When Jul played football, he showed promise at Marseille’s academy | OneFootball

Before topping France’s rap charts, Julien Mari, now known as Jul, was a gifted youth footballer at Marseille’s academy. 'I crossed well, I was tidy technically, in control, passing and vision,' he said in 2018, speaking to L'Équipe.

He featured as a left midfielder, a number 10 or a striker, and was widely regarded as having a good level.

For one season he was shifted to left-back. 'I was flying, starting deep then whipping in crosses, just like in training,' he recalled.

An ankle injury curtailed those ambitions, and music soon pulled him in a different direction.

Even so, Jul finally played at the Vélodrome in 2021, in the Match des Héros between OM legends and a UNICEF team. He did not score but impressed with a clean volley and a sharp dribble past Éric Abidal.

Source: L'Équipe

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