We may be seeing another superstar in the making at Stade de Reims, but one who fits a different profile than the legends of the past.
Names like Raymond Kopa, Just Fontaine, and Roger Piantoni were among the best attacking players in their position in the 1950s, and they all flourished with Les Rouges et Blancs in what were the glory years for the club.
In more recent times, players who have left Reims and gone on to bigger clubs include Edouard Mendy, who backstopped Chelsea to a Champions League title in 2021, and Hugo Ekitike, a Reims-born player, who is now thriving at Eintracht Frankfurt.
At the moment, the newest star in the department of Marne is a 19-year-old defensive midfielder, drawing comparisons to a Frenchman who, at one point, was considered the best player at his position, N’Golo Kanté.
Born in Cameroon but playing at the youth level for France, Valentin Atangana has become an elite ball-winner for Luka Elsner’s side.
From 2015-2022, Atangana honed his skills at the Reims academy and has played a big part in the senior side’s early Ligue 1 success this season, as they currently sit fifth in the table.
His coach, Elsner, recently told L’Équipe that Atangana is developing at an alarmingly fast rate.
“He is an extraordinary ball-winner who has a science of defensive placement, almost without making mistakes, which is very rare for his age,” said the Stadiste manager.
Not only does he possess an extraordinary technical ability, but Atangana’s leadership qualities at such a young age have been invaluable to this Reims side early on.
He’s also proven to be strong in the air despite not having a towering presence. Another veteran Frenchman, small in stature but an incredible ball recuperator, is N’Golo Kante, one of the players Atangana says he really looks up to.
“He really inspires me, both as a player and by his personality,” he says about the France international, currently plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.
Like the 33-year-old, Atangana has already won a trophy and individual accolades, helping the France Under-17 team win the 2022 UEFA European Championship.
Earlier this year, he was named to the Team of the Tournament for the Under-19 European Championship.
Atangana is under contract with Reims until 2026, but if he continues performing like he has this season, it won’t be long before the big European clubs come calling.
