Former Chelsea goalkeeper Nicolas Tie has announced his retirement from football at the age of 24 to join the French army. Tie, who was part of Chelsea`s setup from 2017 to 2020, explained his decision by stating he “lost the taste for the sport.”
The goalkeeper, born in Lille, never made a first-team appearance for Chelsea but played for various academy teams, including in the Premier League 2, Uefa Youth League, and Under-18 Premier League.
After leaving Stamford Bridge in 2020 for Portuguese club Vitoria, where he also failed to break into the senior squad, the 6ft 1in stopper decided to hang up his gloves permanently.
In an interview with French newspaper Ouest France, Tie confirmed his move into the military. He stated, “I`ve had some good tests, I`ve got the regiment I asked for. I`m ready, I`m training every day for this.”
Explaining the radical career change, the former Blue admitted, “I lost my taste for football. I always liked military careers, so I said to myself: `Why not join the army?`”
He added that his stepfather, a paratrooper in Ivory Coast, served as an inspiration: “I would go to the barracks to observe… It inspired me.”
Tie expressed pride in his “little career” in football and even voiced willingness to serve in Ukraine if required. He commented, “I don’t do politics. I have committed to treating the problem at the source. If the OPEX (external operations) in Ukraine is open, let’s go! It doesn’t scare me.”
