Laurent Blanc

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Laurent Blanc (born November 19, 1965 in Alès) is a retired French football defender and current manager of FC Girondins de Bordeaux, who scored the first golden goal in World Cup history. Blanc is considered to be one of the great centre-halves in the history of football.

For France, Blanc played in Euro 92, reached the semi-finals in Euro 96, and won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. He was also well-known for kissing good friend and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez's head before the start of every match, supposedly for good luck (the two did repeat this ritual when they played together for Manchester United, only for Champions League matches). Overall, he recorded 97 caps and scored 16 goals for his country, a very large number for a defender. The most important of those must be the first ever World Cup golden goal, in the second round against Paraguay on June 28, 1998. He missed the World Cup final in 1998 after being sent off in the semi-final against Croatia for elbowing Slaven Bilić, although replays showed that Bilić had clearly feigned the injury. The Croatian was heavily criticised afterwards.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had attempted to lure Blanc several times since 1996 and finally succeeded in 2001. Despite his age of 35 years, Blanc proved a competent successor for the departed Jaap Stam and United fans nicknamed him "Larry White". He retired two years later, having helped his club to the 2002/03 F.A. Premier League crown.

On June 8, 2007, Blanc was named new manager of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.^[1]

[edit] Facts

• Blanc usually wore his socks in a distinctive manner. Unlike most footballers, he preferred them to be loose and only pulled them half-way up his shin.
• In his early career Blanc actually played sometimes as an attacking midfielder.
• Two years ago, the readers of France Football Magazine voted him the fourth best French player of all time behind Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Raymond Kopa.

[edit] Honours

• 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship winner
• 1996 Supercopa de España winner with FC Barcelona
• Ligue 1 - Champion 1995/96 with AJ Auxerre
• 1990 & 1996 Coupe de France winner with Montpellier HSC & AJ Auxerre
• FIFA World Cup 1998 winner
• 2000 UEFA European Championship winner
• Internazionale Player Of The Year 2000 (Pirata d'oro)^[2]
• F.A. Premier League - Champion 2002/03 with Manchester United

[edit] References

v • d • e France squad - UEFA Euro 1992 1 Martini • 2 Amoros • 3 Silvestre • 4 Petit • 5 Blanc • 6 Casoni • 7 Deschamps • 8 Sauzée • 9 Papin • 10 Fernández • 11 Perez • 12 Cocard • 13 Boli • 14 Durand • 15 Divert • 16 Vahirua • 17 Garde • 18 Cantona • 19 Rousset • 20 Angloma • Coach: Platini

v • d • e France squad - UEFA Euro 1996 1 Lama • 2 Angloma • 3 Di Meco • 4 Lebouef • 5 Blanc • 6 Guérin • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Djorkaeff • 10 Zidane • 11 Loko • 12 Lizarazu • 13 Dugarry • 14 Lamouchi • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Madar • 18 Pedros • 19 Karembeu • 20 Roche • 21 Martins • 22 Martini • Coach: Jacquet

v • d • e France squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Lama • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Blanc • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Guivarc'h • 10 Zidane • 11 Pirès • 12 Henry • 13 Diomède • 14 Boghossian • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Karembeu • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Charbonnier • Coach: Jacquet

v • d • e France squad - UEFA Euro 2000 Winners (2nd title) 1 Lama • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Blanc • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Anelka • 10 Zidane • 11 Pirès • 12 Henry • 13 Wiltord • 14 Micoud • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Karembeu • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Ramé • Coach: Lemerre