Marinette Pichon

Marinette Pichon: UNMATCHED panelist  

Sporting Director of the Montreal Roses and French soccer legend  

Marinette was a French international footballer for 14 years, a striker by trade. 

She began playing soccer at a very young age with A.S. Brienne, before joining Saint-Memmie Olympique at 16. In 2002, she had the honour of being the first French professional player to play in the United States, with the Philadelphia Charge, where she was voted the WUSA's best player in 2003. Back in France, she played with Juvisy, winning the French championship in 2006, the French Challenge in 2005, and was D1 top scorer on four occasions. 

With 81 goals in 112 caps, she was the top scorer in the history of the French national team for a long time. In 2018, she was awarded the Out d'or de la personnalité sportive for her commitment and coming out. After retiring in 2007, she became a TV consultant, then a coach in Quebec. 

In June 2024, she took on the position of Sporting Director with the Montreal Roses, an ambitious new franchise in the Northern Super League, a women's professional league based in Canada. This role marks a new milestone in her career, enabling her to draw on all her experience as a player, coach and manager to build a solid, inclusive and successful sporting project. Her aim is to develop a competitive club, structure a team around strong human values, and actively contribute to the growth of North American women's soccer. It's also a way for her to continue changing the way women are viewed in high-level sport.