Mandanda: Losing France No.1 in 2009 | Football History

They were the iconic goalkeeper duo of a generation of the French team, from 2008 to 2022, the first names of almost all the lists and two of the most famous faces of hexagonal football. One was number 1 and has 145 selections, the other looked at 118 games from the bench (35 selections). Steve Mandanda, who announced his retirement this Wednesday evening, is the other. The former porter of Olympique de Marseille spent his life in blue as a lining of Hugo Lloris. And however, it could (must have?) Being all the opposite.

It was thus he who had the favors of the coach of the Raymond Domenech era when he had to be rejuvenated a bit of Clairefontaine’s locker room before Euro 2008. Mandanda and Lloris were summoned together to wake up the French team A ‘in February 2008. The two young guards then have a half time to show himself, but it is Mandanda who begins the meeting. Then he is called with the Blues, the real ones, in May while Lloris is injured with Nice. The choice of n ° 3 for the European championship is therefore all found: it will be Steve Mandanda.

Then the train passed very quickly and maybe a little too much. France finished last in its Euro pool and Domenech wants to change everything to wash the affront. Some of the oldest in the locker room stop, including Grégory Coupet, goalkeeper No. 1 and Sébastien Frey, No. 2. The new holder is therefore now called Steve Mandanda, 23. But he will only have a few months left: “In this excitement, I had trouble managing everything, playing every three days, the championship, the cuts, the Champions League, the selection …“he presents today to The team.

“Under pressure, I did not support all of thishe also admitted to Carré In early June. The pressure I had with Marseille, and that in the French team with this comparison and this rivalry [avec Hugo Lloris]. I was not super efficient.“His first tenure, against Sweden, is however rather good. The continuation is not so much. Against Austria, a few days later, he collects three goals and assumes his share of responsibility directly in front of the press. And in the months following, in the first half of 2009, two matches cost him his place.

Against Argentina in January, he is at fault on the first goal of the meeting (0-2). Then against the Nigeria in June, which will be his last match as No. 1, he cashes an improbable goal which will be the only one in the meeting (0-1). Hugo Lloris will be launched from the next match against Turkey, never to give way. “”I explode in flight because it is no longer the same pressure, because it is no longer my first season, because people are less indulgent“He adds to The team. Without discarding: “Easy, it would have been to accuse the media, the coach. No, no, Coach Domenech put me number 1. I did not have the shoulders at that time to assume this status“The rest, we know her. There have been moments of hope for him, doubts for the selectors who rubbed shoulders with this status of number 1. Before some major competitions, or when Mandanda sometimes shone a little more than Lloris in club.

The episode may be the most emblematic of this took place only a few months after the loss of its holder in blue. During a legendary Olympico between Mandanda OM and Lloris OL in November 2009. That evening, in Gerland, the two men had collected five goals each. But the Lyonnais had committed a hand in hand which had offered a goal to the teammates of his rival in blue. “”You are the best“had then launched Benoît Cheyrou to Steve Mandanda, in reference to the competition which raged in blue. A cry of the heart which, like the events of this meeting, changed nothing to the hierarchy in the French team. As in the thirteen who followed. So far but so close.