Pierre Gasly is a huge soccer fan and supports the French National team and PSG. The Alpine driver used to play soccer and take part in karting professionally when he was a kid. However, when he was 11, he made the decision to quit soccer and fully focus on racing.
Although Gasly managed both soccer and karting simultaneously during his younger days, things got tougher as he got older as he had to manage his school along with both sports. When the Frenchman was six or seven, he was allowed to skip a class by the school since he was doing well in sports.
⚽️ FC Versailles co-owner Pierre Gasly opens up about why he invested in French football and needing more in his life than “just Formula 1” https://t.co/dLEIgGtIbE
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) October 10, 2024
However, as he got older, it was time for Gasly to select one sport and stay committed to it. He always seemed more inclined towards karting as he ended up missing a few soccer practices when he had to choose between the two.
As a result of the same, his soccer coach wasn’t happy. Gasly has now recalled the time when his coach punished him for missing games (as per Motorsport). He said,
“I remember I came for a game on Sunday and the coach was not happy that I was focusing more on karting than on football. And he told me as a punishment he would put me on the second team. And I said: ‘F**k that, I’m not playing for the second team.’ And I just stopped on that day.”
Gasly then explained how he was good at soccer and even got selected for a small French academy. He went to Auxerre and met with a very famous manager, Guy Roux, who selected him for the academy. Despite the same, he doesn’t regret leaving soccer.
Gasly reflects on the decision to leave soccer
Gasly revealed the thoughts he had when he decided to leave soccer. The Alpine driver explained how he had to choose between two of his biggest passions. Although it was a big decision, it wasn’t that tough.
The Frenchman explained how his love for karting was always more than that for soccer. Also, since he was more competitive in racing than in soccer, he had a better scope of winning trophies while racing.
Speaking of the same, he said, “It got to a point where I could see I couldn’t do both at my best. And I wasn’t fine with that.”
While Gasly left soccer, he continues to love the sport and recently featured a PSG-themed helmet. He also made an investment in the French club FC Versailles.
