{"id":1090809,"date":"2019-05-28T19:01:37","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T18:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1090809"},"modified":"2019-05-28T19:01:37","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T18:01:37","slug":"jose-fonte-lille-footballs-greatest-transfer-guru","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/jose-fonte-lille-footballs-greatest-transfer-guru\/","title":{"rendered":"Jose Fonte: Lille must thank football’s “greatest” transfer guru for UCL qualification"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ligue 1 may have been a walkover for Paris Saint-Germain this season, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been feel-good stories in French football.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arguably the biggest is that of LOSC Lille, who finished second to secure Champions League group stage football for the first time since 2012\/13.<\/p>\n

And while this is not as remarkable as, for example, Atalanta qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s 112-year history, it should not be ignored.<\/p>\n

In the 2017\/18 Ligue 1 season, Lille finished just one point clear of the relegation zone, only securing their safety in the penultimate game of the campaign.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7273460-five-things-we-think-will-happen-in-the-2019-champions-league-final-and-in-the-europa-league<\/p>\n

Not accepting their position, Lille dipped into the transfer window in the summer of 2018, bringing in no fewer than nine players – but never making headlines with their transfer fees.<\/p>\n

The most they spent on a single player was a reported \u00a34.5m on midfielder Jonathan Ikone from PSG, who scored three goals and recorded nine assists in Ligue 1 – only Nicolas Pepe set up his team-mates more often among Lille’s squad.<\/p>\n

The shrewd transfer business, which proved to be fruitful, was the work of Lille’s sporting director Luis Campos.<\/p>\n

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And while the likes of manager Christophe Galiter and star man Pepe will receive most of the plaudits for Lille’s Champions League return, there is one man who believes Campos deserves significant credit.<\/p>\n

“With Lille it’s amazing to be part of the Champions League,” Jose Fonte, another of Campos’ signings last summer, told Squawka.<\/p>\n

“Last year the club was almost relegated so what a turnaround – a fantastic, expectational year that we’ve had.<\/p>\n

“A lot of change has happened in the team since I arrived. So great credit to Luis Campos, to all the players and the fans for the great season we’ve had.”<\/p>\n

Though many will look at the influence of Lille’s attacking players over the season, the club’s defence should not be forgotten.<\/p>\n