The former Arsenal and Milan midfielder tells his story: “I arrived in London when I didn’t even speak English, at Milan I discovered chemistry. Today, thanks to my qualifications, we live on a better planet”
There is a saying that goes: “Choose the job you love and you will never work a day in your life”. Here, Mathieu Flamini embodies it perfectly. At 24, having just arrived at Milan, he absorbed the entrepreneurial spirit by breathing the air of Milanello and meeting Silvio Berlusconi, his source of inspiration. From there, GFBiochemicals was born, a company specialized in the production of ecological chemicals obtained from plant biomass instead of the oil used in everyday products. “It all started as an outlet: when I was at Milan, in my free time, I developed my company. Chemistry gives you discipline and sets you goals. I do everything with passion and now I’m an entrepreneur who enjoys doing what he likes.” At 42, Flamini divides his time between London, Paris and many other international cities, always accompanied by adrenaline: “The ‘drug’ that never stops me”. He talks about sustainability and nutrition (“I only eat one meal a day and I drink three liters of water. Human health will be our revolution”), he reels off anecdotes (“With Ancelotti I went to eat pizza after training”) and advice to Milan (“We need a strong club”). Ah, if you are looking for a Frenchman who uses “we” when he talks about Italy, Flamini is the right person.
When was the Flamini entrepreneur born?
“In my time at Milan, almost as an outlet. When I wasn’t training I spent my time developing GFBiochemicals, a company that works on sustainable chemical solutions linked to health and the environment.”
What do you do specifically?
“Many products we use today, such as shampoos or detergents, contain ingredients derived from petroleum. With our company we look for ecological alternatives. We have developed substances that come from biomass and which are much safer for the environment. In this way human health also benefits.”
What do you bring from football into your life as a manager?
“Discipline, teamwork, having a vision, sacrifices and objectives. The mental part makes the difference: in football you can have all the talent in the world, but without mentality you won’t go far. And the same goes for entrepreneurship: you can have many ideas, but not know how to put them into practice.”
The mental part makes the difference: in football you can have all the talent in the world, but without mentality you won’t go far.”
Environmental impact is a delicate topic that has been talked about for years. Do you think you are revolutionizing this sector with your company?
“We have positioned ourselves on some molecules that had already been identified some time ago by the American government and which today we want to transform into green alternatives, for more sustainable chemistry. We have more than 200 patents. We are the only ones to produce these molecules on a global scale. There is still little competition, but it will come.”
Have the results satisfied you so far?
“I am an entrepreneur, I demand the best. We spent more than ten years developing the patents, once done we went on the market. And this is the most fun phase. Today we are selling on a global scale to all the countries in the world.”
Do football and chemistry have anything in common?
“I’ll tell you an anecdote. At school I hated two subjects: English, which today I use every day to do business, and chemistry, the sector on which I founded my company. My life is a paradox. In football you have to have clear ideas and follow a line, relying on the right people. It’s the same in chemistry.”
What is behind the success you are achieving?
“I am a competitive person. Adrenaline is my ‘drug’, I thrive on challenges. I work continuously and never stop. Many start and then stop at the first difficulty. I, on the other hand, have always done everything with passion and great ambition. Today I am an entrepreneur who enjoys what he does”.
I’m a competitive person. Adrenaline is my ‘drug’, I thrive on challenges. I work continuously and never stop. Many start and then stop at the first difficulty”
What, in your opinion, is the real crux of sustainability today?
“The first step is to change the narrative. For me the most important thing is to live long and healthy, everything starts from there. I am very tied to performance: I eat once a day, I drink three liters of water and I don’t consume proteins of animal origin, because I always want to be lucid and active. Sustainability is not just something far from us or linked to animals in the Amazon: it concerns our daily lives. Pollution and the quality of the products we consume directly affect people’s health. Today we often eat badly. For me this it’s the real battle: improving the way we live, because environment and health are closely linked.”
Do footballers have the power to influence the environment?
“In America it is normal to see sportsmen talking about business or off-field projects, but in Europe this is seen badly. Today footballers are followed by millions of people on social media and also have an educational responsibility: they can provide information, set an example and bring attention to certain issues.”
