Bodmer: Either Paris or I quit football | OneFootball

Mathieu Bodmer spoke about his turbulent transfer to Paris Saint-Germain on the podcast Histoires de Foot on YouTube. The former midfielder, who came up through the ranks at SM Caen, recounts how, in 2010, he risked everything to join his beloved club, even threatening to quit football if Lyon refused to let him go.

Bodmer: "I say like every year, I have PSG"

In my head, things aren’t right, I need to leave. "Do you have something?" I say like every year, I have PSG. They’ve always stayed in touch since I was 11. More or less strongly depending on the period. This was pre-Qatari era, I was talking with Antoine Kombouaré, Alain Roche, and president Leproux, they were happy but didn’t understand my choice.

The first conversation I had with Antoine on the phone, he says: "me, my boy"—that’s how he calls me—"I don’t mind you coming, but I don’t understand, you’re at Lyon, you’re at one of the best French clubs, we’re a bit struggling," and so I explain to him that I want to wear this jersey, that it’s a dream, etc... Since he’s a PSG fan, he understands what I’m saying and tells me we’ll figure it out.

Bodmer: "They don’t want me to go to Paris"

But it was even harder than when I left for Lyon because they didn’t want me to go to Paris. The story is, it’s the 2010 World Cup, with him, we’re supposed to return on June 14, PSG resumes on July 2, and when I leave for vacation at the end of May, I think it’ll be sorted quickly, I have one year left on my contract, I know they won’t ask for much and PSG is ready to pay a small fee.

But it doesn’t happen. On the 13th, I call my agent, I tell him, you know preseason starts tomorrow, do I have to go? Am I exempt from returning?

He says no, you have to go, so I get there, I don’t even have a jersey and nothing’s been printed, and for everyone, I’m already gone. Except I’m still in the squad. They say I’ve signed for Paris and so on. So until the end of June, I do preseason with Lyon.

Bodmer: "You can fine me all you want, it’s over, I’m not coming back"

It lasts two weeks, but in the end, I crack, I go see him before the training camp, I tell him, coach, for me, it’s simple now, I’m returning the club car, I’m taking my stuff, and tomorrow I’m taking the train, heading to Paris, it’s either you let me sign for Paris or I go back to Évreux and I quit football.

I’m not trying to pressure you, I’m just telling you what I’m going to do. You can fine me all you want, it’s over, I’m not coming back. Do whatever you want. Just so you know, if you don’t want me to transfer to Paris, no problem, but in that case, I’m quitting football.

It was either I end up in Paris or I quit. They understood I was determined, but it still took three or four days in Paris before signing, with negotiations, faxes, and paperwork.

Bodmer: "I’m happy, free, Parc des Princes with your name and number"

During that time, in Lyon, they kept fining me, fining me. Which is logical, no problem. I was losing a day’s salary every day. After four days, it was resolved and I signed on July 2, and preseason started that afternoon in Paris. I’d been struggling for three weeks, they hadn’t even started training yet.

That’s how I arrived in Paris. I’m happy, free, Parc des Princes with your name and number. I’ve been a Paris Saint-Germain supporter since I was a kid, it’s different, that’s it, I’ve finished the game. I’ve completed the journey, my career now means something.

Bodmer: "I tell myself I’ve won in the end and no matter what happens, I wanted to do it at least once in my life"

No disrespect to all the other clubs. Only those born in Marseille will understand, or those who grew up in Paris, or the guy born and raised in Lyon who plays for Lyon. No one else can understand. I loved my time at certain clubs, especially Nice, all the clubs, Lille, it was fantastic.

But it’s not the same. I tell myself I’ve won in the end and no matter what happens, I wanted to do it at least once in my life. I made it. Now I have to play, at worst, I already have my jersey with my name and the crest. It’s a source of pride for my whole family and everyone was happy.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.