” It’s not nothing ! »: at 16, Thomas Tanguy from the Gasny amateur club has his face on a Panini sticker

2023-12-19 13:27:19

This year, in the Panini sticker pockets, alongside PSG striker Kylian Mbappé, Lyonnais Alexandre Lacazette and Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba, there will be young Thomas Tanguy, 16 years old, central defender and captain of the U18s. from the Gasny club (Eure). A mistake ? No way.

Indeed, in the album published by the famous brand of Italian origin and dedicated to the 2023-2024 season of the French Championship, a place was given to amateur clubs. They benefit from it like professionals from a double page. A great first. Twenty-four portraits of players from all over France selected by the FFF and the sponsor behind the initiative, the home delivery brand Uber Eats. And US Gasny Football is the only team to represent Normandy.

“It all started with our participation in a competition to benefit from two sets of unique jerseys made by a specialized designer,” recalls Nicolas Varry, the general technical manager of the club which this year has almost 380 licensees, a record. “We were selected among 48 teams out of the 6,500 who had applied. And we received these jerseys at the start of the season to equip our U15s and our U18s.” Inspired by Norman half-timbered facades, these collection pieces were already a nice reward for the dynamism shown by the management team.

Tribute to educators and volunteers

However, Uber Eats came back a few weeks ago to ask the winning clubs if they would be ready to submit the names of two of their players so that one of them could be selected to have a sticker. Panini in his image. “We found the idea cool and we were very responsive. I think it played a role,” continues Nicolas Varry.

At 16, Thomas was the ideal candidate. A child of the club where he has played since he was 6 years old, he is also an educator with the U11s, in civic service since the start of the season and very involved among local supporters. “Football has been a passion since I was little,” assures the teenager studying in 1st STMG at the high school in Vernon. “I admit that I was surprised by the proposal but I did not hesitate. It’s not nothing to be on this album. It’s going to stay,” enthuses the young athlete. “I collected stickers when I was younger and I’m definitely doing it again this year.”

Hoping to find his face in a cover because for the moment he has not yet had the precious sticker in his hands, although 30,000 copies were printed. “People talk to me about it a lot. Some congratulate me even if it is the club that is in the spotlight,” continues Thomas, who had to go to the Paris region for a shooting session. “We had our hair done, our makeup done. It was quite impressive. We had to juggle the ball, take poses. It’s a great memory.”

Nicolas Varry is obviously delighted with this new spotlight, but more generally with the good image that this conveys for amateur football as a whole. “We must not forget that without educators and volunteers who do not count their hours, week after week, there would be no professionals. They all come initially from this world before climbing the ladder and being on the front of the stage. It’s always good to remember her.”