Tolisso hopeful Lyon return can reignite his France career ahead of World Cup

Corentin Tolisso is hopeful that his move from Bayern Munich to Lyon will help secure him a return to the France fold ahead of the World Cup.

The 27-year-old’s return to Lyon, with whom he started his career, was confirmed on Friday following the expiration of his Bayern contract. 

Tolisso spent five trophy-laden campaigns at the Allianz Arena, but he started just 12 matches in all competitions in an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign.

He did not feature for France at all last season, with the most recent of his 28 senior caps coming at last year’s rescheduled Euro 2020.

But after completing a move back to Lyon on a five-year deal, Tolisso is targeting a place in Didier Deschamps’ squad in time for Qatar 2022.

“I didn’t talk with [Deschamps about the decision. It was a personal one, though I talked a lot about it with my agents and my family,” he said at a news conference.

“We said it was the best decision for me. The future will tell if I was right or wrong. Lyon is the right club for me to return to the French team and go to the World Cup.

“I am very proud and happy to be back in Lyon. The project seduced me. It’s a good thing for me and my personal goal, which is to play in the World Cup.”

Comme une évidence… #imback @OL pic.twitter.com/DhsRtt3qA5

— Corentin Tolisso (@CorentinTolisso) July 1, 2022

Tolisso was a member of France’s World Cup-winning squad four years ago and also won five Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during his time in Bavaria.

Injuries, including a cruciate ligament rupture that ruled the midfielder out for the majority of the 2018-19 season, restricted him to 118 games in five years with Bayern.

However, the Lyon youth product feels he learned a lot with the German giants and does not believe his injury issues are any longer a concern.

“I learned on both a human and professional level,” he said. “I remember the trophies and how we won them. There are many things to remember. 

“I remember a lot of positive things. Of course, there were not only positive things, but that’s also part of life, that’s how it is. The negative experiences helped me to grow.

“I have gained more maturity and experience; I have learned a lot at Bayern Munich in these five years. I grew and learnt a new system, a new culture, a new mentality.

“As for the injuries, I passed the medical, which is already a good point. It’s true that I had problems.

“I previously said that my worries were more psychological and mental than physical, for reasons I won’t necessarily reveal today. 

“A lot of things have been going on in my head over the last year that have influenced the large number of injuries I’ve had. I did a lot of physical preparation. 

“Now I am ready. I passed some [physical] tests yesterday. It went extremely well so everyone can be reassured about my fitness. There will be no problem.”