“A very warm relationship with both clubs”

First of all, what’s become of you?
I brought my playing career to an end at the close of the season cut short by Covid (2019–2020), at the age of just 30. That was when I embarked on my second career. I worked at GF38 for five years as CSR Manager. Alongside that, during my playing career, I had resumed my studies in digital marketing and website design, and this role at the Grenoble club allowed me to wear both hats. In February 2025, I left the club and set up my own company (Une histoire de com), which operates in these two areas: On the one hand, everything to do with marketing and digital communication strategy, including website design; and on the other, CSR support for businesses (audits, carbon footprint assessments, etc.). Let’s just say I’m trying to make my way as an entrepreneur, and things are going rather well.

However, even though the players I’m about to mention are all a bit younger than me, there were some excellent generations coming through at Grenoble, featuring players who went on to have successful careers, such as Florian Thauvin, Saphir Taïder (who went on to play for Inter Milan, after all), Ruben Aguilar (who had a fine spell at Montpellier a few years later), Brice Maubleu (now at Saint-Étienne), and Sofiane Fegouli (who played for Valencia and Galatasaray, among others, Ed.). For my part, I’d made a few appearances in Ligue 1 and scored my first goals in Ligue 2, although, with those two relegations and the club going into administration, my first two years as a professional were very difficult to get through. Fortunately, straight afterwards, I was able to join Montpellier and immediately embark on that magnificent adventure which led to the French league title in May 2012. Emotionally, it was a world of difference.

How would you sum up your time with us overall?
I think that was the period that helped me grow the most, both as a player and as a person. It was there that I experienced my first taste of team success, but also my first injuries, my first doubts, questioning myself, and facing fierce competition… Even though I didn’t play a great deal at Montpellier, I take nothing but positives from that adventure in orange and blue. I had three exceptional years, surrounded by great people and in a fantastic spirit. It’s always a pleasure to follow the club and pop back from time to time.

As proof of your loyalty to GF38 – having played for clubs including Amiens and Troyes – you chose to end your career in Grenoble at the age of just 30. Why?
Precisely because, in my mind, I was already nearing the end of my career. I was thinking about life after football; I wanted to go home and get my bearings back. I still had a year left on my contract at Troyes, but I managed to reach an agreement to terminate it and sign for Grenoble. In my mind, I knew I wanted to finish my career there. Admittedly, I ended up in the Covid year, with competitions halted mid-season, without a farewell match; it was an abrupt end, but I didn’t even have the mental strength to go through another season. Mentally, I’d already been preparing for life after football for two years. In football, to remain a professional, you need a certain level of commitment and motivation, and I no longer had that. I was motivated by a different challenge, outside of football, even though, in the end, I stayed on at GF38 for a short while as CSR manager. Another reason I stayed at the club was that it was a special story, because I’d come through the ranks in Grenoble and had both started and ended my career there. When the Sporting Director, Max Marty, told me that the story couldn’t end like that and that the club was creating a role for me, that meant a lot. It allowed me to make the transition and discover all aspects of a club beyond the sporting side, as I didn’t want to have any connection with the sporting side. I got to know a football club in a different way. It was very rewarding.

What’s your take on the season for both clubs?
GF38 is a club that does its best to hold its own and keep moving forward. When you don’t have an academy, it’s difficult to generate profit, so the club tries to do so by signing players with a view to selling them on. It’s a business model. You may like it or not, but the club deserves credit for making the most of its resources and succeeding. I think that until there is a proper academy, the club will struggle to take that next step.
As for MHSC, I came to take the ceremonial kick-off for the crucial match against Saint-Etienne at La Mosson last season. In that regard, I’d like to thank the club’s directors and the supporters for their welcome, which really warmed my heart. There’s one word that sums them up: gratitude. You don’t see that everywhere, and I think it’s an exceptional quality, so frankly, a big thank you to them.