PROFILE | Neto Borges struggling to replicate first-season form at Clermont | OneFootball

The journeyman Brazilian left-back was named in GFFN’s team of the season at the end of his debut campaign in Ligue 1, having played a key role in Clermont’s unexpected top-half finish. His attacking output and command of the left flank had been integral to the Auvergne outfit’s surprise success – he finished the campaign with three goals and three assists.

Despite his multinational experience – he played in Sweden, Belgium, Portugal and his native Brazil before joining Clermont – the move to France was initially a daunting prospect for the full-back. In an interview with GFFN, he explained that the physical demands of Ligue 1 were unlike anything he’d ever seen before:

“Coming into the league, I had to adapt myself because of how physical the league is, and the players are so good technically. You have to be 100% concentrated all the time, if you lose focus for even one minute then you concede and you lose the game from that.”

Second-season syndrome for Borges?

That shortcoming was made clear in his sending-off against Lorient at the start of last season. Since then, though, Borges has been a standout performer as the left wing-back of Pascal Gastien’s five-man defensive set-up. His all-action skill set makes him a unique profile in the Ligue 1 landscape – from his eye for an interception, to his deceptively strong aerial presence, to his willingness to gallop all the way into the box to create chances.

All of those elements came together during a purple patch this past spring, which saw Clermont go seven games unbeaten – a run which included wins over Lyon and Nice. However, like the rest of the team, the 27-year-old has struggled to hit those heights in the new season. He was also handed a two-game suspension for showing the middle finger to opposition fans during an incident-ridden match against Montpellier.

Clearly, though, the self-doubt that initially hit Borges on his arrival in France has now dissipated. While the more immediate concern will be to turn Clermont’s ailing form around – they sit rock bottom of the league at the time of writing – Borges knows that he can aim high. “I doubted myself before coming to the league, but now I want to see where I can go. When you make the team of the season, you want to keep improving to see how far you can go.”

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin