Marinette Pichon traces the thread of her life in a biopic

Marinette Pichon was and still is today, more than 16 years after hanging up her crampons and putting away her number 9 t-shirt, one of the greatest and most talented French and international footballers. During her career, she scored 300 goals and was the record holder for the number of goals and selections for the France team, men and women alike. It was at the Club Saint-Memmie Olympique, in the Marne, that she made her debut, before becoming the first professional French player.

>> The film “Marinette”, previewed in Abbeville, traces the life of the first French star of women’s football

She played in the United States until the bankruptcy of the American Football League, collecting the title of best player in the highest league in the world and best striker and scorer twice. Upon her return, she became French champion with the Juvisy club before retiring and expressing her anger at the lack of consideration and means for women’s football. Indeed, their status obliges women to work in parallel with their training and therefore their competitions. Since then, she has become a consultant, married a disabled basketball champion, welcomed a little boy and became the second woman in France to obtain paternity leave. In May 2018, she published an autobiography: Never let go published by First and this Wednesday, June 7, 2023, the biopic inspired by his life and directed by Virginie Verrier is released: Marinette. Interview.

franceinfo: How does it feel to have your story told on the big screen?

Marinette Pichon: The first time, it’s quite complicated because you take back all your emotions and it’s really an emotional elevator. When we see all the difficulties we had to face, I say “we” because my mother and my sister are associated with this, I say to myself: I hope this will help. And when I have the chance to discuss with the people in the room, there are many who identify with this journey on a particular point or on a particular theme. So I’m happy because that was the goal.

This biopic is the projection of your autobiography, Never let go. When you look closely, football allowed you to consolidate your family, that is to say to keep the strongest elements that were important to you. You ejected your violent father who hit your mother, and raped your grandmother. We understand how much you have a steel mind…

This is the story of his life. He never regretted anything despite the hell he put us through. And he never regretted not telling us he loved us. And when you look for that… Well, it’s been really hard.

My father deserved his ten years in prison, the courts ruled and it was important for my mother, my grandmother, my sister and me, that we be recognized as victims.

Marinette Pichon

at franceinfo

You start football at five years old. Where does this click come from, this love at first sight?

I think he comes because I hear, at that time, so many joyful, happy children, talking, shouting in all directions. And me, in the end, at home, I didn’t have the chance to experience such an atmosphere. So I was drawn to that. I took my mother’s hand. And then, at the first contact with the ball, everything happens naturally. It didn’t please everyone, but here I said to myself: oh, I’m on the ground and there, I can express myself without being repressed and I think it’s really great.

There is a club that will suddenly offer you to take a test, it is Saint-Memmie Olympique. It will also be a huge crush on the coach. She understands very quickly that you are made for this.

Yes. And her approach, the first time, was but where does she come from? She is very small, she manages to run faster than the girls, she hits harder and Régine looked at me and said: “But she’s an alien“. I think she sees the potential I have. But me, I’m far from all that. Me, I’m on the pitch, I’m having fun and that’s all that matters at the time.

What’s going on in your head? Because already a child on the school benches, you said to your teachers: “Anyway, I don’t care about school, I want to be a professional footballer“and each time, you were answered:”It’s not a job“.

It was in my head. It was a goal, but it wasn’t something that was confirmed, it would depend on a lot of things. But I always had in a corner of my head this possibility of going to play at the highest level. And when that happens, I say to myself: but that’s it, it’s done. I even remember sending a card to my teacher: “Well, well you see, I’m in the United States and then I earn a little my living thanks to football!“

Going to the United States is a difficult time for you…

What is complicated at this time is that I am in an extremely comfortable situation. I’m the darling, I score goals, I’m good, I have my job, I have my sport. And in fact, making the leap there, even if it’s fabulous, remains complicated. I cried for a month and a half every night on the phone with my mother. I felt like I wouldn’t be up to it. Once again, it’s my mother who comes back and puts a little pressure on me by saying: “No, but anyway, you’re going to stay for a year no matter what, so as long as you fit in properly and have fun“. I’ll hang up and the next day I’ll wake up in mode “america belongs to me“!

What does football represent for you?

Football clearly represents my way out of this family hell that I didn’t talk about, because I was ashamed.

Marinette Pichon

at franceinfo

It represents everything. The good times, the bad times. Football allowed me to become a woman, a better daughter for my mother, a better friend, a good wife and a good mother. All the values ​​of football have made the woman I am today.