By Walter Broeckx
So Mathieu Debuchy it is who will fill the space left by Bacary Sagna.
Born on 28 July 1985 and will turn 29 this summer.
He was born in Fretin and that is rather nice for me as it gives me the opportunity to tell you a bit about that part of France that has a link with my region Flanders, the northern part of Belgium.
Fretin is a little town that is in the region of France Nord-Pas de Calais. That is the official name. But it was and is also known as the region French Flanders. As it once belonged to Flanders. But wars and such things and kings putting down border stones where they shouldn’t put them drove this part of Flanders to France.
So if history had brought different choices I could have had another compatriot at our club. If the original borders of the county of Flanders had been respected he would have been from Belgium. But history is history and so he is French.
Did you know by the way that most of the cities and villages in the Lille – Calais area also have their original Flemish name? Everyone knows Calais and even we in Flanders use it, but the original name was Kales. The same goes for Dunkirk. A name that brings sad memories about wars. In French it is called Dunkerque but the original name in Flemish was Dunkerke. Coming from the words “dune” and “kerke”. Dune is the same in Dutch as in English and kerke is church. So a church in the Dunes.
Another interesting note is that the important part of his name ‘buch’ as ‘de’ in French is the equivalent of ‘van’ in Dutch means a chopped piece of wood to throw in the fire. And in the local dialect that they speak in Flanders just over the border with French Flanders it is also used as the name of a typical cake that is called a “buche” and that is eaten at Christmas. If you type in “buche de noel” as they also call it like that in French and search for pictures you will see what I mean. And just the thought of it makes me long for Christmas as it really is a nice cake.
I could go on about this but we will now more look at re Debuchy but as he is a real local boy who grew up in the shadow of Lille that in Dutch is called Rijssel and so we still have a bit of a bond through our history that once was the same. And I wanted to mention this. I can imagine some readers will appreciate it.
But enough about this little history and food lesson that you will only be able to read on Untold because, well, we are Untold.
I think you will be more interested in his football capacities than in the history of his region.
When he was 7 or 8 years old he started playing for the big club in the French Flanders region: Lille OSC. Before that he had played at the local club in Fretin. But he was destined for more and to become their most famous inhabitant.
In his youth he was mostly played as a defensive midfielder. Later converted to the right win and then dropped to the right back position. It was the manager at Lille, Claude Puel, who made him end up at the right back position. But he can do more as he has trained to do more in his earlier days of his career.
He made his début for Lille when he was around 18-19 years old in the season 2003-2004. Gradually he gained his place at the club and he became an ever present apart from when he got injured in his early years. A big injury that kept him out for 6 months was an ankle injury with his ligaments torn.
But after that he was always present at the club. And more importantly he was at Lille when they won the double in 2011. Amazing how many players of that team have played or are still playing in the PL. Apart from himself we had Gervinho of course who has been here and now is having a good time in Italy. There is Eden Hazard at Chelsea, there is Cabaye who has played at Newcastle and now at PSG. So they sure had a good group out there but as usual the big money teams plundered them.
When it comes to comparing him with Sagna it seems that they are not that far apart from each other. Debuchy is a few years younger but not that young. So I think he is a player that Wenger will use for a few years and then I think Wenger will have a new right back ready from within Arsenal. A right back that might ring a bell as I am a big fan and believer in Bellerin.
Debuchy was picked in front of Sagna by the French manager this world cup and well that seems to be a good indication on how they rate him in France. Of course he has played for Newcastle so we know that he is a decent right back. He can defend, he can attack, is strong and a reasonable good header I have been told. His defensive stats are almost the same as those from Sagna so I think we just have changed one French right back for another. The younger version of Sagna.
So a bit difficult this one for the AAA. They don’t like Wenger buying French players but this is an older French player. They don’t like Wenger buying unknown French players but this is a known French player. With one season and a half PL experience under his belt. An international player for France who even had more caps than Koscielny. So a rather un-typical Wenger signing maybe and so it will leave them bewildered and frustrated but I can imagine them coming up with some kind of negativity about Debuchy.
I think we at Untold will welcome him with open arms, as we always do.
Bienvenue Mathieu. Welcome Mathieu. Welkom Mathieu.
And in case you missed any of our recent excursions into the recent past…
- Can it ever get better than this? Arsenal v Tottenham.
- Starting the third Double, but we soon came down to earth.
- Do we need a new centre forward?
- Arsenal in the Uefa Cup final: 17 May 2000
- What happened on Henry’s first game for Arsenal?
- Beware the pre-season friendly – it tells you nothing.
– See more at: http://www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/#sthash.OnuMtzIr.dpuf
Regarding your last paragraph.
If you’re looking for positivity then it might be a good idea to stop continuously referencing the AAA, because by doing so you’re in a cycle of negativity.
I know:
He’s over the hill at 29?
If he’d been any good he wouldn’t have been at Newcastle.
Newcastle aren’t a big club so this isn’t a big signing.
How can it be a good signing if we didn’t pay at least a zillion pounds.
That’s sorted the AAA argument. IMHO he’s a great signing. he was, after all, keeping Sagna out of the French team.
last but one paragraph
Walter,
That’s a very interesting and delightful article. I’m more enriched about the region you come from and more knowledgable about its people and culture. I saw the Tour de France earlier last week and I believe they raced through this region, ending the stage right by the Lille stadium.
Coming to Debuchy, we knew that Wenger wanted to retain Sagna for a couple more years. It may be that this is to help nurture the further development of both Jenkinson and Bellerin in that time. So maybe Debuchy is now being tasked for that job.
“Apart from himself we had Gervinho of course who has been here and now is having a good time in Italy. There is Eden Hazard at Chelsea, there is Cabaye who has played at Newcastle and now at PSG. So they sure had a good group out there but as usual the big money teams plundered them.”
We did plunder Gervinho, didn’t we? Nice to see you spare a thought for Lille. Southampton have been weathering a similar storm over the last few years, losing their players to “money teams”. It’s a shame.
Nice article Walter & good to know some of Debuchy’s history.
It looks as if Debuchy is a good signing and with Sanchez already signed it is nice to have some of our business conducted early.
@oldgroover
The AAA are always with us unfortunately & while they have been fairly quiet recently – really since the cup final – they are always hoping for a chance to attack and undermine Wenger. So I have no objection to them getting a “touch”.
Age aside, do you know a nurse can make and keep you younger and healthier than a model? Top class signing! Ozil will thanking Arsene for buying a marauding RB…
Think he will be a very good, experienced signing. My only worry, sometimes, I have watched games where he can be quite a physical player – and with us, he will not get away with… perhaps what he may have done at Newcastle
But other than that, well done Wenger and his transfer team
Thanks Walter, I enjoyed the history very much.
Exciting times. I don’t know anything about the player but those that I respect wrote that Debuchy had a good game for France against the impressive Germany, and that’ll do for me.
Though I am going to miss Sagna. For a while. For me he was always a Great player. Best wishes to him as he picks up his pension, except for when he plays against the Arsenal.
Actually, I wouldn’t mind reading more about Flanders and how a part of it ended up in France since I’m spending an Erasmus semester in Leuven BE. But I susepct I’m the only one … 😉
I think this is a good buy, in that Debuchy has similar stats and a similar playing style as Sagna, is PL proved and thus won’t disrupt the on-field chemistry too much in the beginning of next season. Replacing 3 players at once will create disruption as was abvious the case two season with Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla taking time to find theri feet two seasons ago.
This still leaves place for another player to add to the first team without too much disrupion…
Walter
Interesting history lesson. Much appreciated.
Nice article
That’s good to see the history and little known facts. Like you say, it is what Untold originally set out to do, tell us what others don’t.
To football and in particular the Arsenal, you say Bellerin is earmarked to take over from Debuchy in time. I hope this doesn’t mean you know something about Jenkinson we don’t. If so, why is this ‘untold’ and please don’t sound AAA if you dare answer.
You mention that Arsenal fans don’t like French players coming to the club despite our God being Thierry Henry; and despite Paddy 4 and his best ever partner Petit (barring Silva in 03–04) … you surely jest. You said yourself Thierry was little known about when he signed, which he wasn’t, so tread carefully with the semantic safety valve of “unknown French players. I am smiling Walter, I mean all this in good spirit.
I think the Frenchman Flamini is popular, he is with me and that’s a good indicator. Giroud is liked by most Arsenal fans. With more prolific goalscorers like Sanchez and Walcott bringing us points, the contribution of Giroud will be seem as ample like the less prolific Bergkamp in Thierry’s day. BTW Clichy I always count as the forgotten ‘Invincible’ and he was ever more popular for easing the injury inflicted by the Judas.
Koscielny is French, waw unknown and has always been popular since the early days of putting Kevin Davies in his baco pocket, a lot like anothet popular unknown French player Nasri when he tripped Joey Barton. Speaking of which, his new team-mate Sagna was very popular with us, still is unlike Na$ri. .. and was he well known when he joined? 😉
I know you get tongue in cheek these days Walter, your writing certainly suggests it, Tony’s dry wit is fantastic but you have many times shown you are similar.
