Karim Benzema’s first feat? A double with SC Bron-Terraillon, including a goal at the end of a slalom triggered in midfield, against Olympique Lyonnais during a chicks plateau in the fall of 1996. Lyon coaches, Pierre Navarro and Fernando Ferrari, are captivated. A few days later, the kid swapped his neighborhood team tunic for that of the best club in the region. “A change in the middle of the season is unusual for a little one,” recalls Cyrille Dolce, one of the other OL educators, still in office.
