Philippe Christanval facts for kids

Philippe Charles Lucien Christanval, born on August 31, 1978, is a former professional football player from France. He was a strong defender, often playing as a centre-back. During his career, he played for famous teams like Monaco, Barcelona, Marseille, and Fulham. He also played six times for the French national team and was part of their squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Early Life

Philippe Christanval was born in Paris, the capital city of France.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Monaco

Philippe Christanval began his professional football journey at AS Monaco in 1999. He played in 81 games for the team and scored one goal. During his time there, Monaco won the French league title in the 1999–2000 season. This achievement also earned him the award for Young Player of the Year. He also played in several matches for the UEFA Champions League, which is a big competition for top European clubs.

Playing for Barcelona and Marseille

In June 2001, Christanval moved to Spain to play for Barcelona, a team he had supported since he was a child. He joined them for about £6.5 million. After leaving Barcelona in 2003, he signed a four-year contract with Marseille in France on July 18. In his first season with Marseille, the team reached the final of the 2004 UEFA Cup Final. However, they lost 2–0 to Valencia, and Christanval did not play in that final match.

Time with Fulham

After trying out for Arsenal, their manager decided not to sign Christanval. He then joined another team in London, Fulham, on September 9, 2005. When he signed, Fulham's manager, Chris Coleman, said:

"He can be captain for the next five years if he shows the same consistency and level of performance."

When he first played for Fulham, Christanval often played in a defensive midfield role alongside another player. Later, he moved back to his usual position as a defender. He scored only one goal in the Premier League for Fulham. It was a late goal that helped his team get a 3–3 draw against West Ham United on January 13, 2007.

In the 2007–08 season, he played only one game as a substitute. At the end of that season, Fulham let him go. He tried out for another Premier League club, Blackburn Rovers, but did not sign with them. On April 9, 2009, Philippe Christanval decided to retire from football because he could not find a new club.

International Career

Philippe Christanval was part of the French national team that played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. This is a tournament for young players from around the world.

He played his first full game for the senior French national team on October 7, 2000. It was a friendly match against South Africa that ended in a 0–0 draw. Christanval played in four more friendly games in 2002. His last game for France was a 2–1 win against Cyprus. This match was part of the qualification games for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. He was also chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, but he did not get to play in any of the matches during the tournament.

Personal Life

An artificial football pitch in his hometown of Sarcelles in France was named after Philippe Christanval.

Honours and Awards

Monaco

• French League Title: 1999–2000
• Trophée des Champions: 2000 (This is a French Super Cup match played between the league champions and the cup winners)

Marseille

• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2003–04 (They reached the final but did not win)

Individual Awards

• UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2000 (This award is given to the best young player in the French league)