Steve Mandanda
Encyclopedia
Steve Mandanda is a French international footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...

 in Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

. He currently serves as first-choice captain of Marseille. Mandanda is also a French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

 and has represented his nation at two international tournaments; UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

.

Le Havre

Mandanda made his league début for Le Havre in August 2005, only conceding his first goal in his fourth match. He played 30 league matches in the 2005–06 season and 37 in 2006–07, with his performances attracting the attention of other clubs. Following an unsuccessful trial at Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 prior to the 2007–08 season, he joined Marseille in summer 2007.

Olympique de Marseille

At the start of his first season with Marseille, Mandanda was regarded as an understudy to first choice keeper Cédric Carrasso
Cédric Carrasso
Cédric Carrasso is a French footballer, who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Bordeaux, and the French national team.-Marseille:Carrasso joined the Marseille youth system at the age of thirteen and, despite leaving for Avignon for one year in 1998, it was there that he signed his first...

. However a knee injury ruled Carrasso out for six months, leaving the way clear for Mandanda to become a regular fixture in Ligue 1, Champions League and UEFA Cup matches.

On 5 March 2008, Mandanda joined Marseille on a permanent four year contract. However, his strong performances have led to rumours about moves to England and Italy with clubs such as city rivals Manchester United and Manchester City and also AC Milan.

International career

Mandanda has won a number of caps for the France national under-21 football team
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

 and was named the French squad for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...

.

For the first time, in 2007, he took part in the French A-squad pre-selection.

He played in a friendly match with France B
France B national football team
The France B national football team is the senior national team of France that plays non-A matches against other nations in friendlies. In France, the team is usually called "France A dash".-Popularity and use:...

 against Congo DR
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...

 on 5 February 2008, in which he was substituted at half time, and his younger brother Parfait
Parfait Mandanda
Parfait Mandanda is a Congolese-French footballer. He currently plays as a goalkeeper for Altay S.K. in the TFF First League.-Career:...

 came on for Congo. He made his full international debut on 27 May 2008 in a 2–0 victory against Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...

 in a Euro 2008 warm-up friendly, coming on as a half-time substitute for Sébastien Frey
Sébastien Frey
Sébastien Frey is a French footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Genoa.-Club career:Frey began his career with French side AS Cannes in 1997, at the age of 17...

, and was subsequently nominated as the third-choice goalkeeper in the French squad for Euro 2008.

He started the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

 qualifying campaign as France's first-choice goalkeeper, making his competitive international debut on 6 September 2008 in their opening qualifier against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....

. However, he was replaced in the summer of 2009, as Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...

 chose Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

 goalkeeper Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris is a French international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He is also a French international and is currently the first-choice goalkeeper and vice-captain for both club and country...

 over him for the international starting eleven. Mandanda was a member of France's World Cup team, but did not appear in any of its three matches in the competition.

Personal life

Steve Mandanda has three younger brothers, all of whom are goalkeepers : Parfait
Parfait Mandanda
Parfait Mandanda is a Congolese-French footballer. He currently plays as a goalkeeper for Altay S.K. in the TFF First League.-Career:...

, AS Beauvais and Congolese international
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...

 goalkeeper ; Riffi, Caen
SM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...

, and goalkeeper of the France U-16
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

 and Ever, Lusitanos Saint-Maur. He enjoys spending time with his family in the city of Marseille where he lives. He has earned the nickname "Frenchie" amongst his relatives for having chosen to play for the French national football team rather than Congo, his country of birth.

Club

  • Marseille
    Olympique de Marseille
    Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...

    • Ligue 1
      Ligue 1
      Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

      : 2009–10
      2009–10 Ligue 1
      The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...

    • Coupe de la Ligue
      Coupe de la Ligue
      The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...

      : 2010, 2011

Individual

  • Ligue 1
    Ligue 1
    Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

     Goalkeeper of the Year: 2007–08, 2010–11
  • Ligue 1
    Ligue 1
    Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

     Team of the Year: 2007–08

External links

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