At 40 years old, and now far from France – he plays for the Athens Kallithea FC club in Greece – Mathieu Valbuena is doing better and claims to have put this affair in the box of bad memories.
“ It was the worst moment of my career. For me, the French team represented everything. I was angry for a long time. Today, I no longer hold grudges against anyone. I am at peace. I met Didier Deschamps not so long ago. We talked about football, lots of things, he was very happy to see me. In France, when you have a label, it’s difficult to remove it. There was a lack of objectivity with me. My career could have been valued like those of Giroud or Ribéry, who also come from the amateur world. Abroad, we respect all that much more,” he blurted. Words that could provoke a reaction in the coming days.