Former Chelsea academy goalkeeper Nikola Tie joined the ranks of the French army after finishing his football career at the age of 24.
Nikola TieAt the age of 13, the graduate of the Poitiers youth football school joined the Chelsea academy. Despite playing at U18 and U23 levels, Nikola never managed to debut for the first team of the “Blues”. In 2022, the goalkeeper moved to the Portuguese side Gimarães. However, he was unable to establish himself at the senior level with any of the clubs, which prompted him to end his professional career.
At 24, Tie hung up his gloves to join the army. On April 1, 2025, he joined the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment, an armored cavalry unit of the French army.
“I lost my taste for football. I have always liked a military career, so I said to myself: ‘Why not join the army?’ My stepfather is a paratrooper in Côte d’Ivoire; I used to visit him at the barracks, watching... It inspired me.
I passed several tests, I now have a routine that I requested. I am ready, I train every day. If OPEX (in French military jargon means foreign operation, - ed.) is deployed in Ukraine, I am in. It doesn’t scare me,” Tie said in an interview with Ouest-France.
