Thank you for the Magic!
Mickaël Pagis invited the press to La Piverdière this afternoon, to officially announce his retirement from football, aged 37. Brought to Rennes by Pierre Dréossi in 2007, the striker from Angers managed to make himself a special place in the supporters’ hearts with his incredible technical skills and a few moments of magic.
Converted to Beach Soccer with Éric Cantona’s French national team this summer, Mickaël Pagis ended a blank 2009-2010 season in the sun. But his best moments in Rennes, under Guy Lacombe’s management, will remain in the Rennes fans collective memory, with some incredible skills, or his fantastic hat-trick against Lyon in October 2008.
Short of physical condition and not included into Frédéric Antonetti’s tactics, Pagis was left on the sidelines as soon as the Corsican manager took charge at the Stade Rennais. However, the coach did not forget to pay tribute to the player and his unusual career, bringing him in as a substitute in the club’s final home game of the season, for a final farewell to Ligue 1 and to his fans.
On the Stade Rennais’ official website, Pierre Dréossi pays tribute to the striker : «When I brought Mickaël to the club, there was quite a lot of scepticism. Today, I have only one regret, it is not to have signed him earlier. In the club, he managed a perfect integration on all levels. He is a rare player, beautiful and efficient. He can see what will happen before anyone else. These players are rare, I don’t think there will be many more. »
Closing his professional footballer career with the end of his contract in Rennes, Mickaël Pagis could join the “Rouge et Noir”’s coaching staff soon. This is an option discussed since a couple of months on the Vilaine banks. Answer this afternoon.
During his professional career, Pagis played 348 games and scored 98 goals:
Discover Michael Pagis’ profile, his career and his statistics with the Stade Rennais