Former Barcelona star Jeremy Mathieu shares why he chose to work in a sports shop after retiring
In April 2025, former Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu caught everyone’s attention when pictures of him working in a sports shop went viral after he retired.
Mathieu joined Barcelona from Valencia in 2014 and played 91 times for the club. He won two La Liga titles and the Champions League, playing alongside stars like Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta. One of his memorable moments was scoring the winning goal in an El Clasico against Real Madrid.
After Barcelona, he signed with Portuguese giants Sporting CP, where he played over 100 matches and won three trophies. Sadly, a serious ACL injury during training in June 2020 forced him to retire earlier than he wanted.
Years later, fans were surprised to see Mathieu working at an Intersport store near Aix-en-Provence. He even posed for a picture with two young fans, and the photo quickly spread online. People were curious why the 42-year-old ex-footballer took the job, but no details came out at first.
Later, on the BeIN Sports show Safe Play, Mathieu explained his career change. He said it wasn’t about money but personal challenges. “If I’m working at Intersport, it’s because something’s going on that’s causing me a lot of problems,” he shared. “I’m dealing with a lawsuit, and this job helps me have a social life. I won’t do it forever.”
After retiring, Mathieu struggled with depression and even tried playing amateur football with Luynes Sports. His former teammate, Loic Loval-Landre, noticed he was having a tough time and helped him find the Intersport job because Mathieu wanted to get out of the house.
Though Mathieu earned around £100,000 a week at Barcelona, he didn’t take the store job due to financial issues. Instead, it was a way to find happiness again. In a recent interview with So Foot, he opened up about his mental health, saying, “I went through depression. I missed the pitch, the locker room, everything we shared. I wasn’t ready for retirement because of my injury. Mentally, it was hard to accept.”
He credited his wife for supporting him through those tough times. He described how he would sometimes just get up, walk around the house, and sigh. The Intersport job helped him rebuild his strength and social life. He said it gave him a chance to start living again and helped his relationship with his wife, who also took on some part-time work.
Mathieu enjoyed the friendly atmosphere at work, which reminded him of the team spirit in football. He even had fun playing football in the stockroom, even though it wasn’t allowed!
Responding to negative comments about his new job, he said, “It’s petty. People online don’t know my story—they just see the money and not the person. Some thought I was broke or hadn’t invested wisely. When customers saw me at Intersport, they’d say, ‘Why are you here? You played for Barcelona, you must be rich!’ But that’s not why I’m here.”
After initially working as a salesman, Mathieu left to work in football coaching at Sochaux’s academy. When that didn’t work out, he came back to Intersport as assistant to the head of the football section.
Now, he’s working on his coaching badges and manages the Under-15 team at Aix-en-Provence. Close friends with Bruno Fernandes from their Sporting days, Mathieu hopes to work in a youth academy once he finishes his qualifications.