Insulting Offer to Lens from English Club: How Did They Respond?

A major scandal has erupted around the French vice-champion and cup holder, RC Lens. Club President Joseph Oughourlian revealed that a Premier League (EPL) representative offered to turn the French team into a feeder club (a secondary affiliate supplying talents). This proposal deeply offended the pride of the Lens leadership and sparked fierce outrage.

Zamin.uz analyzes this scandalous controversy in French football and important details regarding Uzbek footballer Abdukodir Khusanov .

1. "This goes against the club's DNA!": Joseph Oughourlian's fiery statement

The financial dominance of English clubs and their attempt to subjugate European clubs met with a sharp rejection from the Lens president. L'Équipe , Oughourlian emphasized that such a proposal was an utterly unacceptable degradation.

Joseph Oughourlian's angry words:

"This is completely unthinkable! Yes, we received such an offer, but I will never even consider such a path. This goes against the club's DNA. No matter how long our strength lasts, we will never agree to something like this. We are France, a country that reached the World Cup semi-finals and produces the most footballers in the world. We should not become a 'League B' for the EPL, but strive for even higher goals!"

The real status of Lens and the proposal from the EPL club

In the 2025/2026 season, Lens won the Coupe de France and took a respectable 2nd place in Ligue 1.

2. The Abdukodir Khusanov phenomenon: France — a factory of stars

French clubs have already turned into a unique 'factory' cultivating talents for Europe's top leagues. The brightest and most obvious example of this is the rise of the Uzbekistan national team defender Abdukodir Khusanov.

1. Discovery phase: Lens transferred Abdukodir in the summer of 2023 from the Belarusian club Energetik-BGU.

2. Debut in the European elite: It was precisely in this team that Khusanov debuted in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League, turning into a world-class central defender.

3. 50 million euro transfer: On January 20, 2025, EPL giant Manchester Citypurchased the Uzbek footballer who showed his potential at Lens for a year and a half, for 50 million euros.

Khusanov's transfer once again proved that Lens is not a feeder club to anyone, but a powerful club independently supplying stars to the elite of world football.

What do you think about this sensational statement?

The principled position of the Lens president can serve as an example for other clubs in defending French football and team honor.

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How long do you think Lens can withstand the financial pressure of the EPL? Do you support Joseph Oughourlian's position? Leave your thoughts and comments below!