Valère Germain reveals Atlético goalkeeper secret behind 2018 Europa League final miss
Retired striker Valère Germain has revealed that a specific tactical instruction given to Atlético Madrid's goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the key factor behind his infamous miss in the 2018 Europa League final. In an interview with L'Équipe, the former Marseille and Monaco forward detailed the traumatic moment that cost his side a likely early lead against Atlético Madrid in Lyon.
Germain explained the sequence, which occurred just three minutes into the match. After a pass from Dimitri Payet, he found himself one-on-one with Oblak. "I arrived facing the goal with the intention of crossing my shot, but Jan Oblak closed the angle and left the near post open," Germain said. "Since I was young, in that type of situation, you shoot across the keeper. There, I was surprised. I changed at the last moment and I completely missed." Marseille went on to lose the final 3-0.
Years later, a conversation with fellow professional Benjamin Lecomte provided the missing explanation. Lecomte, who had played for Atlético, informed Germain that Oblak's goalkeeper coach specifically trained him to shut down the far-post option in such scenarios, deliberately tempting the striker to shoot near post. "If I had known that detail, Marseille and Dimitri Payet might have won a title," Germain reflected.
The 33-year-old Frenchman announced his retirement in January following a final stint with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan. He spent the prime years of his career in Ligue 1, notably with Monaco, where he won the league title in 2017, and later with Marseille. His career was defined by hard work and clever movement, though the missed chance in the European final remained a defining, painful memory.
Germain's revelation offers a rare insight into the minute, pre-planned details that decide major finals. It underscores how elite preparation extends beyond outfield players, with goalkeepers drilled to manipulate an attacker's decision-making in split-second moments. The admission closes a chapter on one of modern French football's most talked-about near-misses, providing a technical answer to a question that has lingered with Marseille supporters for six years.
