Football is one of the highest paid sports and one of the most popular sports in the world. It has a big fanbase and has great fame. France is among those countries who has produced many football legends, both among players and coaches. Today we will tell about some of them.
Fabien Barthez
Bartez’s career at Manchester United has shown that he was not a great goalkeeper. But he was reliable in the main tournaments, and the ritual with a kiss from Laurent Blanc is the same symbol of the French national team’s victories as Zidane’s goals.
After reaching the final of the 98 World Cup, President Jacques Chirac entered the French locker room and kissed Barthes on the bald spot. “He caught me by surprise,” recalls the goalkeeper. “I didn’t let anyone but Blanc.”
Lillian Thuram
Now Tyuram is a public intellectual who speaks out on controversial topics: he is against racism and homophobia, he even took part in a march in support of gay marriage. When Thuram was a footballer, there was no dispute: just a defender without flaws. Held the most matches in the history of the team. He could play on the right and in the center. In top form, he could run over, wipe off the ball and beat any footballer on the planet. He won both major national team tournaments, at 34 he was the best player in the semifinals of the World Cup, at 36 he had a contract with Barcelona. I would have played under 40, if not for heart problems.
Laurent Blanc
In 1994, when France did not get to the World Cup, Blanc could not stand the criticism and left the team. Coach Emma Jacques persuaded the defender to return and in the winning tournament in 1998, Laurent scored in the most crucial moments: the golden goal for Paraguay in the first round of the playoffs, the winning penalty for the Italians in the quarterfinals. A leader, a player who never fusses – the nickname “President” suits Blanc perfectly.
Robert Wife
An elegant central defender who valued the ball. If he played now, L’Equipe and France Football would have predicted his transfer to Barcelona throughout his career. His most famous words are: “Football is creation, not destruction.” In France, it is still believed that the highlight of the semifinals of the 1958 World Cup – a double leg fracture, which Wife earned in a clash with the Brazilian Vava. It happened in the 35th minute of the match, the lost key defender France missed four more goals and she had to wait 40 years to win the World Cup.
Bixente Lizarazu
Dynamic fullback, creating breadth in attack. He was ahead of Patrice Evra and Roger Marche due to the number of titles. He could have been a great loser of French football, but his miss from the penalty spot in the quarterfinals of the 98 World Cup was blocked by the shots of Trezeguet, Henri and Blanc.
The importance of defending the French national team in that tournament is often underestimated, preferring to remember Zidane, who was really good only in the final. Yes, the French players led the French to victory in Euro-84 and Euro-2000, but in the 98th the team reached the title primarily due to the defense, which missed only one goal in four playoff matches.
Patrick Vieira
Didier Deschamps could be here. He won the entire World Cup-98, which Vieira held in rotation. He was captain of the team in the winning finals of 1998 and 2000. Cantona once called him a water carrier: Deschamps understood perfectly well that his task was to take the ball and pass it to more talented players. But it all comes down to the fact that if Deschamps was the perfect partner and leader, Vieira was the perfect midfielder in his best years.