Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: GIUSEPPE MAFFIA / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP
Last winter, Florian Thauvin made his return to Europe by signing a contract with Udinese in Italy, two years after his departure from OM for Mexico. In Central America, the 2018 world champion had a mixed experience on a sporting level, but necessary on a mental level after suffering from depression.
The story of Florian Thauvin at Olympique de Marseille initially began timidly before becoming a real success. A major player for the Marseille club over the last decade, finalist in the Europa League and world champion in 2018, the striker however experienced a contrasting end to his adventure in Bouches-du-Rhône, on a personal level. Interviewed Sunday evening on Canal + in the “Canal Football Club”, the former French international (10 caps, 1 goal), says he went through a depressive episode in 2021.
“I was very good at that time (athletically speaking) but I admit that, mentally, I was not very good,” concedes the native of Orléans. To put into words the uneasiness that was gnawing at him, Florian Thauvin was able to count on the support and foresight of those around him. “It was people around me who told me: ‘But Flo! Go see someone, express yourself, tell them what you feel’ etc.” Three months before leaving Provence, the former Basti resident decided to follow the advice of those close to him by going to consult a professional. “During the conversation, at one point, I burst into tears. I started to cry and it felt good,” he says.
“I was told: You are already at a stage of depression”
Florian Thauvin looks back on his departure from Olympique de Marseille in 2021 ⚪️ #CFCpic.twitter.com/qi5WVTos4S
— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) December 3, 2023
“I told myself that perhaps we should take a step back”
A meeting that acted like an electric shock. “This lady said to me at one point: ‘It’s a low stage but you’re already at a stage of depression.’ I was shocked, but I told myself that at some point, maybe we needed to take a little step back to come back better.”
Hence his decision, in the summer of 2021, to leave the Old Continent and heading towards Mexico and the Tigres de Monterrey club, where his compatriot André-Pierre Gignac was already playing. “I wanted to find a little more tranquility, less pressure whether from the supporters or even the media,” he says. A mixed experience on a sporting level (8 goals in 39 matches in all competitions) but probably necessary on a mental level. Back in Europe since last January, Florian Thauvin is currently wearing the colors of Udinese in Italy. He signed an assist this weekend during his team’s draw against Hellas Verone (3-3).