Lisandru Olmeta: “I am the son of Pascal Olmeta, but not only…”
Always present in the top 5 of the best training centers in France, the AS Monaco Academy is honored in the “Rookie” series. For this fifteenth episode, meet Lisandru Olmeta, U17 goalkeeper, currently training with the France U17 team.
When we talk to him about Corsica, his face lights up. Before falling asleep, he even admits listening to the anthem. Arrived at the Academy during the summer of 2020, Lisandru Olmeta had to leave his native island to come and settle in the Principality. A decision that the young porter absolutely does not regret: “I am happy and proud to continue my training at AS Monaco. I often think of the day of my signature, one of the most beautiful moments of my life. »
Accumulating 1350 minutes of playing time in U17 sometimes this season (15 games), tenured by Frédéric Barilaro, the one who now knows Clairefontaine well, flourishes at the training center. In Monaco, the son of the former goalkeeper of the Olympiques in particular (OL, OM) -Pascal Olmeta- remains less than an hour by plane from Ajaccio, his place of birth. He takes advantage of this proximity to regularly find “the most beautiful landscapes in the world” in his words.
Passing after a famous father
Before reaching his eighty-nine meter, Lisandru completed part of his classes at Gazélec in Ajaccio, exactly where his father ended his career. Another common point. If he easily recognizes the similarities, the porter of the Academy considers “that we are finally starting to see it differently”. For a long time, I was only the son of Pascal Olmeta, now I think we look a little more at my skills. I want to prove by myself by showing my qualities even if I still have to improve a lot. »
He is a competitor who has real leadership. He connects easily with his defenders, it’s a real asset.
goalkeeper trainer
He impresses me with the serenity he exudes.
Former Goalkeeper, Winner of the Champions League 1993
However, getting behind a figure in French football with a great track record is not easy. “It motivates me to try to do better, but he never puts pressure on me,” confides the goalkeeper of the training center.
“I encourage him and share my experience with him if he asks me. I’m careful not to intervene too much on a technical level, he has coaches for that “explains the winner of the 1993 Champions League.
Between advice and benevolence, the father accompanies the son in his early career. The pupil must henceforth exceed the master.
Many goals
For other support, his sister is now studying near Cap d’Ail, a few steps from the Diagonal. “We see each other very often, our parents also come. When my mother watches the meetings, I get up quickly if I take a shock so as not to stress her out,” he smiles. With the support of his family, the one who will celebrate his 17th birthday in July feels capable of aiming higher.
🎥 the U17 in training with Lisandru Olmeta at the parade 🙌 #academyproject #soon #AP29 pic.twitter.com/RKTlQdq5NC
— Marc-Olivier Taccard (@motaccard) August 14, 2020
Like every player in the academy, the native of Ajaccio wants to play with the first team and sign a professional contract with AS Monaco. At the same time, he is aiming to participate in the Euro qualifiers with the France U17 team next March. A process on the right track. Along with his teammate Eliesse Ben Seghir, he was called up by coach José Alcocer to face Denmark at the rally currently taking place in Clairefontaine.
But to achieve its objectives, the road is still long. “If he wants to get there, he still has to progress by working quickly every day, sometimes beating himself up even more,” recalls his father.
For his part, the player of the 2005 generation explains that he now regularly goes to the weight room to strengthen his upper body and try to improve his left foot in training. With his piercing blue eyes, he declares: “I realized the importance of the effort”.
“I don’t stress”
Qualified as jovial and unifying, the young man “feels good at the Academy”. With five cleen-sheets in the 2021-2022 financial year, a statistic that he intends to improve, the “Rookie” assumes “feels no stress”. On the pitch, he appears calm and determined. “I sometimes bubble inside but I try not to show it” he develops.
Finally, if you meet him in Monaco with his headphones, the U17 goalkeeper is certainly listening to Jul or Ninho. To motivate himself or clear his mind, he also watches videos of his favorite goalkeepers: “Neuer, Ter Stegen and Lloris, my father also from time to time” found the doorman laughing. But be careful, never before the matches. “I cut everything and I’m focused on the game. Outside of football, the Monegasque goalkeeper loves jet-skiing. Guess where? On his island of beauty, of course. Always in his heart, she does not prevent him from concentrating on his next deadlines. In this end of the season with the group of Manuel Dos Santos, Lisandru Olmeta intends to keep his clean sheet, as often as possible.
Tony Guyot (EDJ-Nice)