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Laurent Blanc

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Born
1965 (60 years old)
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Alès, France

Position
Manager

Status
Coaching

Ethnicity
White

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Height
192 cm

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Sport

Soccer

Team
Al-Ittihad

League
Saudi-Arabian Pro League

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Description

Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back, and was most recently the manager of Ligue 1 club Lyon. He has the nickname Le Président, which was given to him following his stint at Marseille in tribute to his leadership skills.

Blanc played professional football for numerous clubs, including Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United, often operating in the sweeper position. He is also a former French international, earning 97 caps and scoring 16 international goals. He represented the country in several international tournaments, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, both of which France won. On 28 June 1998, Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay.

He began his managerial career at Bordeaux in 2007, winning domestic honours including the 2008–09 Ligue 1 title. After leaving Bordeaux in 2010 he became the manager of the France national team until 2012, replacing Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and leading the country to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2012. In 2013, he was hired by Paris Saint-Germain, winning further honours. After three successful years with Paris Saint-Germain he left the club in June 2016. Following more than six years without coaching in Europe, he was appointed manager by Lyon in October 2022.

Blanc won the 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, his team beating Greece in the final. He was named the tournament's Golden Player by UEFA.

On 7 February 1989, Blanc made his debut for the senior national team against the Republic of Ireland. France, then in reconstruction after the retirement of numerous key players, did not manage to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Shortly after that, they started an impressive 19-game unbeaten streak, including eight wins out of eight in Euro 1992 qualifying, making them one of the favorites to win the competition. They would, however, get knocked out in the group stage by eventual winners Denmark.

After France failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Blanc was heavily criticised, as well the rest of the team, and he subsequently decided to retire from international football. Aimé Jacquet, after taking over the managerial position of the national team, made it one of his priorities to convince Blanc to change his mind. Blanc returned to the team for the Euro 1996 qualification campaign and scored in a 4–0 win over Slovakia. At the tournament finals, he formed a central defensive partnership with Marcel Desailly. Blanc scored France's opening goal in the final group match against Bulgaria in a 3–1 win to put the team into the quarter-finals, where they faced the Netherlands at Anfield. Blanc scored France's winning penalty kick in the shootout after the match had ended 0–0. France then lost on penalty kicks at the semi-final stage after drawing 0–0 with the Czech Republic. However, Blanc again successfully converted his kick.

France then entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was held on home soil. Blanc was exemplary during the competition and, on 28 June 1998, scored the first-ever golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay in the round of 16. In the quarter-final, Blanc helped France to a clean sheet over Italy and scored the winning penalty as Les Bleus prevailed in the shootout. He missed the final after being sent off in the semi-final against Croatia for slapping Slaven Bilić. The sending off was the first (and only) red card of Blanc's international professional career. Despite Blanc's absence, France lifted the World Cup for the first time after defeating Brazil 3–0 at the Stade de France.

Blanc was also part of the team that won UEFA Euro 2000 during which, despite having been criticised for his age and lack of speed during the qualifications, he proved reliable in defence and even scored France's first goal of the tournament against Denmark in the group stage. He announced his retirement from international football after the competition, following the example of his captain Didier Deschamps. On 2 September 2000, Blanc, along with Deschamps and Bernard Lama, played his final match for Les Bleus in a friendly against England at the Stade de France.

Blanc was 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, but only for Champions League matches). The France national team was unbeaten in all matches when it fielded the World Cup and European Championship winning defence of Blanc, Desailly, Lilian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu. Overall, Blanc recorded 97 caps and scored 16 goals. In 1999, the readers of France Football magazine voted him the fourth-best French player of all time, behind Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Raymond Kopa.

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Trophies

French Coupe de la Ligue	Paris SG	2015-2016
French Coupe de France	Paris SG	2015-2016
French Ligue 1	Paris SG	2015-2016
French Trophée des Champions	Paris SG	2015
French Coupe de la Ligue	Paris SG	2014-2015
French Coupe de France	Paris SG	2014-2015
French Ligue 1	Paris SG	2014-2015
French Trophée des Champions	Paris SG	2014
French Coupe de la Ligue	Paris SG	2013-2014
French Ligue 1	Paris SG	2013-2014
French Trophée des Champions	Paris SG	2013
French Trophée des Champions	Bordeaux	2009
French Coupe de la Ligue	Bordeaux	2008-2009
French Ligue 1	Bordeaux	2008-2009
French Trophée des Champions	Bordeaux	2008
English Premier League	Manchester United	2002-2003
UEFA European Championship	Inter	2000
FIFA World Cup	France	1998
UEFA Cup Winners Cup	Barcelona	1996-1997
Spanish Copa del Rey	Barcelona	1996-1997
Spanish Supercopa de Espana	Auxerre	1996
French Coupe de France	St Etienne	1995-1996
French Ligue 1	St Etienne	1995-1996
French Coupe de France	Montpellier	1989-1990

Milestones

UEFA European Championships Player Of The Match	France	1996-06-18

Former Youth Teams

Montpellier	1981-1983	Youth	-	-

Former Senior Teams

Montpellier	1983-1991	Permanent	-	-
France	1989-2000	International	-	-
Napoli	1991-1992	Permanent	-	-
Nimes	1992-1993	Permanent	-	-
St Etienne	1993-1995	Permanent	-	-
Auxerre	1995-1996	Permanent	-	-
Barcelona	1996-1997	Permanent	-	-
Marseille	1997-1999	Permanent	-	-
Inter	1999-2001	Permanent	-	-
Manchester United	2001-2003	Permanent	-	-