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2 May 2022
Papin, Henry, Trezeguet... How the Tournament revealed some great French strikers
Talents, world champions, Ballon d'Or winners, football legends... Of all the nations that have taken part in the Maurice Revello Tournament, France is undoubtedly the one that has revealed the most great names on the pitch. In 42 participations, many Tricolores have embarked on immense football careers after their time at the Festival. Among the dozens of players we could mention are some outstanding strikers who became world-class references in their position. Focus on the great French number nine who have passed through the Tournament.
"It was the first time I flew to Toulon and it was also my first cap for the French team. It's full of strong images in my head. In a short period of time, a lot of things happened", Jean-Pierre Papin recalled when he spoke about the 1985 Maurice Revello Tournament in an interview he gave for our website. And for good reason: Papin and his team had a great tournament that year. The title holders, led by Papin but also future internationals like Franck Sauzée and Gérald Passi, had perfectly negotiated their first round: defeating the Ivory Coast (3-1) and Romania (2-0), the Tricolores also beat Spain (1-0) in Marseille. A match that will remain in the memories thanks to a fantastic goal scored by the French number 14, a certain... Jean-Pierre Papin!
"That goal against Spain, I still have it on video and I often watch it. I started from my side, in depth, and I receive a pass in front of me. The action ended with a shot into the opposite corner. It was my first goal at the Stade Velodrome. But I didn't know that there would be so many more in the same stadium", said the former France international (54 caps, 30 goals). After a perfectly managed group phase, the French team won the tournament by beating England (3-1) in the final. A game during which JPP had again scored, finishing as the top scorer of the Maurice Revello Tournament.
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Franck Sauzée and Jean-Pierre Papin (3rd and 4th from the left) during the Tournament in 1985
The rest is history: the Boulogne-sur-Mer native enjoyed a phenomenal rise to become a true legend of Olympique de Marseille. Between 1986 and 1992, Papin won the French League four times and finished top scorer five times. At the height of his career, Papin even won the Ballon d'Or in 1991. His many spectacular volleys, known as "Papinades", will always be remembered. And history will remember that his first successful "papinade" at the Stade Vélodrome was against Spain during the 1985 Tournament...
1997, a French vintage in the history of the Tournament
Talents, talents and talents again... The French team that came to play in the 1997 tournament was full of talent in all positions. Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Nicolas Anelka, Willy Sagnol, William Gallas, Mikaël Silvestre, Mickael Landreau and Ousmane Dabo: this is the non-exhaustive list of players who made up the French squad that year. The team looked good on paper, but justified its reputation on the pitch against nations that were no match for it. Les Bleuets began their competition with a win over Croatia (1-0) at the Stade des Costières (Nîmes) thanks to a goal from Nicolas Anelka. Thierry Henry followed up with a brace against Mexico (2-1). Gérard Houiller's side were in the perfect position to record a third successive win against Morocco (3-0) and ended their group phase with another victory over the Netherlands (3-1) thanks to a brace from David Trezeguet and a goal from Nicolas Anelka.
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The talented French Team at the 1997 Tournament
With four wins in as many games, France logically finished top of their group, securing their ticket to the final. The last obstacle for the French before lifting the trophy was Portugal. The undefeated Seleçao also earned the right to play in the final after beating the Czech Republic (3-0) and Colombia (1-0) in the previous round. But after an intense and thrilling final, the French clinched the title with a fifth win in five games.
France-Portugal 1997 final line-up
Only one year after the tournament, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet were world champions with the French team. They were joined in 2000 by Nicolas Anelka, when France won the Euro. The three strikers have had incredible careers, which have taken them to the four corners of the world and to the biggest clubs, and have gone on to win Champions Leagues and national titles... What they have in common, like Jean-Pierre Papin, is the Maurice Revello Tournament, which is a definitive revelation of the greatest talents.
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