Samuel Umtiti: A Career in Pictures

Having called time on his career last week, we take a moment to honor former French international and Olympique Lyonnais academy product Samuel Umtiti. Here's a look back at his career in pictures.

1. childhood in Lyon

Born in Cameroon, Umtiti and his family moved from the capital of Yaoundé to the Lyon area when the defender was just two years old. After a spell with local club Menival, he joined Olympique Lyonnais in 2002, aged eight, where he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a regular for his new country's youth sides as well.

2. Beginnings at OL

A precocious talent capable of playing at left back and centrally, Umtiti was just 18 when he made his first team debut in the Coupe de France in 2012. While he played sparingly as the team won the Coupe de France that season, the following saw him make more than thirty appearances across all competitions, cementing him as a player to watch, especially with a wonder goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League:

The only way to mark Umtiti's birthday 😎

🇫🇷 Happy birthday, @samumtiti! 🎈 #UEL pic.twitter.com/dIFVkuqF7X

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) November 14, 2021

3. national team debut

While Lyon struggled through the middle part of the decade, as injuries and player sales saw their standing slip, Umtiti himself continued to impress, and was also part of the France U-20 team that won the 2013 World Cup, featuring alongside the likes of Paul Pogba, Florian Thauvin and more. His debut for the senior team wasn't long in coming, either, as -- despite being uncapped -- he was called up for the 2016 European Championships by Didier Deschamps, A replacement for the suspended Adil Rami in the quarterfinals, his sterling play there and in the semifinals helped Les Bleus reach the final as he earned plenty of plaudits.

4. move to barcelona

The same summer as his ascent to the starting eleven for his country, Umtiti also made a move abroad as he joined FC Barcelona. Quickly establishing himself as first choice alongside Gerard Piqué, he won two league titles and three domestic cups, but injuries meant that he averaged less than thirty matches per year in his five seasons with the Blaugrana.

5. world cup title

While Umtiti had impressed in helping France reach the final of Euro 2016, his brightest moment for his country was yet to come. An ever-present in the World Cup in Russia, he turned in several solid displays, and even scored the only goal of the semifinal against Belgium as Les Bleus' young side impressed from front to back.

6. return to ligue 1 with losc

Having performed decently on loan from the Spanish giants at Lecce in Serie A, Umtiti was given the freedom to return to Ligue 1 after his contract was dissolved, and he chose to join LOSC Lille. Unfortunately, the injuries which had plagued him in Spain remained bothersome, and he was only able to feature for Les Dogues a handful of times before announcing his retirement.

7. ceremony with lyon

Having announced his retirement in the week, last Friday saw Umtiti come back to Lyon, where he was honored with a pre-match ceremony before the team faced Angers.

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