And she had no problem hiding her passions at Milan.
“Silvio Berlusconi opened up a world to me. He was an entrepreneur who won in all fields: in football, in business, in politics. Every week he was at Milanello and at the weekend he went on away trips with us. He wanted his players to be passionate about something outside of football. He was a source of inspiration for me.”
At Milan he also met many footballers active in the business sector.
“Shevchenko invested in real estate, Seedorf had his own businesses, Maldini managed some companies. They also encouraged me to believe in what I wanted to do: help make the world more eco-sustainable.”
What relationship did you have with Ancelotti?
“A second father for all of us. Sometimes we went out to eat a pizza after training near Milanello. He often came to the locker room, asking what we did in our free time. He was always very present and close to the group.”
How did the negotiation with Milan come about?
“Between February and March 2008, when with Arsenal we played the round of 16 of the Champions League against Milan. My contract was expiring and I signed practically with my eyes closed. For me it was a dream. I remember as a child the Champions League nights between Marseille and the great Milan of Sacchi and Capello. And then my father is Italian.”
In 2011 he won the championship with Allegri.
“We had a team of champions: Pato, Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva. The secret of that championship was the group. Allegri managed to exalt a locker room full of great players and dictate a winning line, perhaps the one that has been missing this season.”
What are your thoughts on Milan’s failure this year?
“I don’t experience the locker room, I can’t know. I think it’s essential for a coach to find the right words to get a team ready to throw themselves into the fire for him onto the field. And he must have a club behind him that shares a clear project with everyone. This has failed.”
What do you advise Milan to restart?
“A strong ownership, like in large companies: right people, competent and capable of coordinating their work. I’m a big Rossoneri fan: I would have liked to qualify for the Champions League and the Scudetto, but now we’re starting again. And I’ll add one thing.”
“The AC Milan fan first of all wants to see love for the club. We need to rediscover serenity and harmony in society, but also honesty and passion. We need a clear line and sincere communication. It’s not easy, but we have to try.”
Let’s go back to the Arsenal years, the team that launched her into great football.
“I arrived in London at 19. I didn’t even speak English, so at the beginning I struggled to fit in. Arsenal was a big family for me. I bonded a lot with Wenger, he revolutionized English football on a technical and tactical level. I was in London to celebrate the Premier League, a feat. And now I’m also hoping for the Champions League, I’ll be in Budapest.”
The strongest teammate you played with?
“Ronaldinho. A gift from God.”
His friend Fabregas also achieved a feat.
“I’m proud of Cesc, he made the history of Como. Usually someone who has been a great champion as a footballer then struggles as a coach, but he is an exception. Como is a beautiful story, based on clear ideas and projects. PSG also won the Champions League after focusing on young people and making strong choices. Como doesn’t need prima donnas: Cesc is very aligned with the owners and the sporting area. I wish him the best.”
Is France favorite for the World Cup?
“It will certainly be one of the candidates. It has a strong and experienced group, led by a coach who has already won in 2018. It annoys me not to see Italy, a country that lives on football. I saw the match against Bosnia, it was a tragedy for all of us. What a shame not to play the World Cup. Italian football must be re-founded, we need the right people in the right roles, like in the big companies. Now we have a few years to rebuild: the people are there.”
Passion is the word that best represents it. Is Saudi Arabia ruining football from this point of view?
“The world is evolving. In Saudi Arabia they are investing a lot in football, also in view of the 2034 World Cup which they will host. They are 40 million, I understand them: they have important resources and want to build a competitive championship. I see it as an opportunity, not as something negative. It is a movement that brings more investments into football and also offers new possibilities to footballers who perhaps no longer find space in Europe or are at the end of their careers and are looking for a ‘last dance’.
We close with three words that describe it.
“Passionate: I don’t do anything if I don’t really like it. Competitive: I love to win, the challenge is my ‘drug’, what wakes me up every day and pushes me to always set a goal. Energetic: I never stop, I sleep little and always work.”
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