2018-2019: the beginning of the nightmare
Everyone is laughing at Corentin Tolisso as he starts the 2018-2019 season. The midfielder comes from a successful 2017-2018 exercise with Bayern Munich, and especially from a world champion title achieved with the Blues. However, the fairy tale will quickly become a drama for the Bavarian.
In mid-September he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture during his first season start against Bayer Leverkusen. An injury that kept him sidelined for most of the season.
252 days
The duration of Corentin Tolisso’s absence in 2018-2019 after his ligament rupture.
Corentin Tolisso will return to German grass pitches on 25 May 2019, after missing 38 games with Bayern. He returned to the German Cup final by beating the Munich team against Leipzig, replacing Javi Martinez in the 65th minute.
After his nightmarish season, Tolisso was spared injuries during a 2019-2020 exercise marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. At least at the beginning of the season. In mid-April, when European football came to a standstill, the midfielder underwent surgery on his left ankle after sustaining an injury in training.
The joy of the Bavarians after winning the 2020 Champions League final against PSG. (S. Boué//The team)
The French midfielder then missed the resumption of the Bundesliga behind closed doors in May and only returned to the league at the end of the season after missing 10 games with Bayern. He came into play at the end of the game in the Champions League final that PSG won (1-0) in August.
2020-2021: the race for the European Championship
New season, new galleys for Tolisso. After a winter ravaged by various injuries, he is finally hoping to start his season at Bayern, with the 2021 European Championship in sight. But in mid-February, the midfielder succumbed to training, suffering a tendon rupture in the quadriceps of the left thigh.
This is followed by a race against time for the Frenchman, who returns to competition on May 15 against Friborg after 23 missed matches. Three days later, Didier Deschamps announces his extensive list for the Euro, which includes Tolisso. During the competition, he will play against Germany and Hungary.
Against Portugal, he starts as a right midfielder – a position he is not used to – in Didier Deschamps’ 4-2-3-1. This is his last appearance with the Blues to date. Because uncomfortably against the Seleção, he eventually remains on the bench during the defeat against Switzerland (3-3, 4-5 on pens).
Corentin Tolisso in possession against Hungary on the second day of Euro 2020. (F. Faugère//L’Équipe)
2021-2022: the Bavarian twilight?
The current season looked like one of redemption for Tolisso. Missing a month of competition at the start of the exercise due to a calf injury, he takes advantage of the numerous absences of his center competitors Léon Goretzka (3 months absence between December and March) and Joshua Kimmich (7 weeks cumulative absence) to save playing time to win during the winter.
But with the arrival of spring, the clouds are gathering: on February 15, Tolisso will leave against Greuther Fürth (4-1) due to a tear in the thigh, and will say goodbye to the French team’s reunion. While he looked on the return, he relapsed again on Saturday against Friborg. At the end of his contract with Bayern in June next year, the Frenchman has not yet renewed, and could therefore experience his last season in the German club’s jersey.
