France are widely tipped as one of the favourites to win Euro 2016 outright, and with such a phenomenal squad it’s little wonder.
With home support behind them in their own backyard, Les Bleus will hope for a run to the latter stages of the competition, and will surely have their sights fixed on getting to the showpiece final on July 10.
It’s been a while since they won a European Championship title – 16 years ago, to be precise, when their golden generation of stars won Euro 2000 thanks to a David Trezeguet golden goal thunderbolt against Italy in the final.
It was their best moment on the continental stage since 1984, and although they have been starved of success in recent years, the feeling is that they are on the up once again and can recapture their former glories. So, let’s take a look back at their squad from that ‘00 victory as well as the players who won the 1998 World Cup and run through where they are now.
*All players were included in both tournaments’ squads unless otherwise stated in brackets.
Fabien Barthez
One of the best goalkeepers France has ever produced, Fabien Barthez was pivotal to both of their remarkable victories within two years of each other. An erratic performer, his displays saw him hog the headlines on more than a few occassions, and his two major international honours will always sit proudly in his personal trophy cabinet.
Winning the Yashin award in ‘98 for the best custodian, he was in his prime then and again a couple of years later. Since retiring, he has taken up a successful career in motorsport where he has won the GT Championship – so even though he hung up his goalkeeping gloves in 2007, it seems he didn’t waste any time in replacing them with some driving ones.
Bernard Lama
A substitute goalkeeper, the often forgotten Bernard Lama didn’t exactly do a whole lot on either occasion as he wasn’t called upon to fill the space between the posts – hence why he isn’t exactly fondly recalled by too many. That said, he had his moments down through the years and can still consider himself to be a world champion who also picked up four titles with Paris Saint-Germain as well as being named France Football’s ‘Best French Player’ in 1994.
Most recently, he was the director of a company that produces mineral water in Guyane, following some unsuccessful forays into football management.
Lionel Charbonnier – (World Cup 1998 only)
The third-choice goalkeeper for the national team set-up nearly 20 years ago, Lionel Charbonnier didn’t exactly leave a lasting legacy behind him but he was part of the fabric of the squad who tasted its only ever ultimate success, and that is something which can never be taken away from him. Moreover, he will be best remembered as a shot-stopper for Auxerre and Glasgow Rangers. Most recently, he became part of the Madagascar international team technical staff whose responsibilities included aiding with team selection.
Ulrich Rame – (Euro 2000 only)
Something of an icon at Girondins de Bordeaux, Ulrich Rame amassed almost 500 appearances between the sticks with them as he won Ligue 1 titles and more during his lengthy stay there. A back-up ‘keeper for their ‘00 triumph, he doesn’t immediately catch the eye for casual football fans of the tournament, but he was there nevertheless. In early 2016, he would go on to become the interim boss of the club, which goes to show how highly regarded he continues to be to this day. In fact, he is now the technical director of the club.
Vincent Candela
A member of both historic squads, Vincent Candela also enjoyed success with Toulouse, AS Roma and Guingamp. Indeed, although he is remembered for his senior international exploits, he also enjoyed the fruits of his labour at underage level, too as he won the U21 Euros in 1996. A Serie A title and Supercoppa Italiano are two of his club highlights, but now that he is retired he is an entrepreneur who dabbles in wine, charity events as well as youth football. Most importantly, he is still vocal in the football community, often offering his opinions on former clubs in the news.
Laurent Blanc –
Undoubtedly the most familiar name on our list so far, Laurent Blanc was, of course, one of the most accomplished and well-respected defenders in the French game on his day and is rightly remembered as a true great both inside and outside the confines of L’Hexagone. Nowadays, of course, he is heavily involved in the world of football management and has so far managed to carve out quite a prosperous path for himself. Speculation reigns about his future at Paris Saint-Germain but it’s clear that even if he does get the chop, he will land on his feet somewhere else.
Marcel Desailly
A real legend, he reached the pinnacles of the international game with France on two occasions but also saw the good times roll with the likes of Marseille, AC Milan and Chelsea. Today, he is hugely involved with the sport still as a pundit and analyst (he recently covered Euro 2016 alongside Arsene Wenger for TV), but has been happy to move on, citing “freedom” in an interview with the Guardian Sport Network as one of the key aspects of his new life ever since leaving football: “Freedom: that word, that aspect, means a lot to me. I’ve been involved in the game, available for everyone. Now I want to be myself and travel around the world, meet people, and do my charity work.”
