It was in the air, it is now official. After seeing his contract with Lille to end, Samuel Umtiti (31 years old) decided to hang up the crampons. A difficult, but logical decision for the 2018 World Cup winner who had chained injuries in recent seasons. Pure product of the Lyon training where he arrived in 2002 when he was only 9 years old, Samuel Umtiti lived his first love there. Launched in 2012 in professional, he will have lived five full seasons with the Gones with in particular a coronation during the Coupe de France and the Champions 2012 trophy.
Discovering the Champions League and the Europa League with the Gones and finishing second behind Paris Saint-Germain in 2015 and 2016, Samuel Umtiti will play Euro 2016. First a reservist before enjoying a massacre of injuries, he had stolen the place of holder in Adil Rami during a tournament which will end on a defeat 1-0 in the final after extensions against Portugal. The 2013 U20 world champion will then be transferred to FC Barcelona. A club where he was quickly compared to Carles Puyol before it gets complicated.
Samuel Umtiti said Stop
Before his situation at FC Barcelona is stuck, Samuel Umtiti will have played the 2018 World Cup. Although decreased in the knee, he will make a good competition with Raphaël Varane with this precious goal in the semi-finals against Belgium (1-0). Champion against Croatia (4-2) in the final, he will have brought the second star to France, but it will be the start of the end for him. Weakened in the knee, 170 injury games will be missing after this competition.
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His assessment at Barça will nevertheless remain honorable with 7 titles including the Spanish championship in 2018 and 2019. Loaned during the 2022-2023 season in Lecce in Italy, he will find colors and it was free in the summer of 2023 that he thought he was taking another departure. Leaving on the side of Lille, he will not know, however, the expected adventure with 13 matches on the clock and again these physical problems. A decision that pushes him today to hang up the crampons.
“”After having lived an intense career with ups and downs, the time has come to say goodbye … I gave everything with passion and I don't regret anything. I would like to thank all the clubs, the presidents, the coaches and players that I was able to rub shoulders with. Thank you Olympique Lyonnais, GrĂ cies FC Barcelona, ​​thank you Lille OSC, Grazie Lecce and thank you team from France. And thank you to all the supporters for your support“He announced in a press release.
