The former Arsenal star has detailed how he managed to build a huge fortune away from the sport
Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has credited his approach to leisure during his playing career as the catalyst for building a huge fortune outside of football. While many of his teammates preferred to rest, Flamini was determined to expand his knowledge and had already achieved remarkable success in another sector before retiring.
The former French footballer signed with the Gunners in 2004 as a promising midfielder from Marseille. During his two spells with Arsenal, he won the FA Cup three times, appeared in the 2006 Champions League final and was named the club’s player of the year.
The 42-year-old has enjoyed a career that most footballers can only dream of, but Flamini refuses to rest on his laurels between training sessions and matches. He co-founded GF Biochemicals and launched a green energy company in 2013 while playing for Italian heavyweights AC Milan.
Flamini was initially reticent about his new endeavor as he balances his role as CEO of a firm worth more than £10bn with playing in Serie A. His passion for the environment was shaped by collecting plastic on the beaches with his father as a child, which inspired him to research the topic outside of football and shopping or playing video games.
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“From a very young age, I had the opportunity to understand the negative impact humans have on the planet,” Flamini told L’Express. “I wanted to pursue this second passion alongside football. Running offers a way to clear my head, to have the chance to express myself off the pitch.
“A sportsperson’s life revolves around training and matches, but also rest and recovery. It gives time to sleep; while some players may choose to play PlayStation or shop after sleep, I decided to take a different path, learn and grow by helping to build this company.”
The former Arsenal man admitted that leading a business specializing in the large-scale production of levulinic acid did not come instinctively. Flamini recalled having little interest in chemistry or English during his school years, both of which are now central to his working life.
“I had to educate myself, be extremely curious and surround myself with the right people,” she said. “There’s a saying I like: if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
Flamini’s sporting career saw him end with France, winning three FA Cups and a Serie A title, although his success on the pitch would not be the traditional path to becoming CEO of GF Biochemicals. However, the former Arsenal star, who will hang up his boots in 2020, claims his football background has allowed him to thrive in a completely different sector.
“An athlete is a bit like an entrepreneur or the CEO of a big company,” Flamini said. “You have to know how to deal with a lot of pressure and give it your all every day.
“Then there’s team spirit. I’ve never seen a company succeed with just one person; it’s about group, collective, team spirit, you have to know how to communicate the mission and the vision so that everyone is moving in the same direction.”
Reflecting on the career change, she added: “Now I’m living my second passion and I have a reason to live. I’m someone who looks forward, not back. I’m privileged. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been able to make a living from my childhood passion for so long.”