Former Ivory Coast international Serge Aurier is set to make a remarkable return to playing football after agreeing to join French seventh-tier side Montigny-en-Johil.
The 33-year-old defender is moving from the elite stages of European and international football to a level far removed from the surroundings he experienced during a career that included major domestic trophies, Champions League football and two Africa Cup of Nations titles.
Aurier had appeared to be preparing for life away from competitive football after his most recent playing spell with Iranian club Persepolis.
He had recently taken his first steps into coaching, joining Lens’ under-15 team as an assistant coach. The appointment appeared to signal that the former right-back was ready to end his playing career.
Instead, Aurier has opted for another change of direction.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the Ivorian has accepted an offer from Montigny-en-Johil and is expected to strengthen the club during the current campaign. Administrative procedures are still being completed before he can officially receive his playing licence, with the necessary documentation from the Iranian Football Federation yet to arrive.
His arrival could hardly come at a more challenging moment for his new team.
Montigny-en-Johil have endured a difficult start to their seventh-division campaign, suffering a heavy 10-0 defeat against Biach-San-Fast in their opening match.
Aurier will therefore be expected to bring experience and leadership to a side attempting to recover from that damaging start.
A career at the top
The move marks a striking contrast with the level at which Aurier spent most of his career.
He established himself as one of the most recognisable defenders in African football and played a significant role in Ivory Coast’s success at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Aurier won the tournament with Ivory Coast in 2015 and was part of the squad that lifted the trophy again in 2023.
His club career began at the Lens academy in France before he progressed through Toulouse and eventually earned a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
It was in the French capital that Aurier enjoyed one of the most successful periods of his career.
With PSG, he won two French league titles, three French Cups, three League Cups and three French Super Cups.
A move to England followed, with Aurier joining Tottenham Hotspur. He played an important part in the club’s run to the 2019 Champions League final, when Tottenham reached the biggest match in European club football for the first time in their history.
His career subsequently took him to Spain with Villarreal, back to England with Nottingham Forest and then to Turkey with Galatasaray.
Persepolis represented his most recent playing destination before he briefly moved towards coaching.
Now, rather than remaining on the touchline, Aurier will once again pull on a shirt and attempt to contribute on the pitch.
A career marked by controversy
Aurier’s career has also included several controversial episodes away from football.
One of the most notable incidents came in 2016, when he had a confrontation with French police.
He also caused widespread controversy after a video emerged in which he criticised then-PSG manager Laurent Blanc and several of his team-mates.
The incident resulted in Aurier being temporarily excluded from the PSG squad and generated significant attention beyond French football.
Despite those episodes, his playing career remained decorated with trophies and major appearances at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
His move to Montigny-en-Johil now represents a very different chapter.
Rather than competing for domestic championships or appearing in European competition, Aurier will be tasked with helping a seventh-tier side improve after a disastrous opening result.
For Montigny-en-Johil, his arrival could provide a level of experience rarely available at that level of French football.
For Aurier, meanwhile, the move offers an unexpected opportunity to continue playing after he appeared to have begun a new career in coaching.
The defender’s return demonstrates just how dramatically football careers can change, with a player who once competed for major European honours now preparing for life in France’s seventh tier.
