2023-11-18 20:00:33
– Maéva Clémaron, the architect of Servette Chênois
The Frenchwoman left the spotlight of the English championship to combine careers as an architect and footballer in Geneva. More than a year after her arrival in Switzerland, she reconsidered her choice.
Published today at 9:00 p.m.
Maéva Clémaron has experience in the English championship where she played for Tottenham.
LUCIEN LUCKY
London, September 24, 2022. Tottenham travels to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal, a derby watched by 47,367 spectators. At the same time, Servette Chênois welcomes Grasshopper to the Stade de la Fontenette in front of 128 curious people. Maéva Clémaron, who left Spurs to join the end of the lake two months earlier, did not experience the attendance record – since broken – for a Women’s Premier League match. However, she does not regret her decision. Not because his goal in the 5th minute had clipped the wings of the Sauterelles, but because, in life, you sometimes have to make choices. Knowing how to give up. “I was aware of what I was leaving behind. But when you leave with such a project behind you, it’s hard to have regrets. And when the opportunities we aspire to present themselves, we must know how to seize them. You never know if there will be others.”
While the 31-year-old Frenchwoman was bursting at the seams in north London, she changed her plans, favoring the path of architecture. “Switzerland has always been a reference in this area and that has always attracted me,” admits the midfielder. Without forgetting to mention the beauty of the landscapes, with the lake, the mountains and the vineyards. “It really has a relaxing atmosphere.” To the greatest happiness of the Garnets.
“In my contract, I had a clause written which allowed me to play in the Swiss championship.”
Maéva Clémaron, SFCCF midfielder
This arrival would undoubtedly not have been possible without Eric Sévérac. “He knew that my intentions were to find a sporting project that could be reconciled with a position as an architect, while bringing me closer to my family (editor’s note: which is in Vienna, near Lyon).” The former Servetti coach then put the midfielder in contact with one of his acquaintances, who sent his CV and portfolio to Geneva companies. With success, since Maéva Clémaron decided to leave London. “In my contract, I had a clause written which allowed me to play in the Swiss championship.”
Perform on both counts
Servette allowed him to build a bridge between his two passions. “I was lucky, I joined a club that opened its arms to me and an architecture office, CCHE, managed by Frédéric Ducrest and Cornélia Volkringer, which did the same.” Despite daily training and construction projects, Maéva Clémaron juggles her dual role without too many problems, and can also count on the flexibility of her work colleagues to deal with moments of stress. Although, the first year was not easy. “I had to perform well in the field and at the same time prove myself in the office.”
A new rhythm, a new city, a new club, a new company. It took a little time for the site to get organized. But this was nothing new. The former French international – 6 caps – had already had to reconcile studies and football during the six years of her training in architecture. The one who played her first match in D1 at the age of 15 says: “Now, I feel more peaceful in the game and the performances follow. I found my balance.” In a role of pillar of the Servetti game, the No. 21 garnet has always started in the championship this season, except for the match where she was suspended after her expulsion in Aarau.
An air of revenge. Saturday, Servette Chênois (18 points) travels to Zurich (19 points) for the clash at the top of the Super League (4 p.m.). With the challenge being the leadership chair. An especially symbolic first place, insofar as the title will be awarded again in one match, at the end of the play-off final. This system is certainly not unanimously unanimous, but it is still in force. During the last two years, the SFCCF had flown through the regular season, before losing the final match. Two is enough, three is too many. The Servettians know that this duel is not the most decisive of the season. “We will of course give 200%. The goal is to win on Saturday, says Maéva Clémaron. To win with our playing principles. But, beyond the result, the main thing is to learn from our performance. Either to correct it or to confirm it during the playoffs. The Zurichoises, eliminated last weekend from the Swiss Cup, will try to inflict on Servette, the only undefeated team in the championship, their first defeat of the Jose Barcala era. FPA
“When I see Laura Tufo working on her medical classes when we are on the road, I see myself when I was in school.”
Maéva Clémaron, architect
Is being an architect an advantage when you have to build the game? “We can draw parallels, it’s true,” replies Maéva Clémaron. There is a notion of knowledge of the body, or of one’s body, in the space which is common. This spatial approach makes it possible to avoid duels, to recover the balls, to be in the right place. “Vision of the game is one of my main qualities,” believes the athlete. But it’s not the only one: aggressiveness, combativeness and technical quality, necessary for any midfielder playing in front of the defense. “With experience, you also acquire a little more tactical quality.”
Elected vice-captain
His background – more than 120 matches in D1, more than 40 matches in the Premier League – allows him to supervise the youngest. “When I see Laura Tufo working on her medical classes when we are on the road, I see myself when I was in school.” The Geneva community is aware of the efforts and sacrifices it takes to perform well both on the field and on the university benches. “The advice I give them is not to give up, even if there will be difficult times and a lot of fatigue.” Her career, her experience and her life choices can thus inspire Servetti students such as Laura Felber, Laura Tufo, Nathalia Spälti, Élodie Nakkach, Chiara Wallin and Amina Muratovic.
A career in football can be cut short overnight. Even more so in women’s football, where salaries are much lower than for men. A diploma is a safety net that allows you to bounce back in the event of an accident. “We have better time to delay our footballing progress a little to get a paper,” concludes the architect, elected vice-captain of the SFCCF by her teammates. A status on the scale of its importance on the ground in the garnet building.
Florian Paccaudholder of a Master’s degree in sports sciences with a social sciences orientation, has been a journalist for Sport-Center since January 2021. A graduate of the CFJM, he also works as an agent, print editor and web pilot.More info
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