Heavy Nasri causes bewilderment with prevention during benefit duel

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 8:18 PM• Last update: 20:27

Samir Nasri is the subject of conversation on social media on Wednesday evening. The 34-year-old former midfielder, who officially ended his career last month, made his appearance in a benefit match between a team of legends from Olympique Marseille and a UNICEF team, including Éric Abidal, Patrick Kluivert, David Trezeguet and Arsene Wenger as trainer. However, Nasri did not appear exactly trained at the kick-off of the game in the Stade Vélodrome.

Nasri, 41-time international for France, officially announced at the end of September that he would stop as a professional football player. Due to an eighteen-month doping suspension, Nasri slowly but surely disappeared from the spotlight. The former midfielder of Olympique Marseille, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla and Antalyaspor played short periods for West Ham United and Anderlecht after his doping suspension, without too much success. After he left Anderlecht in the summer of 2020, his career took off like a candle.

“After I left, I no longer felt the motivation. And I could not return to France. Then I only wanted to play for Olympique Marseille,” said Nasri last month in conversation with Le Journal du Dimanche. Olympique Marseille, however, turned out not to be interested, but now invited him for a benefit match. The French club’s team of legends also included Marcel Desailly, Robert Pirès, Djibril Cissé and Didier Drogba.

However, Nasri’s physical condition caused quite a stir on social media during the game. There is a bewildered response to the appearance of Nasri, who remained under the radar in his period without a club last year. On Twitter, for example, he is compared to a Michelin man and Homer Simpson.