Hit’s been a while since Mathieu Valbuena is far from the spotlight. At 40 years old, he is active in the Panathinaikos Greek, where he makes the most of his last drops of football. He recently gave a interview for L’Equipe in which he reviewed his sporting career, talking about the moment that marked him forever.
The life of Valbuena changed radically in October 2015when he reported a extortion for blackmail over a sex video in which she was involvedeither. This case splashed Karim Benzemaaccused of being a participant and who was finally condemned to 15 months in prison (with the possibility of not serving them) and a fine of 75,000 euros. The former Real Madrid player was section of the French teamalthough it returned in 2021, something that Valbuena was never able to do.
A lot of time has passed since then and he seems to have gotten over it, but he does not forget what he considers an injustice: “It was the worst moment of my career. For me, the French team was everything. I was angry for a long time, but I no longer hold a grudge against anyone. I’m at peace.” The scandal prevented him from being in the 2016 Euro Cup, which the French team would end up winning.
Deschamps was the one who did not include him in the calls, but the hatchets have been buried: “I met him not long ago. We talked about football, about many things… He was very happy to see me“Valbuena had a very bad time in his country and that is why he decided to leave: “In France, when you have a label it is very difficult to remove it. There was a lack of objectivity with me. Abroad it is much more respected.”
Despite being the victim, he was harshly criticized and insulted, which added even more reasons for having to leave. “I needed them to forget me a little. I became an easy target. They whistled at me in every stadium, but walking away gave me a new life. Abroad they don’t care about your non-sports stories“says the former Olympique Lyonnais.
Taking advantage of his last years in Greece
Mathieu has become a true globetrotter, passing through such exotic leagues as Cyprus, Türkiye and Greecewhere he has returned to take advantage of his last years as a footballer. There, as he recognizes, he feels “like at home”. Many point to a career that is somewhat less successful than it could have been, but he is clear: “In the end, I have no regrets. I am very happy in my life today.”
Perhaps this is because, after having earned a tough reputation in France, he was able to start from scratch in Greece: “In my career, sometimes I’ve been a little arrogant, full of myself. In football you have to be like that from time to time. We live in a world of lions, in locker rooms with great personalities. At some point, you have to have great character. Even if you’re not like that, you have to become that“Valbuena is the demonstration that it is never too late to meet again.
