Jérôme Rothen

French winger known for free kicks, PSG and Monaco success, and a controversial autobiography.

Jérôme René Marcel Rothen (born 31 March 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is a football pundit. Rothen won 13 caps for the France national football team. He represented his country at the UEFA Euro 2004 and won the FIFA Confederations Cup with France in 2003. At club level, Rothen won the Coupe de France once and the Coupe de la Ligue twice with Paris Saint-Germain. He also won the Coupe de la Ligue with Monaco. Rothen was a skilled winger who specialised in free kicks, crossing and passing.

Quick Facts

Full name: Jérôme René Marcel Rothen
Born: 31 March 1978
Birthplace: Châtenay-Malabry, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Height: 1.77 m / 5 ft 10 in
Position: Winger

Lore & Background

Rothen underwent training at the famous Clairefontaine Football Academy in France. He started his career with Caen, then moved to Troyes AC. He was bought by AS Monaco on 1 January 2002 for €5 million. With Monaco, Rothen won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003 and helped the club reach the final of the Champions League in May 2004, where they lost to FC Porto 3–0.

A native of the Paris metropolitan area, Rothen fulfilled a childhood dream when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2004 for €11 million, rejecting offers from Manchester United, Chelsea and Valencia. At PSG, he often struggled with injuries but won the Coupe de France in 2005–06 and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2007–08. He later played for Rangers (on loan), Ankaragücü (on loan), Bastia, and returned to Caen before retiring on 1 January 2014. Rothen published an autobiography, You're Not Going To Believe Me, on 8 October 2008, which described an incident where Zinedine Zidane called him a 'fils de pute' during a Champions League match.

Reader's Guide

Rothen was a left winger known for his free kicks, crossing, and passing. He was voted Ligue 2 Player of the Year in 2011–12 after winning the Ligue 2 title with Bastia. He also earned Ligue 1 Team of the Year honors in 2002–03 and Ligue 2 Team of the Year in 1999–2000 and 2011–12.