“Olympique Lyonnais informs of the loan, without option to buy, and until the end of the season of its midfielder Florent Sanchez Da Silva to the Dutch club FC Volendam (Eredivisie)”, Olympique Lyonnais announced on January 2. Great hope of the Rhone formation trained at the club, Florent Da Silva (now called Sanchez) opted for a departure on loan in order to harden up. A new experience for the 19-year-old player who had already played in the second half of last season at Villefranche-Beaujolais. Playing 14 matches (0 goals but 5 assists), he stood out for his choice performances. “When I was loaned here, some said they were surprised by my choice. But if there is no room right away, you have to go through other stages and the National is very hard, a superb learning path for young people who have only known a training center […] I’ve been at OL for more than 10 years, so playing at Parc OL is something I dream of and expect! Evolving alongside Maxence? Frankly, it would be incredible,” he blurted out Progress. In the process, he made a good Euro U19 where he was able to become a starter thanks to his performances and finished semi-finalist in the event (1 goal and 1 offering in 4 matches).
Returning with ambition within the Rhone club, he was quickly disillusioned since apart from the start of summer preparation, he no longer had a call-up to the first team and had to be content with six meetings with the reserve. A record far too meager for the player under contract until June 2025 who was considering termination to find playing time elsewhere. Asked by Olympic-and-LyonnaisGones football director Vincent Ponsot had also stepped up to confirm OL’s desire to shape the player for the future: “For now, Florent is in our project. It may come back to this problem of this transfer period which did not generate enough departure, concedes. We have a lot of players in the squad and we regret that a player like Florent Sanchez is not in the pro group, but he is still a very young player and he is part of the project. For us, there is no termination and if there is frustration with him, we will talk about it. He is still a very young player. We had found clubs on loan which ultimately did not follow up. Today, he is with the Pro2 and that may generate frustration, but we will meet him. Since then, things have changed since the player was loaned to Volendam, therefore to the Netherlands in order to complete the exercise.
A rapid adaptation
In a young formation whose average age is 22 and a half, Florent Sanchez hoped to find a positive dynamic. “I chose to be loaned here because I need playing time at the highest level. FC Volendam fits perfectly with what I’m looking for, because it gives opportunities to young players and plays attacking football. My goals are to gain as many minutes as possible over the next six months and help the team maintain their place in the Eredivisie. I’m really looking forward to playing my first match with FC Volendam.” he explained on his arrival. And the least we can say is that the marriage is perfect. Even before he played his first match, his coach Wim Jonk was impressed with the level he displayed in training: “he brings a lot of calm to the pitch and screams football. He will need time to adjust. He’s only been here a week, but he’s a great player to work with.”
Joining a team that had only 6 points after 14 days and was in the red lantern, Florent Da Silva is one of the strong men of the promoted club. Thus, since his arrival, Volendam have taken 17 points in 10 matches and have one of the best records of 2023 in the Netherlands. An almost unimaginable situation for a team which had only 6 points in 14 matches and which has since won 5 of its 6 victories. Now fourteenth, Volendam has a five-point lead over Emmen, the play-off he beat on Saturday (3-1). A fine series of results with which the young French midfielder is no stranger. Regular holder with 8 starts in 10 matches including 1 goal and 1 offering, the native of Vaulx-en-Velin is in the process of confirming in a first division championship. Something to make Olympique Lyonnais think about where it will return to this summer?
Pub. the
MAY laugh
