The French center-back has been training normally for the past two days
The Montreal Impact received some good news earlier this week: center-back Rod Fanni is close to returning, after suffering a hamstring injury halfway through the game against the New York Red Bulls. The former French international had started three straight games before the incident, including two shutout wins against Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders FC.
“He looked good in training yesterday,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “It’d be great to have him back. I think he provides a veteran presence and a calming influence in central defense. When you’re dealing with storms, it’s very important to have that calming influence, and he provides it for sure.”
Since he joined the Montreal Impact on March 5, Fanni has had a positive influence on his teammates, especially in central defense. For head coach Rémi Garde, who faced Fanni more than once as manager of Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1, there was no surprise there.
“He’s a player who, in France, proved himself to be a great player,” said Garde. “He’s respected anywhere he goes. Even in situations where it wasn’t going well, where he was in difficulty, he always kept a professional attitude. For me, this was very important. I’m not surprised that he has the same attitude today.”
Fanni loving MLS
Fanni signed a three-month contract with the Impact with an option for the remainder of the season, and so far, Fanni has enjoyed playing the beautiful game on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The Frenchman spent most of his career playing in Ligue 1 with Olympique Marseille.
“There’s a lot of positive in this league,” said Fanni. “I was quite surprised. The stadiums are amazing, the teams are good, and I see a lot of things similar to the European game, but with an American touch. The league is great, but I’m hungry for results, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now.”
Fanni talked about how difficult it is to watch from the sidelines during difficult periods, such as the one the team is experiencing at the moment. With years of experience under his belt, the 36-year-old’s presence might be exactly what the Bleu-blanc-noir needs to get back on track.
“Even if things aren’t positive right now, it’s important to remain positive in our heads,” explained Fanni. “It isn’t by being negative that we’re going to break out of this bad spell. Periods like this, I’ve lived them with all the clubs I’ve been with. Only hard work can help us.”
