A former Arsenal star has detailed how he was able to build a huge fortune away from the sport

Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has credited his approach to leisure time during his playing career as the catalyst behind building an enormous fortune beyond football. While many teammates opted to unwind, Flamini was determined to expand his knowledge and had already achieved remarkable success in another sector before retirement.

The ex-France international signed for the Gunners as a promising midfielder from Marseille in 2004. During two stints with Arsenal, he secured three FA Cup triumphs, appeared in the 2006 Champions League final and claimed the club's player of the year award.

The 42-year-old enjoyed a career most footballers could only dream of, yet Flamini declined to rest on his laurels between training sessions and matches. He co-founded GF Biochemicals and launched the green energy company in 2013 while playing for Italian heavyweights AC Milan.

Flamini initially remained discreet about his new endeavour as he balanced serving as CEO of a firm reportedly valued at over £10billion with playing in Serie A. His passion for the environment was fostered in childhood by collecting plastic on beaches with his father, which inspired him to research the topic rather than shop or play video games during his downtime from football.

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"From a very young age, I had the opportunity to understand the negative impact humans have on the planet," Flamini told L'Express. "I wanted to pursue this second passion alongside football. Having the chance to express myself off the pitch offers an escape, a way to clear my head.

"An athlete's life revolves around training and matches, but also rest and recovery. That leaves time for naps; while some players might choose to play PlayStation or go shopping after a nap, I decided to take a different path, to learn and grow by helping to build this company."

The former Arsenal man acknowledged that leading a business specialising in large-scale levulinic acid production didn't come instinctively. Flamini remembered having little interest in chemistry or English during his school days, both of which are now central to his working life.

"I had to educate myself, be extremely curious, and surround myself with the right people," he explained. "There's a saying I like: if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."

Flamini's sporting career saw him capped by France, claim three FA Cups and win a Serie A title, though his success on the pitch would not be the conventional pathway to becoming GF Biochemicals' CEO. However, the ex-Arsenal star, who hung up his boots in 2020, maintains that his footballing background has enabled him to thrive in a completely different sector.

"An athlete is a bit like an entrepreneur or the CEO of a major company," Flamini said. "You have to know how to handle immense pressure and give your all every day.

"Then there's the team spirit. I've never seen a company succeed with just one person; it's about the group, the collective, the team spirit, you have to know how to communicate a mission and a vision so that everyone moves in the same direction."

Reflecting on his career shift, he added: "Now, I am living out my second passion and have a reason to live. I am someone who looks forward, not back. I am privileged. I was incredibly lucky to be able to make a living from a passion for so long, a childhood dream."