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Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Remember the Name: Remy Cabella

We continue our round-up of promising youngsters with Remy Cabella from Montpellier in Ligue 1.


Remy Cabella: slowly but surely reaching the top.

Last season proved to be a memorable one for Montpellier. With a pack of youngsters and some untested or unknown senior players, Olivier Giroud's old club managed to beat off the Qatari-backed PSG to their first Ligue 1 title. Of course Giroud and Younes Belhanda got many of the headlines for such a feat, and rightly so, as they were the technical leaders of an enthusiastic team.

Fast forward to January 2013 and Montpellier's title seems far away. A sluggish start to their Ligue 1 campaign, along with early elimination from the Champions' League and rumours of rifts between players and manager René Girard, meant that Belhanda's stock, in particular, has fallen off the cliff.

One of the lone bright sparks in Montpellier's season has been the continued emergence of Remy Cabella. Capable of playing in central midfield or down the wings, the 22-year-old was a member of Montpellier's Coupe Gambardella's winning side of 2009 (the Coupe Gambardella is France's FA Youth Cup).

Following that title, Remy has steadily progressed. He joined struggling Ligue 1 club Arles-Avignon on loan in 2010-2011 where he managed to score 3 goals in 17 games for a club destined for the drop and lacking in cohesion.

Rejoining his parent club the season after, he played an active role on the way to the title, either off the bench or as the first choice to cover an injury. Playing in a variety of positions, sometimes even in a deep role, Cabella played in 29 matches, scoring only 3 goals but providing good link-up play between midfield and attack.

This season has been the one where he has confirmed all the hopes placed in him. Now an undisputed started, and playing on the wing but often cutting inside, Cabella has already contributed 5 goals at the half-way point of the season in Ligue 1. He has been Montpellier's most consistent player and has filled the creative gap explained by Belhanda's loss of form.

Cabella has also proven himself on the international stage, earning 17 U-21 caps for France and participating in this season's Champions' League. He was notably Montpellier's best player in a tight encounter against Arsenal at La Mosson.

With two good feet and bags of creativity, Remy Cabella seems to be heading for the top and will soon be a name to be reckoned with in Ligue 1. He's certainly going in the right direction.



Worst case scenario: A less selfish, less technical version of Samir Nasri
Best case scenario: A less selfish, better version of Samir Nasri.

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