Laurent Blanc

Le Président: A legendary defender and World Cup winner.

Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He last managed Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. He has the nickname Le Président, which was given to him following his stint at Marseille in tribute to his leadership skills. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.

Quick Facts

Full name: Laurent Robert Blanc
Born: 19 November 1965
Birthplace: Alès, France
Height: 1.92 m / 6 ft 4 in
Position: Centre-back

Lore & Background

Blanc played professional football for numerous clubs, including Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United, often operating in the sweeper position. He is also a former French international, earning 97 caps and scoring 16 international goals. He represented the country in several international tournaments, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, both of which France won. On 28 June 1998, Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay.

He began his managerial career at Bordeaux in 2007, winning domestic honours including the 2008–09 Ligue 1 title. After leaving Bordeaux in 2010 he became the manager of the France national team until 2012, replacing Raymond Domenech in the wake of a disastrous 2010 FIFA World Cup performance and leading the country to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2012. In 2013, he was hired by Paris Saint-Germain, where he would win eleven trophies, including two domestic doubles.

After three successful years with Paris Saint-Germain he left the club in June 2016, and was hired Al-Rayyan in 2020. Following more than six years without coaching in Europe, he was appointed manager by Lyon in October 2022, but he was sacked the following year and in 2024 became the manager of Al-Ittihad.

Reader's Guide

Blanc was born in Alès, Gard, France. His career started at Montpellier, where he signed his first professional contract in 1983. He played as an attacking midfielder and helped the club get promoted to Division 1 in 1987. He later settled as a defender following advice from Michel Mézy.

He won the Coupe de France in 1990, scoring a goal in the final match. Blanc remains Montpellier's all-time leading goal scorer, with 83 in all competitions. In 1991, he left Montpellier for Napoli in Serie A. After one year, he returned to France to Nîmes and then Saint-Étienne. He joined Auxerre in 1995 and played a great part in the team's double that year.

He then joined Barcelona, where he was in the side when Barcelona won the Supercopa de España against Atlético Madrid. After one disappointing season, he left for Marseille. At Marseille, he helped the club finish fourth in his first season, and the following season they finished runners-up in the championship and reached the UEFA Cup final, losing 3–0 to Parma. Afterwards, Blanc left Marseille for Inter Milan, where he won the Pirata d'Oro (Inter Player of the Year) in 2000.

He joined Manchester United in August 2001, replacing Jaap Stam. He scored four goals during his time at Manchester United. Blanc retired from football after helping United win the 2002–03 FA Premier League title.

Did You Know?

Blanc was sent off in the 1998 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, missing the final.
He won the 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and was named the tournament's Golden Player.