The photo of former Barça player Jérémy Mathieu that has gone viral on social media

BarcelonaFrom Mestalla to Camp Nou. Luis Enrique recruited Jérémy Mathieu to play for Barça when he took over as manager at the club in 2014. News that even surprised the French defender himself at the time. "When I told my son Barça had called me, I couldn't refuse," the now-retired player would explain years later. Although he had made his career as a left-back, he often played as a center-back for Barça. The Asturian coach was his main supporter, and Mathieu, who was a regular backup in the center of defense, had some iconic performances, such as the goal he scored with his head in a Clásico in March 2015 that helped Barça secure the three points (2-1). That season, Barça went on to win their second treble in history.

Jérémy Mathieu, who also made headlines for off-field reasons, such as a viral photo of him smoking, wore the Blaugrana shirt for three seasons before packing his bags for Sporting de Portugal. In total, he played 91 official matches as a Barça player. He would eventually retire in Lisbon three years after leaving Barcelona. He was 37 years old, and the 2019-20 season, plagued by frequent injuries, was his last as a professional footballer. His elite career took place at Sochaux, Toulouse, Valencia—the club with which he has played the most matches: 177—Barça, and Sporting de Portugal. He also earned a cap for the French national team.

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Away from football, five years after his retirement, and just in the year that, in May, marks the tenth anniversary of his treble victory, Mathieu has gone viral on social media. The reason? His current job as an employee of a well-known French sports retail chain. The image, shared by two fans, shows the former footballer working as a sales assistant at one of the Intersport franchises. The store is located in Marseille, and according to several French media outlets, this job was a personal choice for the former footballer so that, at 41, he could remain involved in the world of sports.

According to The TeamMathieu works at a branch located between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, serving as one of the managers of the football section. Since images of Mathieu wearing a vest from this sports store chain bearing the former footballer's name surfaced, the company has received hundreds of calls from fans wanting to visit the store to meet the former Barça player and take a photo.