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Laurent Blanc
Laurent blanc 11 11 2013 reves de Clara.jpg
Blanc in 2013
Personal information
Full name Laurent Robert Blanc
Date of birth (1965-11-19) 19 November 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth Alès, Gard, France
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Al-Ittihad (manager)
Youth career
1976–1978 AS Rousson
1978–1980 Olympique Alès
1980–1983 Montpellier
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1991 Montpellier 243 (76)
1991–1992 Napoli 31 (6)
1992–1993 Nîmes 29 (1)
1993–1995 Saint-Étienne 70 (18)
1995–1996 Auxerre 23 (2)
1996–1997 Barcelona 28 (1)
1997–1999 Marseille 63 (14)
1999–2001 Inter Milan 67 (6)
2001–2003 Manchester United 48 (1)
Total 602 (125)
International career
1989–2000 France 97 (16)
Managerial career
2007–2010 Bordeaux
2010–2012 France
2013–2016 Paris Saint-Germain
2020–2022 Al-Rayyan
2022–2023 Lyon
2024– Al-Ittihad
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1998
UEFA European Championship
Winner 2000
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner 1988
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Laurent Robert Blanc, born on November 19, 1965, is a famous French football manager and former player. He used to play as a central defender. People call him Le Président (The President) because he was such a great leader when he played for Marseille. Many think he is one of the best defenders ever.

Blanc played for many big clubs like Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Manchester United. He often played as a "sweeper," a defender who cleans up behind the main defense. He also played for the French national team 97 times, scoring 16 goals. He helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. In 1998, he scored the first "golden goal" in World Cup history against Paraguay.

After his playing career, Blanc became a manager. He led Bordeaux to a league title in 2009. Then, he managed the French national team from 2010 to 2012. From 2013 to 2016, he managed Paris Saint-Germain, winning many trophies, including two domestic "doubles" (winning the league and a main cup in the same season). He later managed Al-Rayyan in Qatar and Lyon in France. Since 2024, he has been the manager of Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, where he won a domestic double in his first season.

Playing Career: A Defender's Journey

Starting Out at Montpellier

Laurent Blanc was born in Alès, France. He began his football journey at Montpellier, signing his first professional contract in 1983. At first, he played as an attacking midfielder. He helped Montpellier get promoted to France's top league, Division 1, in 1987.

A few years later, his coach suggested he become a defender. This was a great idea because his height (1.92 meters) and strong personality made him perfect for the role. He became one of the best defenders in the French league. He even scored at least 12 goals each season in his last three years at Montpellier, mostly from penalties and headers. In 1990, he won the Coupe de France with Montpellier, scoring a goal in the final match. Blanc is still Montpellier's top goal scorer of all time, with 83 goals in all competitions.

Adventures Abroad and Back to France

In 1991, Blanc moved to Italy to play for Napoli in Serie A. He had a good season, scoring six goals. But he felt he couldn't show his full talent there, so he returned to France after just one year. He played for Nîmes and then Saint-Étienne. He continued to be one of the best defenders in the league.

After Saint-Étienne, Blanc joined Auxerre in 1995. Even though he got injured early in the season, he came back strong. He played a big part in Auxerre winning both the league and the French Cup in the same year, which is called a "double."

Time at Barcelona

Blanc's success at Auxerre caught the eye of big European clubs. He decided to join Barcelona in Spain because their manager, Johan Cruyff, really wanted him. However, on the day Blanc agreed to join, Cruyff was fired. This made Blanc's time at Barcelona a bit difficult.

He won the Supercopa de España with Barcelona but then got injured. He played regularly after recovering but was sent off in a European Cup Winners' Cup match. Another injury made him miss important games, including the Cup Winners' Cup final, which Barcelona won. After a tough season, he decided to leave, especially with the 1998 FIFA World Cup coming up.

Becoming "The President" at Marseille

Rolland Courbis convinced Blanc to join Marseille. This move was great for both Blanc and the club. Blanc quickly became a leader for the team. He helped Marseille finish fourth in his first season, scoring 11 goals. It was during this time that he earned his famous nickname, "Le Président" (The President), because of his strong leadership.

The next season was exciting but also a bit disappointing for Marseille. They finished second in the league, just one point behind Bordeaux. They also reached the UEFA Cup final but lost 3-0 to Parma. After this, Blanc left Marseille to play for Inter Milan in Italy. He did well there, even winning the "Pirata d'Oro" award for Inter's Player of the Year in 2000.

Playing for Manchester United

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had tried to sign Blanc many times before. Finally, in August 2001, when Blanc was 35, he joined Manchester United to replace Jaap Stam. Some people criticized his early performances, but he improved throughout the season. He signed a new contract for a second year.

Fans sometimes called him "Larry White," a loose translation of his name. He scored four goals for Manchester United, one in the league and three in the Champions League. Blanc retired from playing football after helping Manchester United win the 2002–03 FA Premier League title.

International Career: French National Team

Blanc had a very successful international career with the French national team.

