As a Paris native, Arnaud Tattevin found himself on a path that many young French soccer players dream of taking. He began his career working up the Stade Rennais FC system before transferring to his home Paris FC. Tattevin thought he was on his way to also representing his home country after getting called up to France’s youth teams.
The direction seemed clear. In a few years, Tattevin could be competing for a spot on the French national team. He never got that call following his two stints at the international level.
It was the Central African Republic that came calling for Tattevin instead.
“I got called in U16 and U17, after I got some pre-calls,” Tattevin said. “The Central African Republic national team, one of the guys on the staff reached out to me and asked me if I was interested.”
The difference between playing for France and playing for the Central African Republic proved to be night and day. France holds one of the premiere national team systems in the world, consistently producing some of the best talent in the world and two World Cup titles. The Central African Republic national team has been fighting to make its name known in Africa since its debut in 1956.
For Tattevin, playing for the Central African Republic goes beyond winning trophies and hardware.
“They’re playing the World Cup right now ... it was more competition,” Tattevin said. “With the Central African Republic national team, that was more about proudness, about representing the country, about values.”
Tattevin and his teammates could feel that they were playing for more than just themselves. He joined Central Africa with a group of players from France. They felt as though they were ready to embark on something special for a new national team.
“I did the youth French national team. I was really proud,” Tattevin said. “With the first national team of Central Africa, I think that was a little extra feeling.”
Part of that special connection between Central Africa and Tattevin comes from his desire to support his mother’s home country. Playing for his new team allowed him to travel to the Central African Republic for the first time. While there, he learned about the strife that has been affecting the nation, pushing him to try to uplift the fans with his performance on the pitch.
“There's some tensions politically,” Tattevin said. “I've never been before, and that allowed me to visit the birth country of my mother.”
Despite sitting 139th according to FIFA, the passion from the Central African Republic supporters is still apparent, even traveling across borders to cheer on the players. That dedication and love for their national team also served as an inspiration for Tattevin and his teammates.
“They drove from Central African Republic to Cameroon on a scooter just to assist the game,” Tattevin said. “That tells you how passionate people are.”
Playing for two nations in different spheres of international soccer has also influenced how Tattevin approaches playing for a club. He played for five clubs in France before coming to the U.S. to play for UNC Greensboro and eventually The Core.
“[It’s] different times, different cultures, different people,” Tattevin said. “The best thing is to adapt to whatever environment you're in.”
The 26-year-old's career can be described by change and adapting to a new environment. With the change from France to the Central African Republic national team, Tattevin learned that change does not have to be in search of more wins or trophies. Change can be in search of something greater than himself.
