Sporting's Jeremy Mathieu: They say that I smoke? And what?

Jeremy Mathieu will take on Barcelona on Wednesday in a Sporting shirt. For the French defender it's a "special" game, as he explained in a pre-game press conference. Not because he's facing a dressing room he's friends with, but because of his spell with Barça. In fact, in an interview with Marca, he said "friend is a big word" to define his relationship with his former team-mates. 

And that's how it is. Mathieu didn't leave behind any friends at Camp Nou, where he was always seen as someone who didn't intergrate into the squad dynamic. The players he trained with daily at the Ciutat Esportiva never mixed with the defender and there was no relationship beyond the necessary. His character was introverted and he was reserved. He was always seen as "a guy who got on with his own business", according to the dressing room. 

That doesn't mean he didn't have a social life. He had one, although he didn't have a relationship with his Barça team-mates, but with another group of friends. Mathieu went to what for him was a job, took on his responsibilities and, after leaving the training ground, disconnected. Absolutely nothing to recriminate him for as everyone is as they are, although members of the team tried to find ways to connect with him.  

For example, when there were the controversial photographs of him smoking. Asked about it, and if it was a problem, Mathieu showed his personality. "They say that I smoke? Yes. And what?" he responded. The Frenchman did not care what was said about him, not on or off the football pitch. He was different to the majority of his team-mates, who usually do care about what's published about them. Mathieu was always a 'stranger' at Camp Nou. A stranger, but a genius and a character.