The star of the Blues, Antoine Griezmann, is at the head of a stable of ten thoroughbreds and a few trotters.
“When Antoine was young, we went to the races in Cluny (Saône-et-Loire) and I passed on my passion to him,” remembers the striker's father, Alain Griezmann.
"I love horses and he wanted to buy some," he told AFP.
The races, "it's his breath of fresh air", "an escape", he says.
With his horses - he mainly buys yearlings - “he takes off his footballer costume,” he says.
His gallopers are with trainer Philippe Decouz and his trotters with Mickaël Cormy.
His teammate Clément Lenglet, who also plays for FC Barcelona, acquired gallopers in the boxes of Francis-Henri Graffard in Chantilly (Oise).
The 25-year-old defender also “shares” his passion with his father and his friends, including Antoine Griezmann with whom “he talks about it in the locker room”.
Clément Lenglet told AFP that he "grew up watching the races on TV and going to racetracks during the holidays".
He had the click, and the desire, to become the owner of gallopers after having attended, behind the scenes, a Prix du Jockey-Club.
Today, his horses Pearl Ivory, Bois d'Argent, Onze Mai and Ambre Noire defend their colors Violet, Black and White.
He has attended training sessions before but his schedule has not yet allowed him to see them run.
"Same emotions"
Clement Lenglet
This passion gives him "the same emotions as in football".
"It's a sport and we may be well prepared, you never know how things are going to turn out," he said.
Tony Parker, the former NBA player, made his entry into the turf world last summer.
His jacket, black and white, is inspired by the San Antonio Spurs jersey, where he shone for 17 seasons.
The history of "TP" with horses also goes back to his childhood where he dreamed of managing his own stable.
In the summer of 2020, the basketball player acquires Best Win, a 4-year-old filly trained by Ludovic Gadbin.
She won in her first two outings.
“I wanted to get involved in racing because I have always been passionate about horses but I wanted to take the time to fully understand the universe,” said Tony Parker.
With Clément Tropres, ex-marketing director of the National Basketball League, he launched his Infinity Nine Horse team in mid-March to “help popularize the races”.
They built a “popular project based on racing, breeding and training to support the media coverage of races via my social networks,” commented Tony Parker.
He takes a humble look at "the jockeys who run races with such intensity on thoroughbreds" and "are extraordinary athletes", achieving "an incredible sporting performance!"
Other athletes share this passion: the Italian Massimiliano Allegri, former player and former coach of Juventus, has just taken his colors in France.
He chose Yann Barberot (Deauville) as his trainer.
The pole vaulter and Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie has just received his approvals from France Galop, his jacket, currently being registered, is based on a device around the colors big blue and pink.
Read also
Antoine Griezmann: "It was complicated, there is a little fatigue"