I sommar möts 24 länder i fotbolls EM i Frankrike, alla med samma mål – att bli krönta till Europas bästa fotbollslag.
Vem som tar hem segern beror förstås på lagets förmåga att samarbeta men också på hur väl de individuella spelarna från varje nation kan briljera.
För dessa fyra spelare som representerar fyra olika nationer ligger ansvaret tungt, Belgiens Eden Hazard, Spaniens Gerad Piqué, Frankrikes Blaise Matuidi och Englands Daniel Sturridge, de kommer från olika länder men de drivs alla av samma passion till sporten. De lever fotboll.
”Fotboll är mitt liv idag och har varit det sedan jag var fem år gammal”, säger Matuidi. ”Det är så det alltid har varit, en boll mellan mina fötter. Jag skulle säga att det är mer än en passion. Jag är stolt över att vara en professionell fotbollsspelare. Det är inte jobbet som inspirerar mig – det är känslan jag får av att spela fotboll.”
För första gången innehåller kollektionen fyra skomodeller som speglar Nikes fyra fotbollsmodeller: Mercurial, Magista, Hypervenom och Tiempo.
Läs även intervju men Eden Hazard längre ner.
If you needed to take a penalty kick to win a match, which family member would you have take the penalty?
My mum, for sure. She feels no pressure. She can take penalty, no problem.
When you have a free day in London, what do you do? How do you spend your time?
When I am free there, I spend time at home with my family. I enjoy the day off with my kids. I like to go to park or take the kids to the swimming pool. It’s always good to spend time with your kids.
What is your biggest passion off the pitch, outside of football?
I have many passions. My first is my family. I also like watching the NBA.
What are you looking forward to most about the major tournament in France in 2016?
We have a good team with Belgium. We don’t know how far we will go, but we will enjoy the competition and try to be the best team in Europe.
When you retire from football, what would you like your legacy to be?
When I stop playing football, I just want to be remembered as a good guy. This is what’s most important.
Do you feel a different sense of pride when you put on the Belgian kit? When you are playing for your country, how do you feel?
For me, it’s the same. When I play one game, it doesn’t matter if it’s for my country or for my club, or even when I’m in the garden with my kids. I just want to play. I just want to enjoy it. This is why I play football.
“Without risk there is no victory.” What does that saying mean to you?
If you want to win a match, if you want to win trophies, sometimes you have to take risks, even when it’s difficult. You have to try something if you want to win.
Nike FC members don’t just play football, they also live football. Is that the case for you? How is football still your obsession even when you’re not on the pitch?
I play football, I eat football, I sleep football. All of my life is about football. And I’m so happy that it is.
How do sneakers fit into your everyday wardrobe?
I like to wear different sneakers. I don’t care about the color. I just want to wear good, beautiful sneakers.
You wear Mercurial on the pitch and you now have the Mercurials to wear off the pitch. Do you like having a lifestyle shoe that connects to what you’re wearing when you perform?
It’s good because I wear the Mercurial in football and now I can wear this type of shoe off the pitch. It’s good to have that consistency.
You were born into a footballing family, with both your mother and father playing competitively. How did your parents help shape the type of player you are today?
They have always been behind me, ever since I started football at four years old. We talk a lot together after the game, or even before the game.
Your three brothers are also footballers. Did playing with them when you were growing up help make you a better player?
I don’t know if I’m a better player, but I learned a lot with them in the garden. I’m sure that they learned a lot from me in the garden, as well. It’s always good to have a brother to play football with in your life.
