PROFILE | Veteran journeyman Florian Sotoca falling out of favour at Lens? | OneFootball

Florian Sotoca has earned the descriptor of having aged like fine wine. The forward who turned 34 in October had spent the majority of his career before joining Lens in 2019 bouncing around the lower tiers of French football. It was under the management of Franck Haise that France was able to regularly witness his intelligence and poise at the highest level.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Sotoca was a key part of the Les Sang et Or squad that finished runners-up in a title race that went down to the final day of the season. And in 2023/24, the forward was once again a crucial component of Haise’s attack as Lens secured a chance to play in the Europa Conference League following a seventh-place finish in the league.

Sotoca scored eight and assisted seven across all competitions as he made 41 appearances for the club. The first half of 2024 was a particularly purple patch for the forward as he scored four in the league and one in the Coupe de France. And it was notable that in Haise’s final game with the club, it was Sotoca who was given the captain’s armband.

However, all good things must come to an end and there are signs that age is perhaps finally catching up with Sotoca. The first half of the 2024/25 season has not been a vintage period for the experienced striker. Haise’s summer replacement Will Still has struggled to get the best out of a forward who has not yet managed to find his name on the scoresheet and has only registered one assist.

Sotoca less prominent under Still

Sotoca started the first seven games of the season (including the ill-fated Europa Conference League qualifying round against Panathinaikos) but was substituted at half-time in the seventh match against Rennes. Since then, Still has not used Sotoca as frequently as his predecessor and the striker has only started in four other games where he was substituted before the full-time whistle.

At 34 and with a new coach at the helm, it is perhaps not surprising that Sotoca’s minutes are being reduced as the club look to transition to a new era. However, for a striker who has shown an incredible capacity to defeat the odds, it should not be ruled out that he will begin to excel in this more limited role. 2025 looks to be an important year in the late career of a late bloomer.

GFFN | Nick Hartland