Your observation that Debuchy being picked over Sagna indicates they know ‘something’, but the same people chose Sakho over Koscielny which surely makes their judgement questionable. 🙂
I close on a sombre note. What you miss seeing regarding Arsenal fans and French players, plus the manager => is the French are generally dsliked by the English. This makes them the first being pointed at when thngs go tits up. Belgians not understanding this is ironic to say the least.
Thanks for the info on place names. I had often thought that ‘Dunkerque’ didn’t sound like a French name. As Southern Belgium is French speaking I didn’t think of the possibilty of the name originally being from Flemish.
oldgroover
“Regarding your last paragraph.
If you’re looking for positivity then it might be a good idea to stop continuously referencing the AAA, because by doing so you’re in a cycle of negativity”
A snowball’s chance in hell , this will ever happen.
Untold invented this silly moniker and have used it in every article I have ever read . I guess it is a way of certain people making themselves feel better or superior to other Arsenal fans. So my advice to you my friend is to get used to it .
Gud 1 prof.we stil need more signing after doro sanchez and doro buchy
Stuart……it is a shame as you say BUT that’s modern football a la FIFA and EUFA. The truth is that there is no more protection or support for the small teams producing talents than there ever was. Real took DiStefano,Puskas and countless others starting in the 1950’s. The so called ¨big¨ clubs are happy to pay over the top for what they want and the so-called ¨feeder¨clubs are happy (more or less) to accept the money they desperately need to keep afloat and to buy new players. This cycle of buying and selling has been going on since Association Football started and will only get more extreme as the Big Clubs seek glory and the little Clubs seek to survive.
Walter, here in Quebec we have the tradition of buche de Noel as well. We have the woodsmen who are called bucherons, we have the expression ¨dormir comme une buche¨ and so on. Both English and French cultures here have the Christmas log tradition but the English also eat plum pudding, which the French disdain. Ask tony about some interesting Brit christmas traditions.
Tom
Yeah, I guess so, but doesn’t it seem so unnecessarily contrary to tack that on to the end of a very good and informative article.
Like as if it was obligatory!
I’ll never get used to the automatic negative thinking (ANTs) of Untold Arsenal, which is a shame as it’s one of the best campaigning blogs out there.
Oldgroover
I certainly know what you mean. Untold does offer some unique perspective on football in general and Arsenal FC in particular and most articles are very informative and thought provoking ,but like with everything in life , one must make allowances I suppose. The unfortunate AAA thingy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, I’m afraid . It’s best to just ignore it.
Colario,
The border between Belgium is partly with the Flemish speaking part (around the city of Lille) and from then on it is with the French speaking part of Belgium. Northwest from Lille they spoke Flemish originally and on the other side we had a French speaking part of French Flanders that is more linked with the French speaking province of Hainaut in Belgium.
There are a lot of little villages over there with real Flemish sounding names still. Well that is if you know a bit of French and you can feel that the name isn’t really Frenck.
So, if the Nord-Pas de Calais were to be Belgian, they would not be part of the Walloon region?
Did the Kings of France annex the linguistically incorrect part of what is today Belgian territory?
It is known that even the most “French” of Belgian cities (Liege) has a Dutch-Flemish name.
And, as far as Lille, what was the primary language before the French invaded the region?
The squad is getting some more depth, we look ready for the world now, and there may still be more players to come.
@oldgroover
Second that.
Lovely post Walter and just a brief and fairly unsure comment on the area’s confusing history.
Calais in fact was the last part of France to be under English sovereignty which after the Battle of Hastings at one stage included a huge chunk of Northern and Western France.
At some stage subsequently the low countries were under either Spanish or Duke of Burgundy control.
Belgium itself is much more recent than the historic Fleming and Walloon regions.
I would love it if Walter had enough time and enthusiasm to put flesh on the historical skeleton.
Very interesting article Walter, I enjoyed reading about the linguistic and historical matter you gave us. I still can’t work out what Debuchy would mean, a woody cake? And I always though ‘van’ meant ‘from’. Very interesting, thanks Walter!
Nice article Walter , and an interesting history lesson as well too.Thanks.
Some very condescending commentators are trying their very best to alter history as WE know it .And trying to influence opinions here.
One even acts like as ” DAS MODERATOR UNO ” – Ja , and ‘ Big Brother ‘ tells you what you should post or say. Humour – non ! El stupido crapo , si ! Well FUCK YOU !
