‘It was a little sweet’: PSG mourn their orthopedist Gilles Vatelia

When she saw a PSG tweet referring to the disappearance of her father Gilles Vatelia, the club’s former orthopedist from 1978 to 2007, Marion couldn’t contain her emotions. “It doesn’t seem like much, but we absolutely didn’t expect it and we were happy for him because he gave so much to this club,” says the young woman, Paralympic Committee communications director and French athlete. This may be a sign that he left an imprint at some point. »

Marion Vatel does not believe so. The death of his father at the age of 68 on December 30, whose funeral will take place this Wednesday at 2:30 pm, in the church of Villein-sur-Seine (Yvelines), has revived emotional memories for everyone who has crossed paths for almost thirty years. “It hurts a lot,” Luis Fernandez exhales. Today I’m sad to see him go, that’s all. »

“Everything followed this club. Even his children sometimes…

Marion Vatel adds: “My dad quickly lost his parents, his brothers, and it’s true that he found a second family at PSG in the 1990s and early 2000s. These were people he loved very much. or players. I remember that my younger brother and I went to training with him and were with the children of the players. It was a real family and he was very attached to PSG. Everything went for this club. Even we sometimes… But hey, he did it with passion. He was able to make a modest contribution to the game of players in the shadows, and this was the greatest reward for him. Not drawing laurels. And always in search of the welfare of the other. »

In social networks, Jerome Rothen was called a “passionate person.” Former president Michel Deniso singled out an individual who had “significantly and inconspicuously contributed to the success of the club”. Luis Fernandez emphasizes: “Everyone loved him. He always did good for everyone. If you know anyone who didn’t appreciate this man… All the people who knew him told me: How effective it is! Besides, he didn’t play it. This discretion was indeed something to emphasize. He remained very modest, simple. »

At the mere mention of Gilles Vatelia’s death, the former players are touched. Thus Édouard Cisse immediately thinks of “someone charming, charming, who very quickly made me feel at home in the Camp de Loges from the height of my 19 years.” The Prime Video consultant will never forget “his tennis jokes and the best advice he ever gave: Your feet are your working tool, pamper them! »

This very special relationship owes much to the profession of Gilles Vatelia, as well as to his personality. “He was kind of a confidant,” says former defender Jimmy Algerino, now a consultant for Europe 1. It is true that Francis Lepage, Eric Rolland, Joel Le Hier or Dede Lansad were on the team. But Gilles, it was something special because we put our feet in his hands. It was a little cute because of that. When there were small problems, he always managed to come up with something to cure us. And then he was so kind. Always in a good mood. It may sound trite, but he was charming. It was Gilles. »

On the phone, Marion Vatel continues: “My father is my hero. We are very proud of him because he was passionate and enjoyed interacting with athletes as well as regular patients. He was a perfectionist, but, of course, very modest and kind. He was a man in the shadows, he liked to define himself that way. »

The mayor of Poissy, as well as the president of the Club Variete de France, where he met Gilles Vatel every weekend, Carl Olive recalls: “Gilles, it was kindness and benevolence at the service of his professionalism. The greatest athletes have passed through its soles! From football to tennis and athletics. He worked a lot with Federer, with whom he had a real connection. But nobody knew. As I often say: he was a real man, Gilles Vatel, one who put his actions before his words. We are losing an adventurer, I am losing a brother. »