Didier Tapie
The former Russian nugget has had to overcome many obstacles since leaving PSG.
From 11 to 15 years old at PSG
Transferred from Spartak Moscow, the man who calls himself Max was a “pitchoun” when he joined Paris Saint-Germain, at the age of 11, in 2014. “For me, it was one of the biggest clubs in Europe. I had a lot of admiration for the players of the time (Ibrahimovic, Thiago Motta, Matuidi…). When I asked to take tests and received my summons, I assured my mother that I would be taken.”
His week at Camp des Loges actually led to a transfer to the U12 category (under 12 years old). His mother packed her bags to accompany him and moved to the capital where she now lives.
DR/MS
At PSG, Max Samoilov (circled in red) grew up alongside future pros. Standing here, first on the left, Andy Diouf, now a midfielder at RC Lens. Second from the left, Mohamed Ali Cho, now an OGC Nice striker.
Russian international from U15 to U17
Little Samoilov stayed until U15 in the Parisian jersey. The result was “a great adventure” which allowed him to play in tournaments against Manchester City, Juventus… “I learned a lot about football and people”. Adolescence led to the beginnings of an international career. But his selections in U15, U16 and U17 under the Russian jersey are already far away. Cursed Covid which marked a turning point, a break even, when he had to play in the U17 Euro… Since then, Samoilov has disappeared from Russian football radars and turned the page. He who feels “very French”.
DR/MS collection
Max Samoilov in action, from his pre-training to U15 at PSG.
Drama in Valenciennes
Another turning point: his departure to Valenciennes in the summer of 2018. Manager of the training center, Olivier Bijotat (who supported the emergence of Varane, Aurier, Kondogbia, etc.) has a speech and a business card that appeal to Max. His season took place under the best auspices until a dramatic turn of events in December.
While he faced and beat his former partners from PSG a few weeks earlier, he found himself deprived of the national U17 championship. The FFF suddenly stipulates to the VAFC that under FIFA regulations, he cannot play more than 50 km from his family in a national competition given that he is a minor and a foreigner.
In Montrouge, with Mathys Tel
He therefore moved closer to his mother in the summer of 2019 and joined Montrouge FC, an amateur club from the Ile-de-France region whose 2003 generation then had an incredible season in national U17s. In a team where a certain Mathys Tel, now center forward at Bayern Munich, plays, he experiences a very promising first part of the championship when the confinement of 2020 stops the emerging epic.
This new pitfall leads Max Samoilov to return to a professional structure in the summer of 2020. Headed to Paris FC where he flourished in national U19s while imposing a particularly strict lifestyle “to be in the best possible shape on the ground “. He obtained his Baccalaureate with honors.
Arsène Wenger… as a client
In 2021, for its 2e season in U19, its rise in power is confirmed. He trains with the N3 group, sometimes with the Paris FC pros, but he is faced with extra-sporting events which lead him not to return in the summer of 2022. He finds himself despite himself “a little little alone”, without contract or project, but does not let himself be overcome by doubt.
On the contrary, he sets a triple objective: to train alone with a program directly in line with what he experienced in the training center, to have his exams in applied foreign languages (LEA) at the University of Paris- Nanterre, working to earn a living.
In a twist of fate, his job as a “salesman in a clothing store” leads him to come across a client from the elite of football: a certain Arsène Wenger, with whom he exchanges a handful of minutes. The former Arsenal mentor listens to him and encourages him to persevere in football “where everything can go very quickly”.
The best in physical tests
The proof is that the wheel is turning in the right direction again for Max. His struggle does not leave a Béarnais agent, Eric Néant, indifferent, who allows him to try out at Pau FC in February 2023. The five days with Benjamin Bertrand are conclusive and the 2023-2024 season brings him to Béarn. In July, the Pau staff changed and it was finally under the orders of Alexandre Torres, then Nicolas Piresse, that this slender 1m87 attacking midfielder trained in yellow and blue.
Didier Tapie
Max Samoilov knows how to reconcile football and studies in LEA (applied foreign languages).
Whatever the weather, he bikes to the training center every day. A half-hour journey which allows him to arrive “well warmed up” and return home well sharpened. He makes sure to respect a balanced diet, regular recovery times, but also significant additional physical work. This drastic lifestyle is combined with a deep determination and a culture of effort worthy of a Stakhanovite. This allows it to pass the best VMA (maximum aerobic speed) tests within the Pau reserve. No wonder, endurance is one of its strong points.
Midfielder or attacker
Given the strong competition in midfield, Max Samoilov had to chomp at the bit in N3 while he regained good sensations in training. His offensive profile and his versatility ultimately led him to be aligned on the front of the attack. Able to play on a wing or in the center, he even scored his first goal during the resounding success (4-0) at Canet-en-Roussillon at the beginning of April and equalized last Sunday against Saint-Paul-lès-Dax (1-1).
“Very ambitious”, at just 21 years old, he does not deviate from his childhood dream: signing his first professional contract. His journey strewn with pitfalls hardened him and taught him patience. He has matured with, at the same time, a quest: “Find the best version of myself”. Very perfectionist, this competitor rarely admits to being satisfied. And if it does, it doesn’t last long.
Four languages
Aside from football, he remains enrolled at the University of Paris-Nanterre and follows his courses by videoconference to obtain his LEA license. This polyglot who speaks French fluently, naturally English and Russian, but also Spanish, has even started the French naturalization process.
Didier Tapie
Max Samoilov can play as a midfielder or attacker.
Football – National 3: Pau FC (B) trapped by Saint-Paul
In an initially unbalanced match between the 4th and 13th of Group B of National 3, Pau FC (B) found themselves chasing the score against the run of play. Finally, they narrowly snatched the equalizer (1 -1).
His future, in the short term, he hopes at Pau FC. ” I feel good here. I get along very well with all my teammates.” The Holy Grail, which would reward all his efforts, would be to play in Ligue 2. “I hope that they will give me my chance to be able to show what I am capable of,” smiles Max who believes in his potential and in his enormous work at daily.
A very close mother
“My mother, she was the one who raised me, gave me everything,” confides Max Samoilov. “I share my story with her. We have a really special relationship, we know each other by heart. » We know that a certain Adrien Rabiot, who played as a youth player at Pau FC, has a mother who is as protective as she is director. For Max, it’s different. If she advises him regularly, she does not interfere more than that on his purely sporting aspect.
