FEATURE | Jonathan Clauss: From Ligue 2 release to Les Bleus in five years

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This is taken from the GFFN 100, our leading 150-page FREE publication ranking the best 100 players in France, see the full list and read every profile right here.

In just five years, Jonathan Clauss has gone from being released from a Ligue 2 club at the age of 25 to being the shock admission from the French national team squad for the World Cup – a dramatic rise to the top to say the least. As a youngster, Clauss played for his hometown club Strasbourg until 2010 but, at 17, he was released amid the financial crisis at Strasbourg which resulted in the club being relegated to the fifth tier.

Following this disappointment, Clauss signed for local Strasbourg-based fifth-tier side AS Pierrots Vauban, where he spent three years. Following that, he decided he would take his career to Germany, signing for fifth-tier side SV Linx, who are located just 10km from Strasbourg, the other side of the Rhine. After a couple of years in Germany, the player returned to France, signing a deal with fifth-tier side Raon L’Etape. He had a fairly good season in the Vosges, notably equalising for Les Raonnais against Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de France Round of 32, although they would eventually fall short, losing 4-3 on penalties.

After finishing second in the league, Raon L’Etape were promoted to the CFA (fourth tier) but Clauss would not be staying, as he had agreed to join US Avranches in the third division. He had an incredible season with Avranches and was named in the team of the season as voted by third-tier managers in his only season at that level. In the summer of 2017, aged 24, he signed the first professional contract of his career with Ligue 2 side Quevilly-Rouen. The 2017/18 season turned out to be one to forget for the side from Normandy, finishing 19th and thus being relegated to the third tier.

Despite the team’s disappointment as a group, Clauss managed to assist eight goals and score another in 29 games but was subsequently released following relegation before a trial with 2. Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld, signing a two-year deal with them before the start of the 2018/19 season. After a respectable first season back in Germany, Clauss had an exceptional second season, scoring five and assisting 10 in all competitions, helping Arminia to promotion to the Bundesliga in the process.

Following promotion, Clauss signed with Lens, who were newly promoted to Ligue 1, where he flourished under Franck Haise. The 29-year-old right-wing-back scored eight and assisted 17 in his 70 Ligue 1 games at the club from northern France. His two exceptional seasons at Les Sang et Or were capped off with his call-up to the French national team squad in March 2022. In doing so, he became the oldest Frenchman to make his international debut since Franck Juretti, who was 30 years, 6 months and 13 days old when he made his debut in October 2005. Although his selection had been somewhat anticipated, the footage that surfaced soon after Didier Deschamps announced the group was quite moving, showing Clauss with his head in his hands as his Lens teammates celebrated around him.

This summer felt like a ‘now or never’ situation for Clauss, approaching his 30th birthday. Lens had twice missed out on European football on the final day of the season in two years and he was at the age where he could not risk missing out for a third time. Meanwhile, the Lens board were looking to cash in on Clauss, knowing he would probably not be signing a new contract. Of the interested parties, which included Manchester United, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, Clauss chose Marseille who had secured Champions League football for the 22/23 season. Since joining, the wing-back has been a regular starter for the club that find themselves fourth in Ligue 1, ironically six points behind Lens who sit in second.

Clauss is a very attacking option at wing-back, and his creative statistics, provided by Sportslumo, prove his worth in the final third. He ranks in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions (3.57 per 90 minutes) and the top 1% for goal-creating actions (0.60 per 90 minutes). He also manages 4.29 successful crosses per 90, putting him in the top 5%, as well as 28.39 touches in the attacking third per 90, placing him in the top 6%.

Clauss has previously featured in Deschamps’ 3-4-1-2 system as the right-wing back, primarily focused on providing width in the attacking phase, but also defending when needed. The wing-back has been on good form this season despite his club’s shaky start, providing five assists and a goal in the 14 games he has played for OM. At the World Cup, Deschamps preferred to stick with a 4-2-3-1 system, with more defensive-minded full-backs, possibly explaining why he decided to leave Clauss at home.

Considering his age, there is a very real chance that Qatar was Clauss’ last chance to feature in a World Cup, as by the time the 2026 competition rolls around, he will be approaching 34. Still, the fact that he even pushed his way into the French setup at all is a massive achievement, especially considering where he was just five years ago.

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James Evans | GFFN