But for how long Laurent Paganelli does he roam the lawns of Ligue 1 in search of players to interview? The 59-year-old was hired in 1997 by Canal+ to become the field man for the encrypted channel for the French football championship. It has therefore been twenty-five years since the 1m66 journalist has been making viewers laugh with his very approximate mastery of foreign languages and his natural good nature and now everyone knows him and he is even a mascot for football lovers. Since the start of the school year, the latter has had the right to a promotion and he now officiates as a consultant in the channel’s flagship program, the Channel Football Clubpresented by Hervé Mathoux and featuring Laure Boulleau.
If we know his career on television well, many forget that Laurent Paganelli was first a real football phenomenon. After having studied in Avignon, he started in the French championship at only 15 years 10 months and 5 days old, which makes him, even today, the youngest player to have started a match in France. Despite these thunderous beginnings, the little blond will not confirm all the talent he has in his feet and his career will not take off despite a few good seasons with SC Toulon. Besides that, the one who shares the life of Carole, his wife of 42 years, will know real personal tragedies.
Laurent had a long depression. It was serious, serious. Two years…
While still a football player, his brother is killed in a road accident on his way to his home. A drama that will haunt Laurent Paganelli, as his wife tells it. “Laurent had a long depression. It was serious, serious. Two years… Clubs approached him, but he couldn’t play. He was flat. It was like a disease”she says in The Parisian. An extremely difficult period for the former footballer, but which will further cement his relationship with Carole. “We live day after day. We take advantage. It’s our credo: tomorrow you’re sick, you’re dead”she summarizes.
If everything is going for the best today, Laurent Paganelli has had very difficult times and the death of his brother almost made him sink, but fortunately for him, he was able to count on the support of his wife, Carole.
Find Laurent Paganelli in the Channel Football Club this Sunday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.