Germain reflects on haunting Europa League final miss for Marseille
Former Marseille striker Valère Germain has revealed the lasting pain of a crucial missed chance in the 2018 UEFA Europa League final, a miss he believes cost his team the trophy. In a recent interview with L’Équipe, the now-retired forward revisited the moment that defined the 2018 final against Atlético Madrid, a 3-0 loss for Marseille. Germain, who announced his retirement in January after a stint in Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, described the miss as the darkest moment of his career.
With the score at 0-0 in the third minute of the 2018 final in Lyon, Germain found himself through on goal after a pass from Dimitri Payet. In a one-on-one with Atletico's Jan Oblak, Germain had the chance to give Marseille a shock lead. He recounted the pivotal moment, stating his intention was to shoot across the goalkeeper. However, he changed his mind at the last second, skewing a tame shot straight at the goalkeeper. Atlético Madrid went on to win 3-0, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice.
Germain has since sought to understand his error. In his interview, he revealed that a conversation with former teammate Benjamin Lecomte, who had played for Atlético's rivals Real Sociedad, provided a key insight. Germain explained that Lecomte, who had faced Atletico's goalkeeper Jan Oblak in Spain, revealed a specific tactic. "He told me that on this type of action, the goalkeeper's coach asked the 'keeper to close the angle for the cross shot and leave the near post open," Germain said. This was precisely the option Germain took, allowing Oblak to make a comfortable save.
Germain, who played for Monaco and Marseille in Ligue 1, retired in January after a final season in Japan. He reflected that had he known this detail about Oblak's tactics, he would have made a different decision. The 33-year-old, who also had spells at Nice and Montpellier, suggested that this small piece of intelligence could have changed the course of the final, and perhaps Marseille's fortunes that night in Lyon. The miss and the subsequent 3-0 defeat remain a painful, defining memory for the striker as he moves into retirement.
