From the lawn of the Parc des Princes to the glass walls of GPadel Strasbourg, Kevin Gameiro has changed surfaces. The former French international, who played for Strasbourg, Paris, Seville or, Valencia, has today converted to a completely different racket sport: padel. On the occasion of the arrival of the Curva Tour with Tecnifibre In his brand new center, he agreed to return to his new adventure.

A new playground in Strasbourg

« You have to keep in shape ", smiles Gameiro, sitting at the edge of a blue slope, snowshoe in hand. I gave up football a bit to play padel, a sport I had discovered in Spain but in which I had never really invested myself. There, with the opportunity to build a beautiful center with five courts in Strasbourg, I threw myself into it completely. ».

This center, named GPadel (like Gameiro Padel), is a logical continuation of his other projects: a 5-a-side football area and a business club that he developed in the same area. It was a natural progression. I had the space, an established business, and above all, a desire to introduce padel to Strasbourg. ».

A passion born in Spain

It was in Spain, where he played for several seasons, that Kevin Gameiro discovered padel: “ I played once in Seville, with Unai Emery. It was to unwind, we put down the footballs to hit a few paddle balls. It was still cinder block walls at the time, nothing like the current facilities. ».

But it wasn't until he returned to France that things really clicked. Today, padel is more than just a hobby for the former striker: " It's truly addictive. As soon as you start playing, you want to come back. And it goes well with football: explosiveness, coordination, communication... »

“Offensive on the field, offensive on the track”

On the green rectangle, Gameiro stood out for his speed and his sense of goal. On the padel court, nothing has changed: " I'm very offensive. I try to play on the left, to finish points, like I did on a football pitch. "He already takes part in a few amateur tournaments: " P25, P100… I also tried the P250, but we'll take it slow. I'm mostly enjoying it. ».

Padel and football: a recognized complementarity

With humor, Gameiro evokes the explosion of padel among former football players. Zidane, Zlatan, Wiltord… Everyone is getting involved " A trend that does not surprise him: " Padel is a great way to unwind while still staying physically active. It works your upper body, legs, and communication with your partner. ».

Although he says he does not want to become a football coach, he does not rule out expanding into padel: " Why not a G franchise?Padel One day? For now, we've only just opened, but we're very happy. And if the opportunity arises to develop the concept in other cities, we'll think about it. ».

A reconversion rooted in its region

If he has played in the biggest European clubs, it is indeed in Strasbourg, his training ground, that Kevin Gameiro decided to put down his suitcases for this new adventure. My wife is from Strasbourg, I trained here, I finished my career here. It was natural to come back. ».

Football remains in his DNA, but today, it is padel that drives him every day.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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