http://www.guardian.co.tt/SA-9.htmlGuadeloupe
Will he help promote gwo ka (the local drums) instead of promoting local football when he will retire?
The 36-year old French professional football defender Lilian Thuram whose contract with Paris St Germain FC is now pending to a cardiac malformation discovered in June, had set his heart on promoting local culture rather than sports when he will retire.
The most capped player in the history of the French national team who was selected 142 times met with the public in the Laura Flessel gymnasium in Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe, French West Indies (FWI) on July 18.
The theme of the meeting was: “Can I make of my sports passion a career?”
The 1998 World Cup champion who was born in Guadeloupe answered the questions about football disclosing advice such as “work at school” and “never forget that football is not all”, clearly applying to him.
“When I was 17 I was in Monaco and I got injured. After one year, a doctor told me I could never be a professional football player because of that. Since that day, each year I play is a year I win,” he said to the assistance.
“But I also realised that football is not my whole life,” he added.
When asked about the opportunity to open formation centres for football players in Guadeloupe, the 1998 World Cup Champion answered by the negative.
“I think there are enough opportunities here when you’re a young talented football player to be detected by a scout. I’m not interested in that. I’m more into culture,” he said.
Thuram also asserted that someone from Fifa had approached him to talk about the Caribbean football saying that there were still things to do.
When questioned about the possibility to work at a Caribbean level, Thuram, as an excellent defender, tackled the Guardian and said it was not yet time to think about that since he was not yet retired.
Alain Parny, President of the Club of Supporters of the French Team in Guadeloupe, expressed his disappointment.
“I would have been happy to see Thuram engaging more in the local football. When you are a young football player here, if you’re not in one of the most mediatic clubs, the ones who have the contacts with the national agents, it’s difficult to be detected,” Parny said.
“It would be a good thing to have a formation centre down here. Most of the talents come back because when they go abroad they are alone and they can’t resist the change,” he said.
The Guadeloupe-born champion made a career out of his culture of sports but doesn’t want to be limited to the latter.
personal info
Full name: Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien
Date of birth: January 1, 1972 (age 36)
Place of birth: Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, French West Indies
Height: 1.82 m (5 ft, 11 1/2 in)
Playing position: Centre back or Right back
Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)
1991–1996 AS Monaco 155 (
1996–2001 Parma 163 (1)
2001–2006 Juventus 145 (1)
2006–2008 FC Barcelona 41 (0)
National team
1994–2008 France 142 (2)
