best french defenders of all time


Quite possibly the greatest player in Premier League history, Henry had blistering pace, excellent technique and a coolness in front of goal which saw him score 226 goals in 369 games for Arsenal. He was eventually surpassed by defender Marcel Desailly in 2003 who retired at the end of UEFA Euro 2004 with 116 caps. [16][17] The 1992–93 UEFA Champions League winner was eventually equaled or outperformed by 13 different players. Tigana had such agility, grace and yet he would run miles and miles. Patrick Battison – Former Metz and Bordeaux full-back – 56 caps, 4.

I was lucky enough to play alongside Max at Nantes for a year. He won 107 caps for France, winning three international honours and captained Arsenal during their ‘Invincible’ season. The current record holder for appearances with the national team is Lilian Thuram, who made 142 total competitive appearances for the team between 1994 and 2008. He has won multiple major honours with the French giants, although he is yet to lift the Champions League, something he will be keen to do before his contract expires next summer. For perspective, James Rodriguez won the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot with 6 goals and Thomas Muller the 2010 Golden Boot with 5 goals. It’s very simple – if you wanted a show, Zidane was your man. Best known for his six year stint at Marseille, Papin also turned out for the likes of AC Milan and Bayern Munich. He was so speedy, making it tough for us defenders to intervene. Most commonly an attacking midfielder but sometimes deployed wide right, Kopa was quick and tricky.

Jean Ducret became the first French international to reach 20 caps, doing so on 29 March 1914 in a 2–0 defeat to Italy.

One of only five three-time Ballon d’Or winners, Platini played for Nancy, Saint-Etienne and Juventus. [20] Thuram broke Desailly's record at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the team's final group stage match against Togo. But he also fitted in to the attacking mindset of that side, which made him such a precious player. Some generally agreed upon greats include Cyrille Pouget, Antar Yahia and Zinedine Zidane.

We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. His control, the ability to change the tempo of a game, his eye for a pass – Zidane had it all. 26. He won 87 caps for France during his time at Marseille, Monaco and Manchester United.

The fourth and final Ballon d’Or winner in this squad, Jean-Pierre Papin has to make the cut. Now use our interactive to create your own, Sat 2 Jun 2018 11.00 BST

Now a keen surfer, Lizarazu was a prolific winner at club and international level. Raymond Kopa spent three seasons at Real Madrid, and he won the European Cup in every one of them.

Fee: £75m. [15] Bossis was passed just six years later by former international teammate Manuel Amoros, who finished his international career with 82 appearances. Sanchez is still deemed a lesser defender than Vertonghen and another ex-Ajax star, Toby Alderweireld, by Tottenham fans, but there is a feeling he could develop into one of the Premier League’s leading centre-backs after settling quickly in England. All rights reserved. The team played its first official international match on 1 May 1904 against Belgium. France and Arsenal heroes Robert Pires and Thierry Henry. Despite their inconsistency, they have had some genuinely world class players. The Frenchman bagged 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup.

Talking of Platini, here he is, stamping his authority on this squad. Nicknamed ‘the Rock’ for a reason, Marcel Desailly was an incredibly consistent and formidable defender, who also played as a defensive midfielder at times. Copyright © 2020 Catena Operations Limited.

Jean-Pierre was one of our great centre-forwards and had an uncanny ability when it came to hitting volleys and half-volleys – he scored some truly spectacular goals. Indeed, Walker is no longer totally reliant on his pace to make up for some errant positioning, something he has improved since joining City. Having developed into the Premier League’s best right-back under Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, Kyle Walker upped his game even more after gleaning a new level of tactical nuance from Pep Guardiola. Squawka has had a look at whether the fees have turned out to be a blessing or a curse…. Players are listed by number of caps, then number of goals scored. Up front, a pairing of Thierry Henry and Jean-Pierre Papin.

And he preferred to play in the middle, don’t forget. Bixente Lizarazu, he was defensively irreproachable, a bit like Thuram. The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Manchester United man won 97 caps for his country, before going on to manage them for two years. To: Manchester City Born in Guadeloupe, the 45-year-old is the most capped Frenchman of … A bit like Filippo Inzaghi, always on the look-out for a chance to strike, the fox in the box, as the English say. Carlos Alberto.

Indeed, the top contemporary centre-backs can pass the ball like midfielders, while full-backs are being deployed higher and higher up the pitch. Fans Have Ranked The Top 50 Defenders Of All Time Although he moved to midfield in the latter stages of his career, he was predominantly a defender and got most of his goals from the backline. This website uses cookies to improve your experience.

Laporte has been central to his team’s improvement in that regard. Born in Guadeloupe, the 45-year-old is the most capped Frenchman of all-time, scoring two goals from his 142 caps. To: Manchester City Moving onto the midfield, and France have a list of exceptional holding, deep-lying or enforcing midfielders which could rival any nation on Earth.

Great agility, and with his long legs he was speedy, very quick. [7] Three years after retiring from the national team, Dubly's amount was exceeded by Jules Dewaquez, who went on to finish his career with 41 appearances.

He may have been a bit mental, but Fabien Barthez was a good goalkeeper. The defender has suggested he wouldn’t have been able to play on the right of a back three for England at last summer’s World Cup had it not been for Guardiola’s influence. In Barthez’s back-line, I would have Lilian Thuram – I don’t think there’s ever been anyone better at right-back for France, both in the way he defended and his capacity to get forward, too. [13][14] Bossis surpassed Trésor during qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, while Platini went beyond the former Marseille and Bordeaux player at the tournament itself, in which France finished in third place. Most recently the manager of PSG, Blanc was a key man in both of France’s greatest international achievements. Physically superb, Vieira was a real leader and could drive any team forward. Portugal v Spain: Cristiano Ronaldo is Europe’s ‘shot machine’ but can he extend record streak. Tigana had such agility, grace and yet he would run miles and miles. But if you're wondering who are the best French footballers currently or who is the greatest French soccer player of all time, this list is for you. Fee: £57m. Plenty of French footballers, according to soccer fans. Some generally agreed upon greats include Cyrille Pouget, Antar Yahia and Zinedine Zidane. Bayern look set for a busy summer of 2019, and their transfer business has already begun after the club confirmed the arrival of Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid earlier in the year.
He played in two World Cup finals for France, winning one in 1998.

Claude Makelele – Former Real Madrid, Chelsea and PSG midfielder – 71 caps, 5. Of course we had Manuel Amoros, who was excellent as well, but nobody was as strong as Lilian. {{#media.focal_point}}.
Marche was surpassed by Marius Trésor, who set the record after appearing in an October 1983 friendly match against Spain. To: Manchester City Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here. Thierry Henry (123 caps, 51 goals) is the national team's all-time leading goal-scorer.

There is no better place to start than with our flying goalkeeper, Fabien Barthez. Last modified on Wed 6 Jun 2018 10.32 BST. In total, Fontaine bagged 30 goals in 21 caps for France, as well as being prolific at club level with Nice and Reims. Aditya Hosangadi FOLLOW. Alain Giresse – Former Bordeaux and Marseille midfielder – 47 caps, 6. The Reds parted ways with £75 million to sign Van Dijk from Southampton. Arguably the greatest French footballer of all-time, he may have sullied his reputation somewhat since retirement, but that cannot detract from his ability with a ball at his feet. Defender Laurent Blanc (97 caps, 16 goals) was declared the fourth best French player of all time by magazine France Football. Fee: £52m. That is an extraordinary record for an extraordinary player. The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time.

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