FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Throughout his career in France, in Serie A and as a Bleu, Lilian Thuram has forged a reputation as a redoubtable defender. But in 1998, it was as a scorer of key goals that he lit up the world stage.
The Guadeloupian is a member of a talented crop of players from France’s overseas territories. After arriving in Paris from the Antilles at the age of nine, his qualities soon caught the eye of the talent scouts and at 20, he began his professional career with Monaco. This powerful defender’s prowess did not escape Aime Jacquet, who gave him his international debut in 1994 and soon made him one of his first-choice players. At the FIFA World Cup France 1998™, the Parma star was a key component of the watertight French defence that was breached on just two occasions.

One of the goals conceded by Les Bleus came in the semi-final, when Croatia’s Davor Suker put his country in front just after the break. France’s right wing-back Thuram had been at fault and he knew it. Barely a minute later, he made a devastating dash down the flank, jinked into a gap in the Croatian defence and unleashed a cracking left-foot strike from the right side of the penalty area to restore parity. Twenty-two minutes later, Thuram amazed everyone by doing it again, outwitting the Croatia goalkeeper Drazen Ladic from a similar position to give France a 2-1 victory.

Inspired by Thuram’s exploits, the French team went on to win the tournament. To this day, these unlikely two strikes remain his only goals for his country and although his marking ability and clean tackling thwarted numerous opposing attacks throughout the tournament in France, it was this stunning brace that brought him international renown. A veteran of the cut and thrust of Serie A, Thuram is accustomed to marking some of the best players on the planet. His exploits in the blue shirt of France prompted interest from European giants like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Lazio, but the long-time Parma player finally plumped for Juventus before the start of the 2001/02 season.

In Italy, Thuram has received rave reviews for the rock-solid partnership formed with Fabio Cannavaro, who compares his team-mate favourably to the highly-talented Alessandro Nesta. “Thuram and Nesta are both great players, but Lilian is truly out of this world.”

Key figure
At Euro 2000, Thuram’s presence on the right side of defence was again crucial to France’s triumph. But after their less than glorious 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and Euro 2004 campaigns, ‘Tutu’, as his team-mates affectionately know him, lost heart. As France prepared to set out on the road to Germany 2006 under a new coach, Raymond Domenech, Thuram announced his retirement from international football.

However, faced with the French coach’s repeated entreaties and a general call to arms from Zinedine Zidane, Thuram eventually bowed to the pressure and went back on his decision, declaring: “You never turn down a call-up!” Having helped secure qualification from his favoured central-defensive position, a man not normally given to public displays of emotion clearly revealed his delight at donning the famous blue shirt again. Now aged 34, Thuram is determined to prove that regardless of age, he remains one of the very best defenders around.

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UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Rated as one of the world's best defenders, Lilian Thuram is remarkably quick and utterly reliable. An attacking full-back par excellence, his Juventus FC defensive colleague Fabio Cannavaro described Thuram's talents as "being from another planet".

National team
Following a France debut in 1994, the peak of his achievements have come with Les Bleus: Thuram helped his national side win the FIFA World Cup in 1998, having scored twice in the hosts' semi-final defeat of Croatia, and the UEFA European Championship two years later. So too, the low point, with the French team's early exit from Korea/Japan. The only France player to feature in all eight qualifying matches for UEFA EURO 2004™, Thuram won his 100th cap in the opening victory against England in Portugal. He retired three games later following the quarter-final loss to Greece, only to reverse the decision in August 2005.

Club
Thuram made his French top-flight debut for AS Monaco FC in 1990/91, his only appearance that term. In five further seasons, the Frenchman played well over 150 games.

1996: He quit his homeland for Parma FC in 1996, and helped the club to second place in his first season in Serie A before winning both the UEFA and Italian Cups in 1998/99. Courted by a number of leading clubs, Thuram opted for Juventus for a then-world record fee for a defender of €35m.

2001: After failing to win a national title in a decade of football, Thuram played 30 times as the Bianconeri lifted their 26th Italian crown, adding another in May 2003, the same month that Juventus lost the Champions League final to AC Milan. However, a run of indifferent form prompted Thuram to describe 2003/04 as "the worst of my career" as Juve failed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, finished third in Serie A and lost in the Coppa Italia final.

2004/05: Returned to his old centre-back role and, reunited with former Parma team-mate Cannavaro, Thuram had a tremendous season as Juventus won their 28th Scudetto with the best defensive record in Serie A.

Did you know?
Thuram grew up in Guadaloupe wanting to be a priest until he realised his talents lay elsewhere.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Rated as one of the world's best defenders, Lilian Thuram is remarkably quick and utterly reliable. An attacking full-back par excellence, his former Parma AC defensive colleague Fabio Cannavaro descrided Thuram's talents as "being from another planet".

National team
Following a France debut in 1994, the peak of his achievements have come with Les Bleus: Thuram helped his national side win the FIFA World Cup in 1998, having scored twice in the hosts' semi-final defeat of Croatia, and the UEFA European Championship two years later. So too, the low point, with the French team's early exit from Korea/Japan.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
The only France player to feature in all eight qualifying matches, Thuram won his 79th cap in the opening victory against Cyprus and ended the campaign against Israel, a 3-0 success, having played 93 internationals.

Club
Born in 1972, Thuram made his French top-flight debut for AS Monaco FC in the 1990/91 season, his only appearance that term. In five further seasons, the Frenchman played well over 150 games, including six in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League.

1996: He quit his homeland for Parma in 1996, and helped the Ennio Tardini club to second place in his first season in Serie A and in the 1998/99 season Parma won both the UEFA and Italian Cups. Courted by a number of leading clubs, Thuram opted for Juventus for a then-world record fee for a defender of €35m.

2001: After failing to win a national title in a decade of football, Thuram played 30 times as the Bianconeri lifted their 26th Italian crown, adding another in May 2003, the same month that Juventus lost the Champions League final to AC Milan. He was one of four Juve players to appear 15 times in the competition.

2003/04: A run of indifferent form prompted Thuram to describe the season as "the worst of my career". He was not the only Juventus player to struggle, as the Turin side failed to reach the last eight of the Champions League, finished third in Serie A and lost in the Italian Cup final.

Did you know?
Thuram had grown up in Guadaloupe wanting to be a priest until he realised his talents lay elsewhere.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.