Philippe Mexès facts for kids
Mexès lining up for France at UEFA Euro 2012
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 30 March 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Toulouse, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Toulouse-Mirail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | Toulouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Auxerre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Auxerre | 133 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2011 | Roma | 183 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | AC Milan | 86 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 402 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | France U16 | 7 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | France U18 | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | France U21 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2012 | France | 29 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Philippe Mexès (born March 30, 1982) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position. Philippe played for top clubs like Auxerre, Roma, and AC Milan during his career from 1999 to 2016. He also played for the French national team from 2002 to 2012. He played in 29 games for France and scored one goal. He also represented his country in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and UEFA Euro 2012.
Contents
Philippe Mexès' Club Career
Starting at Auxerre
Philippe Mexès was born in Toulouse, France. He started his football journey at Auxerre when he was 12 years old. He trained with the youth team, where he quickly became a very important player. He was often the captain of his youth squads. He led them to win many cups. With the main team, he helped Auxerre win the Coupe de France in 2003. This is a big cup competition in France.
Playing for Roma
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In June 2004, Mexès joined Roma, a famous Italian club. He signed a four-year contract with them. There was a disagreement about his transfer from Auxerre. However, Mexès was eventually allowed to play for Roma. He played his first Serie A match on September 12, 2004. This was against Fiorentina.
After a tough first season, Mexès became a key player for Roma. This happened in the 2005–06 season. He played in many games for Roma in the UEFA Cup. He also played in the final of the 2005–06 Coppa Italia. Roma finished second in Serie A that year. This meant Mexès got to play in the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
He became one of Roma's most important players. He worked with Cristian Chivu to form a strong defense. The team reached the quarter-finals of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League. Roma also won the 2007 Coppa Italia final against Inter Milan. They won with a total score of 7–4 over two games. Mexès helped Roma finish second in Serie A again. They also had one of the best defenses.
Mexès signed a new five-year contract with Roma. The team reached the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals again. But they lost to Manchester United. In Serie A, Roma finished second, just behind Inter. At the 2008 Coppa Italia final, Mexès scored the first goal for Roma. Roma won the game 2–1, winning the cup again.
With Mexès in defense, Roma made it to the knockout stage of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League. He missed a key game against Arsenal. Roma lost that game after a penalty shootout.
In a UEFA Europa League match on July 30, 2009, Mexès scored a goal. This helped Roma get a draw. He played a bit less when Nicolás Burdisso joined. But Mexès still helped Roma's defense. They finished second in Serie A that season. In late 2010, he got his regular spot back in the team.
On April 3, 2011, Mexès got a serious injury to his left knee. This happened during a Serie A match against Juventus. He had surgery two days later. His contract was ending in June 2011. He hinted that he would be leaving Roma. Many thought he would join AC Milan.
Moving to AC Milan
On May 10, 2011, AC Milan announced that Mexès would join their team. He was given the number 5 jersey. This was the same number he wore at Roma. He played his first game for Milan's youth team. This was to help him recover from his knee injury. On October 26, 2011, he made his official debut for Milan in Serie A. Milan won that game 4–1 against Parma. He played in 24 games for Milan in his first season. He was the third-choice central defender.
The next season, two main defenders left Milan. Mexès and Cristián Zapata became Milan's main central defenders. They helped the team concede very few goals. Mexès scored his first goal for Milan on November 21, 2012. It was a spectacular bicycle kick from far away. This goal was in a Champions League group match against Anderlecht. It was even called one of the best goals of the year! He scored his first Serie A goal for Milan on May 20, 2013. This goal helped Milan finish third in the league. This meant they qualified for the Champions League next year.
Mexès scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season in a 3–1 win against Cagliari. He continued to be an important part of Milan's defense. In a game against Juventus, Mexès was suspended for four matches. This was due to an incident during the game.
On July 8, 2015, Milan announced that Mexès signed a new contract. This kept him at the club until 2016. In November 2015, Mexès was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award. This award is for the most beautiful goal of the year. His nomination was for a great volley he scored in a friendly match.
On May 14, 2016, Mexès played his last game for AC Milan. He was also the team's captain in that game. A week later, he was on the bench for the Coppa Italia final. But he did not play in that match.
On May 25, 2016, the club announced that Mexès was leaving Milan. He did not find another club for over a year. In November 2017, he officially announced his retirement from football.
Philippe Mexès' International Career
Philippe Mexès played for the French national teams at different age levels. He played for the under-18 and under-21 teams. He also played for the senior French national team. He was part of the squad that played in the UEFA Euro 2012 competition. He scored one goal for the senior team on March 25, 2011, against Luxembourg.
Philippe Mexès' Personal Life
Philippe Mexès has two children with his ex-wife, Carla. They were born in 2003 and 2007. He also has another child, born in 2012, with his current wife, Véronique.
Mexès in Media
Mexès was featured in EA Sports' popular FIFA video game series. He even appeared on the cover of the Italian version of FIFA 12. He was on the cover alongside Giampaolo Pazzini and the global cover star Wayne Rooney.
Career Achievements
Auxerre
- Coupe de France: 2002–03
Roma
- Coppa Italia: 2006–07, 2007–08
AC Milan
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2011
France U18
- UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 2000
France
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003
Individual
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2002–03
See also
In Spanish: Philippe Mexès para niños
