Why Yoro kicked off Lille v PSG on Sunday
Leny Yoro left Lille for Manchester United in July 2024 - so it was unusual to see the Frenchman take part in the kick-off ahead of Sunday's Ligue 1 encounter between Les Dogues and Paris Saint-Germain.
Yoro was welcomed back by the Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd, 24 hours after helping his current side to an important 2-0 Premier League win over Sunderland.
With Leny back in his homeland for Euro Under-21s qualifiers against Faroe Islands and Estonia, it was the perfect chance for him to catch up on old friends and take part in a common custom - French football's equivalent of the 'first pitch' which politicians and celebrities are often asked to perform in baseball.
Leny Yoro kicks off Lille vs. PSG 👏❤️ pic.twitter.com/3WVptzHPhA
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 5, 2025
Our no.15 joined former Arsenal and Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud in the centre-circle for the ceremonial kick-off, before the 39-year-old got the game under way for real.
Yoro was then no doubt an engrossed spectator as the sides played out a 1-1 draw that just about takes PSG back to the summit of the table, a point clear of Marseille, Strasbourg and Lyon.
Ethan Mbappe, brother of Real Madrid superstar Kylian, equalised late on, 20 minutes after Nuno Mendes had given the European champions the lead with a sensational free-kick.
Yoro, who played 60 times for Lille after making his debut aged 16, was not the only Red to revisit a former club over the weekend.
Diogo Dalot was back at Porto, watching his old charges battle it out with Jose Mourinho's Benfica in O Classico - Portuguese football's biggest fixture.
The Dragons also invited the likes of Ricardo Quaresma plus Europa League winners Jorge Fucile and Cristian Sapunaru back for the game, which finished goalless.