Nabil Fekir, a silent leader for Betis

The French midfielder Nabil Fekir, 26, is the big acquisition of the new Betis de Rubi. The Verdiblanco club has paid Olympique de Lyon 19.75 million euros plus incentives for a maximum amount of 10 million, according to the French entity, which will also receive 20% of the surplus value in a future transfer. This is the second most expensive signing at Villamarín this summer after the 22 million it took to execute the purchase option for Lo Celso, which last season was ceded by the PSG.
Formed in Lyon, where he entered with 12 years, an inflammation with 15 in the tibia, which is called Osgood-Schlatter, traumaticly removed him from the quarry of Olympique, his “beloved city and the club of his dreams” . Temporarily, yes. He left for Vaulx-en-Velin – where he played as a child and where his father was the vice president – and from there he made the leap to Saint-Priest. There it exploded and received a new call from the OL, which had it two years in the subsidiary before finally settling in the Stade Lyonnais. “I wanted to take revenge, but I put those feelings aside,” Fekir acknowledged then.

Last summer he was part of the World Champion France in Russia. His election for the French team was a trauma at home, since his father – Mohamed, a worker in a metallurgy factory – wanted him to play with Algeria. He was called by the African coach, Christian Gourcouff, but the decision was firm. Among other things because he wanted to play at home the Euro 2016, something he could not get due to a broken knee ligament. Yes, he entered the last World Cup. “Fekir has great potential and can bring us something different,” coach Didier Deschamps said. With France he has played 21 games.

“He is simple, reserved, not shy and, above all, a very good person. In the dressing room, every year that passed he became more the leader. He is a great motivator, but in a few words,” Sergi described a few months ago Darder, Espanyol player and Fekir’s partner in Lyon between 2015 and 2017. From that year he became the team captain. He has played 200 professional games, with 69 goals and 41 assists.