Manon Uffren (FC Nantes) – “For my mental health, I had to stop.”

Manon Uffren, a now key player at FC Nantes, gave a poignant testimony in an interview with Canal+. She returned to the difficult times which led her to consider stopping football for good, before bouncing back to Nantes with a decisive role in helping the club reach D1.

A mental health break

Manon Uffren confides that a year ago, she did not imagine continuing her career, especially after the descent to D2 with Saint-Étienne. She evokes the pression intense and the frequent injustices in women’s footballwhich led to a breaking point. “Football is a lot of pressure, a lot of injustice, especially among women. For my mental health, I had to stop. » Manon then decides to stop for a year and a halfa difficult choice but necessary for one’s well-being.

Returning after a healthy break

During this break, Manon took a step back, while keeping an eye on football. “I watched a lot of girls on TV and I told myself that I really wanted to be there. » A call from Nicolas Chabot, coach of FC Nanteswill mark a turning point. He presents him with a project that immediately speaks to him. “He sold me his project and I immediately loved it. »

Manon finally joined Nantes in January, a return which was not easy. Physically diminished after her break, she explains that the club did everything to help her regain her level. “I wasn’t in good shape physically, but they did everything to help me get back on track. »

The commitment of Nicolas Chabot

Nicolas Chabot, for his part, admits that Manon Uffren was not easy to convince. He remembers his initial speech: “ I told him: listen, I have a suit, I can’t resize it and I need the perfect person to fit into it. » This costume seems to suit him perfectly, Uffren asserting himself today as a key element of the Nantes system.