This is a page of French football that turns. Only a few months after Raphaël Varane's retirement at 32, Samuel Umtiti also decided to bow on Monday at the age of 31. With the retirement of the second city, it was the central hinge of the coronation at the 2018 World Cup that hung up the crampons at rather young ages for the occasion. Mined for years by repeated injuries in the left knee, the player trained at Olympique Lyonnais hesitated between continuing or stopping everything this summer after the end of his contract with LOSC. Finally, feeling that he could never find his chandelier and his sensations of yesteryear, Umtiti favored the second option.
The French team, OL and FC Barcelona pay tribute to Samuel Umtiti…
An understandable retirement and which did not fail to move French football at the start of the week. On its social networks, the French team did not fail to send a message touching to its heroic scorer in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals against Belgium: “Our 2018 world champion, Samuel Umtiti, chose to hang up the crampons at the age of 31. Bravo for your great career Sam 'and thank you for all that you have given to the French team. »» A tribute supported by Didier Deschamps' words, the coach who launched him and installed at the Blues. “After Blaise Matuidi, Adil Rami, Raphaël Varane and Steve Mandanda, Samuel Umtiti is the fifth 2018 world champion to retirerecalls Didier Deschamps. Sam, who had joined the French team for Euro 2016, played an important role in our conquest of the world title in Russia. Everyone will remember their head goal which allowed us to beat Belgium and qualify for the final. For my part, I obviously do not want to forget everything else. I also retain his complementarity with Raphaël, his defensive solidity, his fighting spirit. His knee already made him suffer and he hung on with exemplary courage until the end. He deserved a different end of career, but he can be proud of everything he has accomplished. I wish him to be happy and fulfilled in the new life that opens up to him. »»
For its part, OL wanted to be more mysterious in its tribute. Club Training of the Native of Yaoundé, which nevertheless grew up in the fifth arrondissement of Lyon, the latter had joined the Gones training center at the age of nine. From now on, the left -hander could start a retraining between Rhône and Saône, as the OL post hinted on social networks: ” Thank you for everything, Samuel Umtiti. From Tola Vologe to Moscow, you made us proud. See you soon … In this publication, a microphone follows the three small points at the end of the message. A conversion as a consultant in the club channel, a position in the supervision of young people or an interview to come? All theories are possible, but it would seem that the future of Samuel Umtiti goes through a return to the fold. Second other big club of Samuel Umtiti's career, FC Barcelona published a statement following the retirement of its former defender: “Samuel Umtiti decided to end his football career at the age of 31. The French central defender, who had been without a club since the end of his contract with Lille, made this decision after fighting serious knee problems in recent times and not having managed to find a new club. In six seasons at Barça under number 23, Umtiti has become the fifth French player who has played the most games with the club, with a total of 134 appearances. During this period, he scored two goals in Liga (2016/17 and 2017/18) and won seven titles: two Liga titles (2017/18 and 2018/19), three King Cups (2016/17, 2017/18 and 2020/21) and two Spanish supercups (2016/17 and 2018/19).»»
… Just like his most illustrious teammates
A great appreciated during his career, Samuel Umtiti also received touching messages from several of his former teammates. Close to his former teammate in Lyon, Corentin Tolisso did not fail to greet his friend in his Instagram story: ” Congratulations on your incredible career, Frero ». Other world champions have also sent a little message to “Big Sam”. In comments from the publication which announces his retirement, Umtiti can in particular testify to the touching messages of Florian Thauvin, Steven Nzonzi and Lucas Hernández. “” Thank you for all the moments spent together, my Sam, proud to have been your teammate, but especially your friend. Congratulations on your huge career », Writes in particular the current striker of the RC Lens.
See this publication on Instagram
Raphaël Varane, who made the same decision a few months ago, also praised his former Defense friend: “Congratulations on this great career! And your approach ahah.For his part, Kylian Mbappé split a heart in his Instagram story by republishing the video of Umtiti when Paul Pogba republished a video of him celebraling the pensioner against Belgium by his side. Several of his former teammates at FC Barcelona, Lyon, Lecce or Lille such as Nabil Bentaleb, Sergino Dest, Isaily, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto or Dejan Lovren also did not hesitate to slip a small message of tribute to the one who made a very good career who unfortunately ended too early because of annoying injuries on the left knee.
