, it's useless, except to flatter your ego," he explained.
Thauvin's experience is seen as vital in a squad blending youth and veterans during a pressure-filled run-in. He revealed that the senior players are stressing to the younger members of the squad the need to avoid getting carried away. "With the senior players, we insist to the younger ones: don't get over-excited, stay concentrated. Because these moments are rare in a career, especially when you are still fighting on two fronts against a team as dominant as Paris. It's up to us not to waste this," he added.
His move to Lens last year marked a return to French football after two seasons in Mexico. While not a regular starter, Thauvin has contributed three goals and four assists in 24 league appearances, offering crucial depth and big-game experience. His career, which includes a stint at Marseille and a difficult period at Newcastle United, has found a late peak in the intense atmosphere of Lens's ambitious project.
The club's sustained challenge represents one of the stories of the European season, operating with a fraction of PSG's budget. For Thauvin, the final weeks of the campaign offer a chance to add a major domestic honour to his World Cup winner's medal, cementing his legacy in a different role from his earlier, more individually-focused days. The outcome of the title race could significantly influence the perception of his successful return to Ligue 1.
