The Frenchman is now on the board of the top Russian club. And he also has a Russian wife and a passport: how is this possible?

On the eve of the postponed 21st round of the RPL, Zenit shared unexpected news. The club announced the appointment of half-forgotten French midfielder Damien le Tallec to the position of advisor to the chairman of the board of Zenit. The former RPL legionnaire will now establish Zenit’s connections with Europe and the rest of the world.

“The specialist will focus on developing partnerships with football clubs and organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as on breeding activities in these regions,” the statement says.

In case you forgot, 34-year-old Le Tallec played for Mordovia in 2014 and 2015, then traveled around Europe – he stayed at Crvena Zvezda, Montpellier and AEK – and returned to Russia in 2022. Having signed a contract with Torpedo, in which, by the way, he stayed for only a year.

But this, of course, is not the most interesting thing. The Frenchman is also married to a Russian beauty, and he has a Russian passport.

However, first things first – below is the most interesting and important thing about the new adviser to the chairman of the board of Zenit.

How Le Tallec’s career ended

Le Tallec returned to Russia and signed a contract with Torpedo in the fall of 2022, when the foreign players, on the contrary, were trying with all their might to escape the country. “I have everything here: family, children, life. Why should I leave?! I always thought about returning. Political situation? I didn’t bother you, I’m outside of politics. I want to play football and be with my family,” the Frenchman said in a conversation with Sport24 correspondent Denis Nikolaev.

In October, he stated that he was going to change the situation at Torpedo and help the club stay in the RPL. However, already in January he unexpectedly left the club, leaving it in last place: Torpedo terminated the contract with Damien by mutual consent. In 11 matches for the Moscow club, he scored only one assist.

Afterwards, Le Tallec tried his hand at Sochaux from Ligue 2 and even at the Vietnamese Hanoi. However, he was unable to shine anywhere. Therefore, at the end of 2023 – beginning of 2024, he ended his career at the age of 33.

Le Tallec is married to a Russian beauty: who is she?

During his first stay in Russia, the Frenchman did not waste time. Not only did he shine in “Mordovia,” but he also managed to meet a local beauty, “Miss Mordovia 2008” Kristina Shindyasova, and eventually married the girl.

Since then, Christina has faithfully accompanied her husband on his football path – she moved with him to Serbia, then to France and Greece. And during Damien’s performance for Red Star – in 2017 – she gave birth to his son Aaron.

“My husband speaks three languages: Russian, French and English. My son understands all languages, but mostly speaks Russian; after all, he went to kindergarten in Moscow. At the same time, he communicates with dad exclusively in French,” Christina said in an interview with Sport24.

Now the boy is already 7 years old. He plays football and, apparently, dreams of following in his father’s footsteps.

Why Frenchman Damien Le Tallec received Russian citizenship

Le Tallec became a citizen of the Russian Federation at the end of 2019. On what basis he received the passport was not reported. But it seems that this became possible thanks to his marriage to a Russian woman.

Then conversations began that the Frenchman could play for the Russian national team.

However, he never played for the national team, because he played for the youth teams of France. And, as it later became clear, he needed a passport for a completely different reason.

“The main reason is family. For example, to fly to Russia, I need a visa. When it ends, you need to extend it: fill out documents, go to Paris, wait. Since I fly to Moscow whenever possible (during a break for national team matches, on weekends and holidays), visa problems take a lot of time and effort. My son has dual citizenship: he has a Russian and a French passport. And no problems! That’s what I wanted too. Not to mention that after finishing my career I am going to live in Moscow. Therefore, a passport was necessary,” Le Tallec said in an interview with Sport24.

The footballer admitted that at home his decision was reacted positively. Friends congratulated me on my new passport, and the media spoke about it in a rather positive way.

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More interesting things about Le Tallec:

• Damien took a course in sports management in 2020. He spoke about his desire to try himself in football in a new role even before the end of his career.
• Le Tallec doesn’t approve of Fan ID: “Made it, but haven’t used it yet. How do I feel? To be honest, I don’t understand this. There is no such thing in Europe,” said the footballer in 2022.
• Le Tallec left Hoverla and left Ukraine in 2014 due to the military conflict in the east of the country.
• Le Tallec’s cousin is Florent Sinama-Pongol. He won the Champions League with Liverpool and played for Rostov.
• The former football player loves the Russian bathhouse.