Florian Thauvin’s cult hero status hit new levels with a goal for the ages in RC Lens’ Coupe de France final win.
The former Newcastle man latched onto the ball in the box and slotted in a clever opener in a 3-1 win over Nice.
Having played for Marseille more than any other club in his career, he didn’t have any interest in dealing with south coast rivals Nice fans behind the goal.
Instead, Thauvin turned and ran towards the bench, but then kept going all the way to the home end, with a celebration as unique as Emmanuel Adebayor’s for Manchester City against former side Arsenal.
Lens eventually finished the job with former Leicester, Celtic and Crystal Palace man Odsonne Edouard scoring from a Thauvin.
The win was Lens’ first-ever in the Coupe de France having been runners-up three times previously.
It also comes after they just fell short of a Ligue 1 title challenge against PSG in the last weeks of the season.
Speaking post-match, Thauvin said: “It’s historic, extraordinary. We had a remarkable season.
“We were determined to make history with the club. To do that, we had to win a trophy, and that’s what we managed to do.
“The fans came and created an incredible atmosphere. We desperately wanted to bring the cup home.
“There are never any easy matches. We won, but Nice made things difficult for us. I’m going to give my support to Nice. We wish them a good end to the season.
“I feel proud. We managed to make people proud. Everyone contributed their skills; it’s with a team that you win a trophy.”
Lens president Joseph Oughourlian added: “What’s happening to us is extraordinary.
“I arrived at the club 10 years ago. We went through so much crap in the first few years. 10 years later, we’ve reached a culmination.
“It’s an extraordinary moment. Who wouldn’t be a crazy RC Lens fan?”
Nice now head into the relegation-promotion play-offs against Saint-Etienne, while Thuavin will be keeping his fingers crossed for a likely France World Cup call-up.
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