Lilian Thuram
These days, Lilian Thuram is as well known for his outspoken political activism end engrossing intellect as he is for the days when he used to be one of the most feared and celebrated of footballers. He won club titles in four countries, including the UEFA Cup and Serie A and was included in both teams of the tournament in ‘98 and ‘00 for his phenomenal efforts. He was a footballer who came from nothing and earned it all and deserves to be remembered for that as well as the way he has reinvented himself since the curtain came down on his playing days.
Frank Leboeuf
A pundit for TV, Frank Leboeuf works for ESPN these days, using his great insight on football to carve out a living for himself ever since he hung up his boots back in 2005. However, it’s not just the small screen which plays host to his great talent because as an actor, he also appears regularly on the silver screen. Much like his compatriot Eric Cantona, Leboeuf has enjoyed some real success and was even involved in a film that received an Academy Award nomination a few years back. Bravo.
Bizente Lizarazu –
Ask people today what they know about Bixente Lizarazu and most will tell you that he helped France win two major tournaments, including the European championship. Of course, they’d be right, but most probably wouldn’t know that the retired tricky midfielder has also experienced victory at the highest levels in another sport – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. That’s right, Lizarazu became a Euro champ in 2009 in the blue belt category. How’s that for a career change?
Didier Deschamps
Currently the manager of the France national team, Didier Deschamps is still leading his country like he has always done. Instead of being on the pitch, he’s on the sidelines, but that doesn’t mean he has lost any of the verve and passion he displayed as a player.
With the current crop of talented performers including Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann at his disposal, Les Bleus are one of the favourites to take the Henri Delaunay trophy and if they do, there's a strong possibility that Deschamps will remain as head coach for their World Cup campaign. What a feat it would be to win both titles as player and manager.
Emmanuel Petit
Aside from insinuating the odd conspiracy theory here and there (like when he questioned whether or not his team-mates were puppets for their World Cup win), Emmanuel Petit remains attached to the reality of football and is often seen working as a pundit for British company ITV. More endearing than this, however, is that he is an ambassador for the Homeless World Cup and continues to voice his opinion on matters close to his football heart.
Christian Karembeu
Some people still like to think that Christian Karembeu wasn’t very involved in France’s ‘98 triumph despite the fact the Guardian quashed many of those misconceptions years ago by detailing that the right-sided midfielder played 242 minutes en route to lifting the famous trophy, more than Leboeuf and Patrick Vieira. Nowadays, he’s a pundit with BT Sport, an advisor to Olympiakos FC’s president and sometimes a La Liga ambassador.
Zinedine Zidane
Obviously, Zinedine Zidane is the current Real Madrid manager and is doing a stellar job in his role having guided Los Blancos to the Champions League title earlier this year. So, his involvement in the game is showing no sign of waning whatsoever. His rise from the son of two Algerians to become a national French icon and a world class player needs no retelling here, but it’s safe to say that he will always have a special place in the hearts of the fans who saw him bring silverware and happy memories to them, none less than his two final goals against Brazil nearly 20 years ago in le Stade de France.
Robert Pires
Unlike many of the other players on this list, Robert Pires is only a recently retired footballer as he left the professional game at the ripe old age of 42 early in 2016, so he's in a different category in that regard. A terrific player in his prime, he was one of Arsenal’s most inventive players where he won three FA Cups and two league titles. Recently, he has been active, working alongside UEFA to promote their Daily 7 fantasy football game and it’s probably only a matter of time before he delves into the world of punditry further still – we can't wait.
Patrick Vieira
A man who needs little introduction, Patrick Vieira was one of the best midfield generals in the Premier League during the 1990s and early noughties, and his battles and scrapes with Manchester United rival Roy Keane are well remembered as being one of the main highlights of the league. A terrific passer of the ball who also knew how to command the respect of his peers, he stood tall on the pitch as a leader and champion. Since quitting football, he has dived into management and his now the head coach of New York City FC in Major League Soccer.
