Former midfielder and captain of Olympique Lyonnais, Maxime Gonalons, without a club since his departure from Clermont this summer, announced that he was ending his career at the age of 35. “To all of you, to my teammates, to the coaches, to the staff and to all the supporters, thank you for this unforgettable journey,” the former international midfielder (8 caps) wrote on Tuesday October 16 on his Instagram account. “Today, I close this chapter with the feeling of having given everything. Football will always remain a part of me and even if I leave the field, I will forever remain a lover of this sport,” he added. A native of Vénissieux (Rhône), Gonalons particularly expressed a strong feeling for OL, with whom he experienced his greatest hours at the club, from 2009 to 2017, after passing through their training center. “I will never forget these years spent defending your colors, you will forever remain in my heart,” he wrote, before also mentioning his matches in the Blues jersey, “a child’s dream” , between 2011 and 2015. Maxime Gonalons played more than 300 matches with OL, participating in several European campaigns, including a Champions League semi-final in 2010 against Bayern Munich.
