Viviane Asseyi and Alphonse Areola cross paths for only the second time since joining West Ham United as they discuss their childhood friendship, their time at the Club and influential women on International Women’s Day.
Viviane Asseyi was not the only France international to join West Ham United on a permanent transfer in the summer of 2022.
Alphonse Areola, who had spent the 2021/22 season on loan in east London, decided to make his move permanent from Paris Saint-Germain, where he had spent almost 16 years, including his much of his youth career.
Whilst Areola spent six of those 16 years out on loan at five other clubs, there was one loan in his formative years that would see him cross paths with Asseyi.
INF Clairefontaine (Institut national du football de Clairefontaine) is regarded as the place to learn your craft in France and both Areola and Asseyi are amongst some of the Academies most successful graduates.
The duo join likes of Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Blaise Matuidi and Kylian Mbappé to have spent time at the national football centre and graduated into the professional footballing world.
Now, a few years later, Asseyi and Areola both find themselves in east London, playing for West Ham, and sharing their memories of Clairefontaine in an interview with Sky Sports earlier this week.
How long had it been since you have seen one another?
VA: It had been a very long time since we had seen one another, almost 14 years.
AA: The first time we saw one another was at a men’s game, the first game of the season against Manchester City.
Obviously, when she signed here, I was very excited and it was very surprising, because it’s not something that you ever expect to be able to do – to say that you’re playing for the same Club again.
What your first memories of coming across one another at Clairefontaine?
AA: We were both at the school of football, we had the boys one side, and then the women were just opposite, so every day the two sets of squads were seeing eachother, interacting with one another at school, and we made good friends.
We really enjoyed the moments that we had there because we were young, playing football, and that, along with our studies, was our only responsibility.
VA: I enjoyed the time that I had there, the same as Alphonse – when you are young you just have fun and enjoy where you are in that moment. The girls and the boys were able to spend a lot of time together because we were in the same area. We were all there for one reason – football - and that meant that we all got along really well.
AA: We were in the same classrooms together at school as well, so we all become a good group of friends.
Are there any stories you want to share from that time because it sounds as though you all had a lot of fun?
AA: I was always the one that was sitting in front of the teacher listening to every word. I was quite focused.
VA: He was very intelligent at school from what I can remember, and he didn’t say anything in the classes. I used to speak a lot, completely the opposite to Alphonse.
On a serious note though, I learnt a lot of great things there and it was one of the best times in my football career.
Women’s football has progressed so much in recent years, but it sounds as though Clairefontaine was ahead of its time in what it was offering to women’s players?
VA: To be honest, when I was there I thought women’s football was on the same scale as men’s football, you are in your own world there and the two at Clairefontaine were treated equally.
In that moment, I wasn’t really thinking all that much about it because I was just concentrating on my studies and my football.
Were there any women growing up that have inspired you over the years from a sporting perspective?
VA: There are a lot, but I would say Serena Williams. I like her a lot, I watched a little bit about her story, her life wasn’t easy, but she kept going. She wanted to show people that she’s a woman and that she could be successful because she’s strong and powerful.
AA: I would have to agree with Vivi from a sporting perspective, but personally I would have to say my Mum. She has always believed in me, my wife and my three girls too! The girls at home certainly keep me busy when I’m not at the training ground.
