Basile Boli
French defender who scored the winning goal in the 1993 Champions League final.
Basile Boli (born 2 January 1967) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender, and currently television sports presenter. He spent the majority of his career in the 1980s and 1990s with Auxerre and Marseille, and towards the end of his career had spells at Scottish club Rangers, at Monaco, and at Japanese side Urawa Reds. Although born in Ivory Coast, he also made 45 appearances and scored one goal for the France national team, and was part of the France squad at the 1992 European Championship.
- Position
- Central Defender
- Nationality
- Ivorian
- Major Honours
- Ligue 1 Champion (2)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Basile Boli was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and moved to France at an early age. He began his career in local youth football in Paris before signing for Auxerre in 1982. He made his debut for the France national team in 1986 and earned 45 caps. In 1990, he signed for Marseille, winning Ligue 1 in 1991 and 1992, and scoring the only goal in the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League final against A.C. Milan. He also recorded a song with teammate Chris Waddle titled 'We've Got a Feeling'. He is remembered by football fans in England for headbutting Stuart Pearce during France's match against England at Euro 92. After Marseille's relegation due to a match-fixing scandal, Boli joined Rangers for £2 million in 1994, making 28 league appearances and scoring two goals in the 1994–95 season, earning a league winners' medal. He then played for Monaco and ended his career in 1997 with Urawa Red Diamonds. In 2018, he participated in season 9 of Danse avec les stars, finishing seventh out of eleven contestants.
In Their Own Story
The 1992–93 season was a defining moment for Basile Boli and Marseille. On 29 May 1993, in a title-deciding match against PSG at the Stade Vélodrome, Marseille trailed before mounting a comeback. The team move was finished by a phenomenal header from Boli, sealing a 3–1 victory. That goal helped Marseille secure another league title, adding to their run of four consecutive championships between 1989 and 1993. Boli's header remains one of the iconic moments in the history of Le Classique.
Reader's Guide
Basile Boli is a French former professional footballer and current television sports presenter. He played as a defender for Auxerre, Marseille, Rangers, Monaco, and Urawa Red Diamonds. He won Ligue 1 with Marseille in 1990–91 and 1991–92, the UEFA Champions League in 1992–93, and the Scottish Premier Division with Rangers in 1994–95. He earned 45 caps for France and scored one goal. He is the uncle of Yannick Boli, Charles Boli, Roli Boli, and Kévin Boli, and the younger brother of former striker Roger Boli.
Did You Know?
- Basile Boli scored the only goal in the 1993 UEFA Champions League final, giving Marseille the title.
- He headbutted Stuart Pearce during France's match against England at Euro 92.
- Boli participated in season 9 of Danse avec les stars in 2018, finishing seventh.
- He recorded a song with Chris Waddle called 'We've Got a Feeling'.
- Boli was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2008.
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