Former 40-year-old French national goal Mandanda announced his retirement through the French media "Team" and the player emotionally reviewed his 21-year career in an exclusive interview.
Talking about making decisions
I thought for a long time and I knew it very well, but I received a lot of invitations (Le Havre, Lorient, Guingen, Brest, Montpellier), which was flattering, and the clubs and coaches were still thinking about you, so every time I refused, I asked myself if I would regret it. Then I kept refusing: Türkiye is too far away, and Saudi Arabia is, and there is another reason for Ligue 1... Maybe it sounds like an excuse, but I need time to accept it. Last season, I knew I was going to retire. I learned to accept my role as the No. 2 goalkeeper, and then Rennes decided not to renew my contract with me...
Talk about the last game of my career
The coach asked me all week if I wanted to participate in the match against Marseille, and my answers were all No. For me, this may not be the last game of my career, it is just the last game of the season and the last game of Rennes. I didn't decide to play until the last minute of the game and then got the best emotional experience of my career. I looked towards the south stand in Marseille, and Valerdi handed me his Marseille captain's armband and said, "You are the captain, this is your home!" To be honest, I can't imagine that there is a more perfect ending than this.
Talk about joining Marseille in the summer of 2007, I heard about Marseille before. At that time, Nasri and I were both playing for the French U21, and he kept urging me to join Marseille. One day during the holiday, I was at my parents' home in the outskirts of Paris and the phone suddenly rang. "I'm Pap Diouf." I thought at the time: "What is this guy talking about!" But that's really him. I never thought that the Marseille president would call a goalkeeper Le Havre who played in the French Ligue 2.
Talking about winning everything with Deschamps
I have never met a coach like him. If only one coach can be chosen, I would choose him, and he knows how to win the game.
Talking about the peak of career 2017-18 season The only regret was the Europa League final that season. I was injured that spring, but thanks to the physiotherapist, we managed to shorten the recovery time. The head coach told me that as long as I can make a comeback before the end of the season, I can make it to the roster. I finally made a comeback and it would be very, very sad if I missed two consecutive World Cups. Eventually, I made my World Cup debut (0-0) against Denmark, and the season ended with the highest honor a football player dreamed of.
Talking about missing the 2014 World Cup
I lost consciousness in a collision on the court and was carried out on a stretcher to the hospital. Towan stayed with me overnight, this is a moment I will never forget. The next day, the doctor told me that there were cracks in the cervical spine. My first question is: "Can I still participate in the World Cup?" "No, but you should feel grateful, Mr. Mandanda, because you may be paralyzed by a few centimeters."
Talking about the French career (35 appearances)
Everything happened very quickly, maybe a little too fast. After my first season in Marseille, I participated in the 2008 European Cup, playing side by side with world champions such as Henry, Vieira and Toulam. I was still playing in the French Ligue 2 10 months ago! Afterwards, Kuppet retired and I became the No. 1 goalkeeper of the French team. During the process, due to the huge pressure, I collapsed, and Lori was behind me.
and Lori's relationship
Competition and comparison are normal in high-level sports, and it's never a problem for us, and I think we have a deep respect for each other. We are all pretty introverts, and Lori is probably a little more introverted than I am. As we spend more time together in the national team, we admire each other more. I was never really seen as the No. 2 goalkeeper and still played a big role in the team, attending all core meetings, discussing things like bonus distribution and more. Although I felt very disappointed to lose the starting goalkeeper position, I blame myself more because I didn’t have enough ability to take on the starting goalkeeper position at first.
Which coach has the most enjoyable cooperation?
I really enjoy working with Bielsa, the goalkeeper will be frequently mobilized under his system, and we have to use our feet to get the ball. Interestingly, although some footwork mistakes have been made, this risk is accepted. Bielsa told me that if I made a mistake, I had to try again, and for him, the mistake was acceptable.
Talking about life after retirement
I want to learn management knowledge and understand the operation behind the stadium in depth.