[Anecdote] Joris Chotard, the latest (bis repetita) at La Mosson?

This weekend, the Mosson stadium must be preparing to experience a special moment: Joris Chotard, pillar of Montpellier Hérault SC, will most likely play his last match under the pailladin colors in his lair. The next one in January taking place on the weekend of the 12th against the SCO, it cannot be excluded that their bags will already be packed.

This departure, although delayed by a few months, seems inevitable. Initially planned for last summer, it was finally against OGC Nice that the midfielder trained at the club could say goodbye to his audience. Last May, during the 37th day of Ligue 1 against AS Monaco, many were already thinking of seeing Pailladin farewell. His departure for Germany, towards Wolfsburg, was far from being confirmed but his career plan was well planned. After playing in the Olympic Games with Thierry Henry's French team, the Orange native would find a new base. However, internal complications and the failure of negotiations, with Bruno Carotti in particular hoping for a better offer, forced the midfielder to extend his adventure at MHSC. An extension unfortunately marked by physical problems and a sad collective situation.

However, with his 170 appearances in the orange and blue jersey, Joris Chotard embodies the perfect model of the player trained at the club. Arriving at the training center, he signed his first professional contract with the MHSC and established himself as an essential player in the squad. Under contract until June 2026, his departure, if confirmed this winter, should offer a breath of financial oxygen to Laurent Nicollin and management, entangled in growing economic difficulties. The sale of its senior players remains a necessity to maintain budgetary balance and it is one of the elements more than ever concerned by this status. In this context, seeing a player trained at the club leave remains heartbreaking, but an essential step for the survival of the Montpellier project.

An appointment to note therefore. Supporters will inevitably be keen to pay tribute to a player who embodies the club's DNA: work, self-sacrifice and love of the jersey. Whether its future is in Germany, as had been anticipated, or elsewhere, an important page in the history of our training and our recent history will turn this weekend. But as he always did, Joris Chotard will leave with his head held high, leaving behind the memory of an exemplary player, loved by his public.