Thank God we have Tony and Walter to maintain sanity on this site .
I for one am sure that they ARE the AAAA and they ARE trying to ‘turn’ the regular readers of this blog by being agent provacateurs ( or paid agents .)
It ain’t gonna work ,you stupid creeps !
For your information the extra ‘A’ in the term I use for them , The AAAA , is for Arsehole or Asinine (both of which are freely interchangeable at either ends !)
(as·i·nine – adjective
1.foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid: It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements.
2.of or like an ass: asinine obstinacy; asinine features.)
And stirring the pot ,here’s the jokes …
The Three Sisters
Three sisters of age 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together.
One night the 96 year old draws a bath, puts her foot in and pauses. She yells down the stairs, “Was I getting in or out of the bath?” The 94 year old yells back, “I don’t know, I’ll come up and see.”
She starts up the stairs and pauses, then she yells, “Was I going up the stairs or coming down?”
The 92 year old was sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, “I sure hope I never get that forgetful.”
She knocks on wood for good measure. She then yells, “I’ll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who’s at the door.”
Just me thinking aloud –
http://www.rottenecards.com/card/126516/im-not-saying-youre–stupid
Me again,…
http://www.rottenecards.com/card/392696/they-say-laughter-is-the–bes
Going green ….
http://www.rottenecards.com/card/392277/people-like-you-should-be–fo
To all the AAAAs out there –
http://www.rottenecards.com/card/391635/i-dont-know-if-its-your-mout
Jokerboy
Calm down child!
Everyone knows you’re here.
@Brickfields
Excellent!!
thanks Walter, perhaps Dunkirk should be twinned with Dunchurch, near Rugby in Warwickshire. Dunchurch was (like Rugby) close to the sea before William Ellis picked up that football and ran with it. For the sin of inventing eggchasing the Gods (in their wisdom) moved the sea a couple of hundred miles away, destroying Dunchurch’s thriving maritime industry.
Tom/oldgroover
I think it’s you 2 who should get off your high horse regarding AAA references.
It’s just a generic term to enable simple reference to a group of people who consistently deride and criticise all things Arsenal and Wenger in particular..
The same way they us the generic AKB to reference a group of people who consistently back all things Arsenal. Untold for example.
You may think it’s an ‘obsession’ and you may be right, but in my humble opinion the constant media barrage of abuse that we suffer at Arsenal is given much of it’s ammunition by the AAA types. They have, either by design or other wise, been a serious factor in undermining Arsenal FC over these recent difficult times, and they have caused us many problems of which some are just perceived but many are very real.
It seems to me it’s you that has the obsession
jambug
I don’t know about high horses and agree with you completely, but I was only making the point that at the end of an excellent uplifting article Walter was complaining of negativity while at the same time referencing the AAA which in itself generates more negativity.
What was the point of that? What did he expect to achieve?
If he’s going to slag the AAA save it for a more a more appropriate occasion.
If you have this in you armoury “keep your powder dry” & use it sparingly and when it’s more effective, but It looks to me as if the bloggers think that they have a responsibility to continuously reference the AAA.
See what happened there…..I’ve used the dreaded phrase three times.
oldgroover
I see your point.
The problem is I think the fact is it’s slightly therapeutic to pre-empt the naysayers before they even start.
Somehow it lessens the annoyance and impact of what they say if you can say:
“We knew you was going to come out with that load of shite”
Just a thought.
jambug,
it was in fact based on some of the AAA were telling in the last weekd that I saw passing by on social media
Walter
I’m with you Walter. The ‘AAA’ (sorry) types should be ‘called out’ for what I see as there vindictive, subversive views at every opportunity.
Some may see it as being obsessive, well so be it. These people have seriously undermined Arsenal, and Wenger in particular, at every turn and need to be called out for what they are.
Anyway, if anyone is obsessive it is them, with there obsessive hatred of all things Arsenal
@jambug
I fully agree with your 11.46.
The AAA (I’m beginning to agree with Brickfields re AAAA as a preferential designation!) have been appalling in the lack of respect they have shown to Wenger and in the horrible way they have continually attacked him.
jambug
A bit like Judge Dread….”I knew you was going to do that”
Jambug
“It seems to me it’s you that has the obsession”
Never used either term to describe any Arsenal fan (AAA nor AKB) and stated on more than a few occasions ,just like in my little exchange with oldgroover , that it’s best just to ignore it.
Not much of an obsession now , is it?