Bernard Diomede (World Cup 1998 only)
Let's not kid ourselves. Bernard Diomede isn’t going to be remembered as the greatest French player of all time – far from it, in fact. Indeed, even his most famous contribution to world football wasn’t particularly as heroic as it might first appear either because he did not make an appearance from the quarter finals onward when his country stormed to the ‘98 world championship.
With Auxerre, he scored a respectable 30 goals in 175 league games but never really got going at Liverpool and his career fizzled out. Since retiring, he is now in charge of his own youth academy which proffers the notion that football is ‘not an ultimate aim, but an educational means to prepare the youth for their adult life’.
Youri Djorkaeff
Another footballer-turned-pundit, Youri Djorkaeff has taken the usual route following exiting the professional game but he has also dabbled in a few other areas, as well - and he’s still playing, well...sort of. Taking part in some charity matches with a number of his ex-team-mates, the former Monaco and Bolton Wanderers star recently turned out, at the age of 48, to play alongside Juan Sebastian Veron, Thierry Henry and Vieira in a match which helped raise awareness of the YDF - a non-profit foundation set up by the player himself to provide services to children through soccer.
Alain Boghossian (World Cup1998 only)
Alain Boghossian earns his money as an analyst for French daily l’Equipe today and has been a part of their coverage of Euro 2016 and was, until only a couple of years ago, the assistant coach for the French national team before Deschamps took charge. The former UEFA Cup winner might not make big decisions for the senior team anymore, but he is part of the national technical directors team for the France Football Association.
Johan Micoud (Euro 2000 only)
A sometime columnist for France Football, Johan Micoud remains heavily involved in the world of football. A decent left footed midfielder during his playing career, Micoud grabbed silverware in three different European countries as he represented Bordeaux, Werder Bremen and Parma. The big passion for the 42-year-old these days, though, is his wine production. His vineyards in France have produced some great wines and have been well received in recent years.
Stephane Guivarc’h (World Cup 1998 only)
A figure of derision far and wide, it can be easy for some to forget the humanity of the man. A recent piece by esteemed ESPN journalist Wright Thompson got under the skin of the retired star to reveal that Guivarc’h is now a pool salesman and a father of three who lives a comfortable life Concarneau, France. He was much sought after before his dismal showing in ‘98 as his brilliant net-rattling performances with Auxerre attest to, but his career faded after poor showings with Newcastle United.
David Trezeguet
It was David Trezeguet’s golden goal thunderbolt that captured the Euro title 16 years ago to break Italian hearts. A wonderful player on his day, the now 38-year-old only retired as recently as 2015 when he brought a glittering career to an end with Pune City in India. It was initially thought that Trezeguet would return to Juventus, the club he won five titles with in the early noughties, but he is only in an ambassadorial role with the Bianconeri at present.
Thierry Henry
One of the most recognisable and exciting stars of this particular bunch of players, Thierry Henry captivated us all as part of the rising wave of stars who knew how to play to win as well as melding that brilliantly with a desire for flair and swashbuckling talent. A regular goalscorer for Les Bleus, he made his skills count in both huge stages as he netted six goals across each format, as well as going on to enjoy a thrilling club career with the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona. These days, he is a well-renowned pundit for Sky Sports and is perhaps the most stylish Frenchman in all the land...which is quite the feat.
Christophe Dugarry
A striker who arguably performed best with Bordeaux during his career before finishing his career with Qatar SC after a number of short spells with clubs like Barcelona and Birmingham City, Christophe Dugarry is fondly remembered by many for the role he played in helping his countryman taste success in both major tournaments, and although he was never their most prolific goalscorer. For 10 years, he was a commentator on the major French TV station Canal+ although he recently departed them to pursue other, more vague, projects.
Sylvain Wiltord (Euro 2000 only)
Back in 2012, Sylvain Wiltord announced his retirement from football after finishing his career with Nantes FC. The sprightly winger’s career saw him rack up 92 caps for France as well as his seeing him pick up nine honours at club level, also a a part of the invincibles at Arsenal. He hasn’t done much punditry work but did dabble in some reality TV recently.
