Soccer player Mario Lemina hails from Gabon in Central Africa. He has played for a number of illustrious European teams. He presently represents both the Gabonese national football team and the English club Southampton FC. After the 2017–18 season, rival club “Liverpool” is reportedly interested to sign him. Prior to being transferred to Italian powerhouses “Juventus,” Lemina played for the French clubs “Lorient” (where he was a member of both the youth and first teams) and “Marseille.” He then played for Juventus for two seasons. Although he had previously played for the “Gabonese Federation,” he had previously represented France on the international stage. Lemina is right-footed and typically plays as a central midfielder because of his well-known propensity to win possession before launching a counterattack. His best skills are in tackling and crossing, while he also enjoys dribbling, crossing, and long-range shooting.
Early Childhood & Life
On September 1, 1993, Mario Lemina was born in Libreville, Gabon. He currently holds citizenship in both France and Gabon.
At the age of 11, he joined the “Lorient” youth squad and stayed with them until the 2012–2013 season.
Career of Mario Lemina
Lemina had started practicing with the senior team at the age of 15, but his efforts with the “Lorient” youth team earned him a promotion to the first team during the 2012–2013 season. He had just played for the squad for this one season. Regis Le Bris, a youth coach, still speaks highly of Mario and declares that his “…aim is that other young people follow the example of Mario.”
Although not very comprehensive, his work with the senior team of “Lorient” was impressive enough to attract the notice of other teams. He was purchased by Marseille, a “Ligue 1” team, for €4 million at the start of the 2013–2014 campaign. He had a difficult time making an impact during his first season with “Marseille” because he did not receive a lot of playing time. During this time, he only had 8 starts in the league.
Lemina competed for France’s “Under-20” and “Under-21” teams in 2013. Along with Paul Pogba, he was a member of the French team that won the “U-20 World Cup.” Lemina’s then-international coach Jose Anigo said he had “above-average abilities.”
He had a more successful second season with Marseille (2014–2015), as manager Marcelo Bielsa started to utilize his skills more and said that “He is a different type of player than the bulk of footballers.” Lemina was credited with ‘Marseille’s’ fourth-place league result. Throughout the season, he played in 23 league games. It should be noted that there were certain controversies during his time at “Marseille.” He was given a red card and a four-game suspension by the “Ligue de Football Professionnel” (LFP) in February 2015 for punching “Rennes” striker Ola Toivonen in the groin. His team defended him, saying that this sentence was “serious,” and that he had previously demonstrated exemplary behavior.
He was called up by the Gabonese national team to participate in the 2015 “African Cup of Nations” while playing for “Marseille,” but he declined in the hopes that France would choose him instead. He then had second thoughts, joined the “Gabonese Federation,” and is still a recognized player for the Gabonese national team. In his first game with the “Panthers,” a 3-3 friendly match against Tunisia, he scored one goal.
2015 turned out to be a productive year for “Lemina” domestically, despite his conduct problems, as numerous “Premier League” clubs started to express interest in him. Despite receiving a lot of interest from “Southampton,” “West Ham United,” and “Liverpool,” Mario was signed by the Italian team “Juventus.” On August 31, Juventus revealed that they had paid €500,000 for the player’s season-long loan, with the option to purchase him for €9.5 million at the end of the 2014–2015 campaign. He was able to contribute well at “Juventus,” scoring his first goal in the team’s 2-1 loss to “Napoli” in his third appearance.
Despite missing much of the winter due to injury, his performance throughout this first season was exceptional enough to persuade “Juventus” manager Massimiliano Allegri to sign him to a four-year contract (with an additional €1 million to be paid if performance-related targets were hit). In Claudio Marchisio’s absence, Lemina started to play more frequently and, throughout the course of his two seasons with the team, was able to assist “Juventus” in securing a second straight victory in “Serie A.” Most notably, he participated fully in Juventus’ 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the Coppa Italia final to complete the second domestic double.
However, his combative attitude and lack of restraint strained his friendship with Allegri. Lemina also stated that he wanted to “play more,” which opened the door for a quick transfer to the English team “Southampton.”
He finally joined “Southampton” in August 2017 for a record club price of £15.4 million. On August 20, he participated in his first game for the “Saints,” which he helped them win 3-2 over “West Ham United.” Lemina delighted his fans, notably in his games against “Crystal Palace” and “Manchester United,” despite an ankle ailment that occasionally still bothers him and a particularly humiliating loss to “Tottenham” on Boxing Day in 2017.
The player’s next suitor is reported “League” champion “Liverpool FC.” Five of Liverpool’s current roster members have already been acquired by Jurgen Klopp from Southampton. According to reliable sources like “L’Equipe” and “France Football,” the Gabonese midfielder will be purchased by the “Reds” for the upcoming campaign.
Recognition & Achievements
Lemina competed for France on the squad that took home the 2013 “U-20 World Cup.”
He was a member of “Juventus” throughout the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 campaigns when the team won two straight domestic doubles.
His transfer to “Southampton” led the team to give him a record transfer fee of £15.4 million. In the 2016–2017 season, he attempted 27 takeaways and succeeded in at least 63% of them. In addition, he completed 90% of all of his passes that season, and on average, the ball was only taken away from him once every 225 minutes.
Individual Life of Mario Lemina
Neals Lemina is the name of his son. The midfielder has said that Neals is his “motivation” and that even if he and his son’s mother are no longer together, they are both still proud of him.
Additionally, he had a connection with Fanny Neguesha, a Belgian model and singer who was formerly engaged to Mario Balotelli, a former striker for Manchester City and Liverpool. Neguesha was expecting his second kid, which Lemina disclosed on his ‘Instagram’ account in March 2018. (and they’re first together).
An example of Lemina’s reputation as a “flamboyant character” and “hot-head” is his attack on Toivonen.
He has a reputation for being able to stop play and keep the ball moving. He has benefited from his versatility, which has allowed him to play as a holder, in the right back position, and as a member of a three-man defense.
His lack of decision-making abilities and sporadic loss of focus are some of his playing shortcomings. “Concentration” is an issue that needs more attention, according to Lemina.
Mario Lemina Net Worth
One of the wealthiest and most well-known soccer players is Mario Lemina. Our research of Mario Lemina’s net worth from Forbes, Wikipedia, and Business Insider revealed a $5 million figure.