If in 2024, Florian Maurice does not want to “undress to dress the French team”, twenty-eight years earlier, he nevertheless splashed his talent at the Olympic Games in Atlanta (United States) in the summer of 1996 Called by Raymond Domenech, coach of the Bleuets since 1993, after finishing top French scorer in the Championship with OL (18 goals), the striker found himself surrounded by Sylvain Wiltord, Robert Pires and Claude Makelele.
Top French scorer in the competition
The young 22-year-old shines and stands as the spearhead of the French attack. He notably struck against Australia (2-0), during the first match, before remaining on the bench against Spain (1-1). Dissatisfied with the draw, Domenech reviews his plans and then starts Maurice for the third meeting of the group. The man who began his career at OL (1992-1997) shines again and opens the scoring, allowing the Blues to win ahead of Saudi Arabia (2-1), synonymous with qualification for the final phase. In the quarter-finals, the striker equalized against Portugal, but did not prevent the elimination of his team (1-2 ap).
With three goals in three matches, the current sporting director of Stade Rennais is the top French scorer in the competition. A promising tournament which opened the doors to the French team a month later, in August 1996.
