Lucie Esnault and Manon Bruno: “We’re all giving it our all for the team!”

The first, Lucie Esnault, is a goalkeeper aiming for a professional career; the second, Manon Bruno, is a midfielder. Both are truly passionate about soccer and appreciate the “very friendly atmosphere” of this university team. “During this competition, we had a lot of fun off the field, but on the field we were all giving it our all,” 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 at the European Championship this summer in Madrid.

“I loved soccer right away”

For Manon, 24, her love for soccer began around the age of 12. “I used to play all the time in the street with my friends, so I asked my mom to sign me up for a club, and she said yes. ” Montpellier Hérault, ASPTT Montpellier, two years in Nîmes where she made the train commute back and forth 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. ” A passion she’s applied to her studies, as Manon has just completed her bachelor’s degree in sports coaching atthe UFR STAPS in Montpellier.

As for Lucie, a 19-year-old from Charentes-Maritimes, she’s been in goal since she was six. “We used to go watch my dad play every weekend. I fell in love with the sport right away!” A player for MHSC in the first division and Division d’Honneur for the past year, she benefits from elite athlete status, which allows her to complete her three hours of daily training without her sports science studies suffering too much. “It keeps me from getting penalized when I miss class, but I 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”— which are essential in sports—but also, and above all , “team spirit and the desire to give it our all, because our team becomes a bit like family. We experience so many emotions on the field,” says Manon Bruno.

Both recall, with a touch of amusement, the comments they sometimes had to put up with. “All through my childhood, people told me I was a tomboy because I played soccer, but honestly, 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 feels good to see the public taking an interest, and I’m certain this will be a real springboard for all the girls who want to play soccer,” hopes Manon.

An avid traveler, she also sees soccer as a great way “to broaden one’s horizons and meet people from all over the world. “In Madrid this summer, I made friends with girls from Russia and Germany.” It’s an experience she’d like to carry over into her professional life, perhaps by becoming a coach abroad . It’s a wish Lucie shares as well , even though she states it loud and clear: “What I want is to be a professional soccer player!”

UM athletes are at the top of their game!

The University of Montpellier honors its student-athletes who have won medals 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 being both a student and an athlete. Read all the profiles…