We left him while he was still wearing the captain’s armband of New York City FC last August, with whom he was MLS champion in 2021. Six months later, Maxime Chanot calls us from his terrace overlooking the the sea in Corsica. The 34-year-old Franco-Luxembourg defender signed last August with Ajaccio, in the French Ligue 2 championship. “It wasn’t necessarily planned, but the opportunity presented itself at the last minute. It was an opportunity to reunite with part of my family in Corsica, and also to show that I have the level to play in France,” summarizes the man who spent eight years in the New York jersey.
“Giving back to football what it gave me”
Although he left far from the Big Apple to continue playing football, Maxime Chanot is also preparing for his post-career. He is currently traveling back and forth to the United States to implement his new project: The fabric, a football school whose opening is scheduled for mid-March. “New York and MLS have given me so much, it is important to give back to football what it has given me,” explains the man who also plays with the Luxembourg national team.
To set up La Fabrique, Maxime Chanot teamed up with four people including a coach at NYC FC and two business development and marketing specialists. The academy will welcome girls and boys aged 4 to 18, initially thanks to after-school and during summer campsthen by developing “ travel teams », more competitive teams who play matches regularly.
Training with the player in person
Spending time with young footballers is obvious for Maxime Chanot. He coached the New York City FC reserve team last year alongside his playing career, and recently obtained his B coaching license in the United States, in addition to American nationality.
With La Fabrique, it joins a market that is competitive to say the least in New York where the French Football Federation (FFF) also established itself in 2019, as did the Juventus Academy, the Barça Academy PRO New York and the Manhattan Soccer Club. . “We looked at what was happening around us, and none of them offered to be coached directly by a professional player. This is what I am going to do by being very present on site,” continues the young entrepreneur.
At the end of his playing career, he also wanted to return to New York. “My network in football is there, and that’s also the promise for the best young people in the academy. To take advantage of my high-level knowledge and my contacts to make the link with the professional world.” Ultimately, Maxime Chanot hopes, in parallel with his academy, to become coach of a professional team in the United States.
2024-02-17 17:00:57
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