Lucie Esnault and Manon Bruno: “All out for the team!”

The first, Lucie Esnault, is a goalkeeper preparing for a professional career, while the second, Manon Bruno, is a midfielder. Both are passionate about soccer and appreciate the "very friendly atmosphere" of this university team. "During this competition, we had a lot of fun outside of the matches, but on the field we were all fully focused," says Lucie. It's a formula that works, as the Montpellier team, led by coaches Frédéric Dumazert and Laurent Mortel, won the French university championship and finished^fourth in the European championship this summer in Madrid.

"I loved soccer right away."

For Manon, 24, her love of soccer began around the age of 12. "I was always playing in the street with my friends, so I asked my mother to sign me up for a club and she said yes.  Montpellier Hérault, ASPTT Montpellier, two years in Nîmes where she traveled back and forth by train after school and on weekends, then back to ASPTT—for Manon, things are clear : "I love everything about soccer. I couldn't do anything else." " She has pursued this passion in her studies, as Manon has just completed her bachelor's degree in sports coaching atthe UFR STAPS in Montpellier.

Lucie, 19, from Charentes Maritimes, has been playing goalkeeper since she was six years old. "We used to go and watch my father play every weekend. I loved the ball right away!" A player with MHSC in the first division and division of honor for a year now, she enjoys the status of a high-level player, which allows her to train for three hours a day without her studies in sports science suffering too much. "It means you don't get penalized for missing classes, but you have to find the time to catch up, and that's not always easy, " she admits.

"So many emotions on the field"

Both athletes display unwavering determination, emphasizing the values of "self-sacrifice and dedication" that are essential in sport, but also and above all "team spirit and the desire to give your all, because our team becomes a bit like our family. We experience so many emotions on the field," says Manon Bruno.

Both women recall, with a certain amusement, the comments they sometimes had to put up with. "Throughout my childhood, I was told I was a tomboy because I played soccer, but frankly, I didn't care," recalls Lucie Esnault. So when the World Cup finally put the spotlight on the women's version of this beloved sport, they didn't miss a beat: "It's great to see the public taking an interest, and I'm sure it will be a real springboard for all girls who want to play soccer," hopes Manon.

A lover of travel, she also sees soccer as a great way to "open your mind and meet people from all over the world. In Madrid this summer, I made friends with Russian and German girls." It's an experience she would like to continue in her professional life, for example by becoming a coach abroad. Lucie shares this wish, even though she states loud and clear: "What I want is to be a professional soccer player!"

UM athletes at the top of their game!

The University of Montpellier celebrates its medal-winning athletes at the World, European, and French University Championships during an annual ceremony organized by SUAPS. Read the profiles of these champions who juggle the demanding dual life of student and athlete. Read all the profiles...