What happened to former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini and is he a billionaire?
FORMER Arsenal midfielder Matthieu Flamini has enjoyed great success both on and off the pitch.
Here, we look at his time with the Premier League club, as well as his business ventures.
What happened to former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini?
Matthieu Flamini is a French former footballer who played in midfield.
He is best known for his two spells at Premier League club Arsenal.
He signed for the Gunners in the summer of 2004, following their incredible undefeated season.
He made 21 league appearances in his first season, scoring once.
His first Arsenal goal came against Everton in a 7-0 win in May 2005.
This goal has the distinction of being the last ever goal scored at Highbury in Arsenal’s traditional red and white kit, as the next season the club wore burgundy to reflect the kit first worn by the club at the iconic ground.
Sadly for Flamini, he was left out of the Arsenal squad that won the 2005 FA Cup. However, he did receive a winners medal.
Flamini found himself used as a utility player for the majority of his time at Arsenal, but still chipped in with some important performances.
This included a goal in a 3-0 win against Liverpool and an opener in a draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, both during the 2006/07 season.
He received more regular game time with the club in the 2007/08 season, striking up a strong midfield partnership with Cesc Fabregas.
However an injury in April of that season ended his time at the club, with his contract expiring in June of that year. His final season saw him awarded Arsenal’s player of the season gong.
Flamini signed for AC Milan in 2008, in a transitional period for the club who had previously achieved such great success under manager Carlo Ancelotti.
He won the first league title of his career in the 2010/11 season, with Milan beating rivals Inter to the Serie A crown by six points.
He left Milan in 2013, and went to Arsenal initially to maintain fitness with a view to finding a new club.
He re-signed with them in August of that year, and played a big part in Arsenal’s success that season, as the club ended a nine year wait for a trophy by winning the 2014 FA Cup.
The wait for another trophy didn’t last long, as Arsenal followed up by winning the 2014/15 editions of the Community Shield and FA Cup.
Flamini saw his playing time decrease in the 2015/16 season, although he did score two goals at White Hart Lane against arch rivals Tottenham in the League Cup.
These would be his last goals for the club, joining Crystal Palace on a free in 2016.
Flamini only played 10 top flight games during an unssuccesful time in Selhurst, and was released at the end of the season.
He joined La Liga side Getafe afterwards, ending his career there in 2019.
Despite playing for two of Europe’s biggest clubs, Flamini only made three appearances for the French national team, the last of them coming in 2008.
What does Mathieu Flamini’s GF Biochemicals do?
Flamini co-founded GF Biochemicals in 2008 with Italian entrepreneur Pasquale Granata.
The “GF” in the name denotes the first letters of the surnames of the two men.
They were the first company in the world that were able to mass-produce Levulinic acid.
Levulinic acid Is a compound that they think could be a sustainable alternative to petrol.
The company is focused on trying to find an alternative to oil-based products.
Is Mathieu Flamini a billionaire?
It was rumoured that from the success of the company, Flamini had become a billionaire.
Some reports claimed that his net worth was around £24million.
He confirmed in 2022 that this information was false, saying that it was actually the value of the market they wanted to attack.