Johan Micoud
Encyclopedia
Johan Micoud is a retired French
footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder.
Left-footed, he was considered a skilled midfielder
and a dead-ball
expert; during a 16-year professional career, he played professionally, other than in his country, in Italy
and Germany
.
Micoud gained nearly 20 caps
for France
, and represented the nation at the 2002 World Cup
and Euro 2000, winning the latter tournament.
, Micoud was a youth product of local AS Cannes
' youth system, becoming the side's playmaker
after Zinedine Zidane
's departure to FC Girondins de Bordeaux
. He helped the club to promotion from the second division
in 1993 and UEFA Cup qualification the following season.
In 1998–99, two years after also moving to Bordeaux, Micoud played a pivotal role as the club were crowned Ligue 1
champions, and helped it to the following season UEFA Champions League
's second group stage.
In 2000, he was seduced by the attraction of playing abroad, initially joining Parma AC
, where he stayed for two seasons. Micoud then moved to Germany
, signing for SV Werder Bremen
, where he enjoyed a successful four-year stay, the peak of which being a major force in the league
and cup
double in 2004, as he netted 10 league goals, the highest for a midfielder alongside Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider.
In June 2006, aged 32, Micoud returned to France, re-joining the club where he first flourished, Bordeaux, enjoying immediate success as he scored the winner in his first league match back at the club, at FC Lorient
(1–0). He quickly became a key player in Bordeaux's squad, helping it to win the 2007 League Cup
and fight for the title the following season. However, after two solid seasons, Laurent Blanc
announced on 10 May 2008 that Micoud's contract would not be renewed at the end of the season, and the player subsequently retired from the game, one month shy of his 35th birthday.
on several occasions throughout his career, Micoud never managed to secure himself a regular starting role, mainly due to the presence of Zidane, whom occupied the same position.
Courtesy of his stellar championship performances with Bordeaux, he made his debut on 17 August 1999, in a friendly match with Northern Ireland
, and was subsequently picked for the squad which won UEFA Euro 2000, but he only played in one of the six matches of the tournament, in the group match against Netherlands
, effectively a dead rubber given that both nations had already qualified both the group. He was also selected for the disastrous FIFA World Cup
campaign of 2002
, during which he was entrusted with the key midfield role against Uruguay
, only to turn in a largely unconvincing display in a disappointing 0–0 draw, mostly remembered for Thierry Henry
's red card
.
Regardless of his consistently high level of performance at club level, Micoud found himself subsequently marginalised by the following national selectors. Jacques Santini only selected him once, in a friendly match against Holland in 2004, and he failed to make the squad for Euro 2004, despite his Bremen performances. With Raymond Domenech
, he did not win a single call-up for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers
, with the finals to be held in Germany, the country where he delivered strong performances on a regular basis.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder.
Left-footed, he was considered a skilled midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and a dead-ball
Set piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
expert; during a 16-year professional career, he played professionally, other than in his country, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Micoud gained nearly 20 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, and represented the nation at the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and Euro 2000, winning the latter tournament.
Club career
Born in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, Micoud was a youth product of local AS Cannes
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
' youth system, becoming the side's playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
after Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
's departure to FC Girondins de Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
. He helped the club to promotion from the second division
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
in 1993 and UEFA Cup qualification the following season.
In 1998–99, two years after also moving to Bordeaux, Micoud played a pivotal role as the club were crowned Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
champions, and helped it to the following season UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
's second group stage.
In 2000, he was seduced by the attraction of playing abroad, initially joining Parma AC
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
, where he stayed for two seasons. Micoud then moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, signing for SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
, where he enjoyed a successful four-year stay, the peak of which being a major force in the league
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
and cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
double in 2004, as he netted 10 league goals, the highest for a midfielder alongside Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider.
In June 2006, aged 32, Micoud returned to France, re-joining the club where he first flourished, Bordeaux, enjoying immediate success as he scored the winner in his first league match back at the club, at FC Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
(1–0). He quickly became a key player in Bordeaux's squad, helping it to win the 2007 League Cup
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
and fight for the title the following season. However, after two solid seasons, Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
announced on 10 May 2008 that Micoud's contract would not be renewed at the end of the season, and the player subsequently retired from the game, one month shy of his 35th birthday.
International career
Despite being selected in the French national teamFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on several occasions throughout his career, Micoud never managed to secure himself a regular starting role, mainly due to the presence of Zidane, whom occupied the same position.
Courtesy of his stellar championship performances with Bordeaux, he made his debut on 17 August 1999, in a friendly match with Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, and was subsequently picked for the squad which won UEFA Euro 2000, but he only played in one of the six matches of the tournament, in the group match against Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, effectively a dead rubber given that both nations had already qualified both the group. He was also selected for the disastrous FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
campaign of 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, during which he was entrusted with the key midfield role against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, only to turn in a largely unconvincing display in a disappointing 0–0 draw, mostly remembered for Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
's red card
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
.
Regardless of his consistently high level of performance at club level, Micoud found himself subsequently marginalised by the following national selectors. Jacques Santini only selected him once, in a friendly match against Holland in 2004, and he failed to make the squad for Euro 2004, despite his Bremen performances. With Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
, he did not win a single call-up for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...
, with the finals to be held in Germany, the country where he delivered strong performances on a regular basis.