To win the Champions League you need to be tough, resilient and willing to go the extra mile at a moment's notice - skills Florent Malouda is now sharing in the army.
Ex-Chelsea ace Malouda, who was part of the Blues' remarkable 2012 European triumph, is putting his experiences to good use after joining the military in French Guiana, a French overseas territory on the northern coast of South America.
Malouda was born in its largest city, Cayenne, before moving to Paris when his football career took off aged 15. The now 44-year-old has always kept in touch with his roots and even played a handful of games for the French Guiana national team in 2017.
But now he's giving back in an even bigger way: by serving in the region's citizens' reserve. "The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment welcomes Florent Malouda as an officer in its citizens' reserve," they announced on their various social networks last week.
"After an exceptional career in international football, he is keen to share and pass on the values of commitment to young Guyanese alongside the legionnaires of the 3rd REI."
On Instagram, Malouda uploaded a series of photos of himself on duty in the Amazon rainforest. "While passing through the Amazon in my home territory, I was able to follow an initiation during the CEFE Authorities course of the 3rd REI at the Equatorial Forest Training Center," he wrote.
"Thank you to @3e_rei for this moment of cohesion and for these values of team spirit in the face of adversity. These are essential values in high-level sport."
In order to serve in the regiment - based in Kourou, a short drive up the coast from Cayenne - Malouda has moved back to his homeland. According to a presentation by the French Government, the civic reserve is "a system that enables civilians (often recognised in their fields) to make a voluntary contribution to promoting the values and missions of the military institution, without being military personnel themselves".
Malouda spent six trophy-laden seasons on the books at Stamford Bridge. He joined from Ligue 1 giants Lyon in 2007, and went on to make 229 appearances for the London club, scoring 45 goals. He won the Premier League, the Champions League, and three FA Cup titles, before leaving for Turkish outfit Trabzonspor in 2013.
The winger was a second half substitute in Chelsea's Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in 2012, which turned out to be his final game for the club. He later played in India, Egypt and Luxembourg, as well as back in France, before hanging up his boots in 2018.
Malouda also earned 80 caps for France, and featured in the 2006 World Cup final, but was eligible to play for French Guiana as they aren't a FIFA-associated team. This is because the territory is classed as a region of France, rather than an independent nation.
Malouda made his debut for French Guiana in a friendly against Barbados, and went on to play three more times for the team. He was, however, ineligible to feature for them in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament due to being cap-tied to France.