Jonathan Gradit stood motionless for a few seconds at the Stade Louis-II, the late twist written across his face. Lens had resisted Monaco for long spells on Friday, only for the returning defender’s own goal in the 84th minute to seal a 2-1 defeat.
The incident was particularly cruel for Gradit, whose second-half display had otherwise helped Yannick Cahuzac’s side stay in the contest. Back after a long injury absence, the 33-year-old had produced an important recovery intervention around the hour mark when a Monaco attacker was bearing down on goalkeeper Robin Risser.
Quick facts
- Monaco beat Lens 2-1 at the Stade Louis-II on Friday.
- Jonathan Gradit turned the ball into his own net in the 84th minute.
- The defender had returned from a tibia-fibula fracture suffered in training last November.
- He made his first start again in the 2-2 draw at Le Mans the previous Sunday.
- Gradit described his comeback as 310 days of “struggle, doubt, pain, patience” and resilience.
Vanderson delivered a dangerous cross from the right as Paris Brunner waited unmarked in the area. Gradit moved to help team-mate Kyllian Antonio deal with the threat, but Brunner missed the ball and it instead struck the Lens defender before finding the net.
It was a moment that damaged Lens’s hopes of taking what would have been Cahuzac’s first point as head coach. Gradit left the stadium among the first visiting players, without speaking, visibly affected by the ending.
His road back has been a difficult one. Gradit suffered the serious tibia and fibula injury during an ordinary training session in November, an incident that shocked the Lens squad. With his 34th birthday approaching on 24 November, there were understandable questions over how he would recover.
Lens have younger defensive options, but a difficult opening to the season and a growing list of absences created an opportunity for one of the squad’s established figures. Gradit returned to the starting line-up at Le Mans and then made a positive contribution from the bench in Monaco before the decisive misfortune.
“Jo had a good substitute appearance,” Cahuzac said after the match. “It is part of football. He was challenging for the ball and it came off his shoulder. I am very pleased with the players who came on, and it shows that this is a united group.”
Michaël Cuisance also defended his team-mate. “There is no blame towards him at all,” he said. “We conceded a frustrating goal, but these things happen. He was disappointed, naturally, but it can happen.”
For Lens, the result brought another painful setback. For Gradit, it was a harsh final image after 310 days spent fighting his way back into the team.
