A lot of hinchas from France were surprised in 2015 when French striker André-Pierre Gignac elected to play for Liga MX’s Tigres over Europe. After all, the goleador had been a regular international with the French national team and this move seemed to put him on the opposite path than most soccer players dream of (i.e. from America to Europe). Before Gignac, European players only went to the Mexican league at the dawn of their career, not at their prime.
Since the Frenchman was so close to winning the Euro 2016 a few weeks ago at home with France, rumors of Gignac’s return to Europe have been swirling. But the most tangible offer has come from a Chinese team that was willing to pay 45 million for him. Gignac wants none of it though.
Yesterday, he told journalists at the Monterrey airport “I am in love with Tigres, everyone knows it, I am going to stay, I believe, the three remaining years of my contract. I am 30 already and until I am 33, I will stay with Tigres.”
The offers will keep coming, but the Frenchman has shown his true stripes.
Gignac has given a lot to Tigres. He helped them obtain the 2015 Apertura title, and reach the 2015 Copa Libertadores final. He even managed to earn both Top Scorer and Best Player of the 2015-2016 season in Mexican soccer.
It was reported that Gignac was willing to make the move if that helped the team economically – but Tigres knew better than to break up such an improbable romance.