Former Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has explained the painful reasons behind him working in a French sport shop just six years after retiring.
The 42-year-old was once one of his country’s finest centre-backs and helped the Catalan club to two LaLiga titles, two Spanish Cups and European glory during a successful career.
But Mathieu’s life is drastically different now to the one he lived as a top footballer.
Last year, fans were shocked to see him working at Intersport, a major chain of sport shops in his homeland, as a manager in their football department in a branch between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.
A photograph of the ex-Barcelona defender wearing company uniform and pictured with customers was shared online, prompting hordes of fans to visit the shop to see him.
Mathieu reportedly earned £100,000-a-week at Barcelona, so it was a surprise to see him working a normal job after hanging up his boots.
Former Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu (centre) now works as a shop assistant in France
But he has now spoken to beIN Sports about how he has struggled in his life after football, alluding to financial difficulties and admitting his mental health deteriorated.
Mathieu said: ‘If I’m working at Intersport, it’s because something’s going on that’s causing me a lot of problems.
‘I can only say that I’m in the middle of a lawsuit. I will not do it forever. It was to have a social life.’
The Frenchman has also been battling depression and said it is something he has not ‘fully’ recovered from.
A former team-mate of Mathieu, Loïc Loval-Landré, was able to help him find the job to get him out of the house and in a social environment.
Mathieu revealed: ‘He knew I wanted to leave the house for a bit, I had been doing nothing for a while. We were chatting, and he told me there was a vacant position.’
He called time on his career after a nasty knee injury while playing for Sporting Lisbon at the age of 36 in 2020.
Mathieu came off the bench during Barcelona’s Champions League final triumph against Juventus in 2015, helping his side to a 3-1 victory which confirmed an iconic Treble under former manager Luis Enrique.
Mathieu, pictured with Luis Suarez, also won two LaLiga titles during his three years at Barca
Although he was primarily used as back-up for first team centre-halves Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique, the Frenchman’s versatility and experience was valued hugely by Enrique, who often used him as cover for Jordi Alba at left-back too.
When asked about his time at the club, he reflected that his abiding memory was of Lionel Messi’s genius.
‘Messi was incredible. In training, you couldn’t do anything. I think I was a better free-kick taker,’ he added with a smile.
Despite winning the majority of his honours at Barcelona, Mathieu played much of his career at fellow LaLiga outfit Valencia — where he made 177 appearances in all competitions.
