Has anyone followed here where Florian Thauvin is now playing? Lost from sight since his forced departure from the Mexican club Tigres, the 30-year-old striker has in fact been playing since January 2023 at Udinese, currently 16th in Serie A. We cannot say that the former strongman of the Olympique de Marseille are not making too much noise there, since they have since combined only two goals and an assist in 29 appearances in the Italian championship. During an interview for Canal Football Club on Sunday, the man who had flown through the 2017-2018 Ligue 1 season (22 goals and 11 assists) looked back on his last months with OM, in 2021, where he had refused to extend.
“I admit that mentally, I was not very well,” says Florian Thauvin. OM is an exceptional club, I have always been in love with it and I spent fantastic years there. But it’s difficult, we come away a little worn out. I wanted to find a little peace of mind by going to Mexico, less pressure from the supporters or the media. But I told myself that OM was the perfect club for me, given that I was able to perform there. Maybe I needed all that daily pressure to bring out the best in myself. »
“There is not a club in France that has reached out to me”
Recognizing that he “misses his great seasons in Marseille a lot”, Florian Thauvin then did not hesitate to open up about his “depression”. “I didn’t realize it myself,” he explains. People around me told me to go see someone, to express how I felt. When I went to see a psychologist, three months before I left OM, I burst into tears during the conversation. It felt good to cry. This lady told me, “It’s a low stage, but you’re already at a depression stage.” I was shocked and told myself that I needed to take a step back to better come back. »
Except that his “life project” with the Tigers alongside André-Pierre Gignac did not have the expected success, with a disappointing season and a half and several muscle injuries. Although free after his hasty end of contract in Mexico, the one who has 10 caps with the France A team regrets not having been requested by a French club. “I also landed at Udinese because there is not a club in France that has reached out to me,” he assures us. However, the salary was not a problem for me. » Proof of the emotional charge linked to the evocation of his last years of struggle, Florian Thauvin concluded this interview for Canal + in tears, slipping: “I wish myself goals and fun. This is what we live for. My fangs are out, I want to play for a long time.”