Paris (France) (AFP) – Midfielder Benjamin Stambouli, French champion with Montpellier (2012) and Paris SG (2016), announced his retirement from sports, at the age of 36, in an interview with L'Equipe on Thursday.

Published on: 09/03/2026 - 1:51 p.m.

“I told myself that it was the time to switch to the other life,” explains the man who played 165 Ligue 1 matches and also played in England (Tottenham), Germany (Schalke 04) and Turkey (Adana Demirspor), before returning to France to Reims then to Metz, with whom he played the last two seasons (L1 and L2).

Trained in Montpellier, international Espoirs, Benjamin Stambouli is part of the "1990 generation" of the Hérault club (Rémy Cabella, Younès Belhanda...) winner of the Gambardella Cup in 2009 and who contributed three years later to the surprise title of French champion of the MHSC ahead of PSG taken over a year earlier by QSI (Qatar Investment Authority).

“It will forever remain a special moment, it’s the peak of emotion,” says the former midfielder, who also won the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue during his time at PSG (39 matches in total in 2015-2016).

Son of Henri Stambouli, who was responsible for the training center of Olympique de Marseille and Montpellier, and grandson of Gérard Banide, former coach of AS Monaco, Benjamin Stambouli also announces that he wants to launch himself into the coaching profession.

“I hope to start (taking the diplomas, editor’s note) from 2027, and until then I will do several training courses”, indicates the native of Marseille.

© 2026 AFP

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