Laurent Blanc

Laurent Robert Blanc (French pronunciation: [lɔʁɑ̃ blɑ̃]; born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He last managed Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. He has the nickname Le Président, which was given to him following his stint at Marseille in tribute to his leadership skills. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.

Blanc played professional football for numerous clubs, including Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United, often operating in the sweeper position. He is also a former French international, earning 97 caps and scoring 16 international goals. He represented the country in several international tournaments, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, both of which France won. On 28 June 1998, Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay.

He began his managerial career at Bordeaux in 2007, winning domestic honours including the 2008–09 Ligue 1 title. After leaving Bordeaux in 2010 he became the manager of the France national team until 2012, replacing Raymond Domenech in the wake of a disastrous 2010 FIFA World Cup performance and leading the country to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2012. In 2013, he was hired by Paris Saint-Germain, where he would win eleven trophies, including two domestic doubles. After three successful years with Paris Saint-Germain he left the club in June 2016, and was hired Al-Rayyan in 2020. Following more than six years without coaching in Europe, he was appointed manager by Lyon in October 2022, but he was sacked the following year and in 2024 became the manager of Al-Ittihad.