At 35, Maxime Gonalons, without a club since his departure from Clermont this summer, announced his retirement from sports on Tuesday evening. “To all of you, to my teammates, to the coaches, to the staff and to all the supporters, thank you for this unforgettable journeywrote the former international midfielder (8 caps) on his Instagram account. Today, I close this chapter with the feeling of having given everything. Football will always remain a part of me and even if I leave the field, I will forever remain a lover of this sport.”
A native of Vénissieux (Rhône), Maxime Gonalons particularly expressed a strong feeling for OL, with whom he experienced his greatest hours at the club, from 2009 to 2017, after passing through their training center. “I will never forget these years spent defending your colors, you will remain forever in my heart“, he wrote, before also mentioning his matches in the Blues jersey, “a child’s dream“, between 2011 and 2015.
Maxime Gonalons has played more than 300 matches with OL, participating in several European campaigns, including a Champions League semi-final in 2010 against Bayern Munich. Winner of the Coupe de France and the Champions Trophy in 2012, he then left the Rhone club for AS Roma in 2017. Also spent with Sevilla FC and Granada, in La Liga, he played two final seasons in Ligue 1 with Clermont, relegated last May.
The announcement of his retirement was welcomed by several of his former teammates, including Anthony Lopes and Alexandre Lacazette. “Thank you for everything”, wrote the latter in response to his publication on Instagram.