Early Years and European Championships

In 1988, Blanc won the 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with the French Under-21 team. He was named the best player of the tournament.

He made his debut for the senior national team in 1989. France went on an amazing 19-game unbeaten streak, winning all eight of their qualifying matches for UEFA Euro 1992. However, they were knocked out in the group stage of the tournament by Denmark, who went on to win it.

After France failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Blanc was criticized and decided to retire from international football. But the new national team manager, Aimé Jacquet, convinced him to come back. Blanc returned for the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifiers and scored a goal. At the tournament, he formed a strong defensive partnership with Marcel Desailly. Blanc scored a goal against Bulgaria to help France reach the quarter-finals. There, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout against the Netherlands. France then lost in the semi-finals on penalties to the Czech Republic, but Blanc again scored his penalty.

World Cup and Euro Victories

France hosted the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and Blanc was a key player. On June 28, 1998, he scored the first-ever "golden goal" in World Cup history against Paraguay in the Round of 16. In the quarter-final against Italy, Blanc helped France keep a clean sheet and scored the winning penalty in the shootout.

He unfortunately missed the final because he received a red card in the semi-final against Croatia. This was the only red card of his international career. Even without Blanc, France won the World Cup for the first time, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.

Blanc was also part of the team that won UEFA Euro 2000. Despite some concerns about his age, he was a reliable defender and scored France's first goal of the tournament against Denmark. He retired from international football after this tournament.

Blanc was famous for kissing his good friend and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez's head before every match for good luck. The French national team was unbeaten in all matches when their defense included Blanc, Desailly, Lilian Thuram, and Bixente Lizarazu. Overall, Blanc played 97 games for France and scored 16 goals. In 1999, he was voted the fourth-best French player of all time by France Football magazine.

Managerial Career: Leading Teams to Success

Bordeaux's Triumphs

Laurent Blanc 23
Blanc during his time with Bordeaux in 2009

On June 8, 2007, Laurent Blanc became the new manager of Bordeaux. In his first season, he led the club to second place in Ligue 1 and won the Manager of the Year award. His second season was even more successful. Bordeaux won their last 11 league matches, setting a new French record for consecutive wins, and clinched the Ligue 1 title in 2009. Bordeaux also won the French League Cup that year.

In the 2009–10 Champions League, Blanc's Bordeaux team finished first in their group, which included strong teams like Juventus and Bayern Munich, without losing a single match. They reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by fellow French team Lyon.

Managing the French National Team

Laurent Blanc Euro 2012 vs Sweden 01 cropped
Blanc managing France at UEFA Euro 2012

Blanc left Bordeaux in May 2010 and became the manager of the French national team in July 2010. He took over after a difficult 2010 FIFA World Cup for France. The French Football Federation decided to suspend all 23 players from that World Cup, which Blanc wasn't happy about.

His first game as manager was a 2-1 loss to Norway. However, his team soon started doing well. They finished first in their Euro 2012 qualifying group and won friendly matches against strong teams like England, Brazil, and Germany. At UEFA Euro 2012, France drew with England and beat Ukraine, reaching the quarter-finals. They were then defeated by the defending champions, Spain. Blanc stepped down as national team manager in June 2012.

Success at Paris Saint-Germain

Laurent Blanc (11669076223)
Blanc at Paris Saint-Germain's December 2013 training camp in Doha, Qatar

Blanc was appointed manager of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on June 25, 2013. He quickly won his first trophy with the club, the 2013 Trophée des Champions, in August. In April 2014, PSG won the French League Cup. PSG's European journey in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League ended in the quarter-finals against Chelsea. On May 7, 2014, PSG won the Ligue 1 title. Blanc signed a contract extension the next day.

Jean Louis Gasset 1 (cropped)
Jean-Louis Gasset, his assistant from 2007 to 2016, conducts the training sessions

Blanc's second season at PSG started with another 2014 Trophée des Champions victory. In April 2015, PSG won the Coupe de la Ligue again. On May 16, 2015, PSG won the Ligue 1 title for the third year in a row. In February 2016, Blanc signed another two-year contract. PSG reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row but lost to Manchester City. Blanc was criticized for his team's tactics in that match. On May 21, 2016, PSG defeated Marseille to win the French Cup. This meant PSG won the domestic treble (league, French Cup, and League Cup) for the second season in a row. In June 2016, Blanc left PSG by mutual agreement.

Recent Managerial Roles

On December 19, 2020, Blanc became the head coach of Qatari club Al-Rayyan. He stayed there until February 2022, when he was let go due to poor results.

On October 9, 2022, Blanc was appointed manager of French club Lyon. He was sacked on September 8, 2023, after Lyon lost three of their first four games, leaving them in last place.

On July 13, 2024, Blanc was appointed as the head coach of Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. In his first season, he led the team to a domestic double, winning both the Saudi Pro League and the King's Cup.

Honours and Achievements

Laurent Blanc has won many awards and trophies as both a player and a manager.

As a Player

Individual Player Awards

As a Manager

Individual Manager Awards

See also

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