Chelsea’s top 5 French players of all time
By George Perry
France faces off against Portugal in the Euro 2016 title game today. Since no Chelsea players will participate for either side, here is a look back at Chelsea’s top French internationals.
France will be vying for their record-tying third European Championship. Les Bleus won in 2000 and 1984, the last time the host nation won the tournament. A win over Euro 2016 would make France the only nation to lift the trophy twice on their home soil.
While no Chelsea Blues will take part in championship celebrations tomorrow, some of Chelsea’s greatest players were part of France’s title-winning sides in the 2000 European Championships and the 1998 World Cup.
France’s top exports to Chelsea played key roles in Chelsea’s transition from being strivers in the final years of the Ken Bates era to being champions in the Roman Abramovic-Jose Mourinho era. Given France’s domination of the international game at the turn of the century, this was the last generation of Chelsea players to win more hardware for their country than they did for their club.
Player data and statistics from thechels.info.
Next: Marcel Desailly