Koundé becomes the 26th Frenchman to play for Barça

One of the most important movements of the FC Barcelona in the market of signings has been the contracting of Jules Koundé. In the middle of a difficult operation, the Catalan entity attained to do with his services after a hard 'battle' with Chelsea. However, a better economic proposal would have finished for convincing to the directive of his ancient club, the Seville.

With his arrival, the defender has turned into the French number 26 in dressing the Barcelona T-shirt, adding his name to the ones of Ousmane Dembélé and Samuel Umtiti (still in the staff), as well as to Clément Lenglet, the one who today is a member of the Tottenham Hotspur, and to Antoine Griezmann, at present in the rows of the Athletic of Madrid, to the that went back after a step agridulce by the Barça. Previously, there have been other players of the neighbouring country that have been effective culés.

Another French that neither happened long in the club was Jean-Clair Todibo, defender that arrived from the Toulouse in 2019 and left in 2021 to the Nice after several courses like yielded. A year before, Lucas Digne, called to litigate him the left lane to Jordi Alba, said goodbye to the Barça to integrate to the Everton. For 2017 another French defender also sacked : Jérémy Mathieu, the one who arrived from the Valency in 2014 and went to the Sporting of Lisbon.

The French contribution to the historical 2009 of the Barça

For 2013, affected by problems of health, Éric Abidal put end to an extensive cycle like player blaugrana that initiated in 2007, conquering two orejonas, although later it would assume functions like technical secretary. Another of the present Frenchmen in the staff that won everything in 2009 was Thierry Henry, the one who apuntaló one of the best fronts of attack of the Barça between 2007 and 2010.

The French in the 'was Rijkaard'

In 2006, the Barcelona would attain 'rescue' to Lilian Thuram, the one who came to be one of the victims of the Juventus, descended to the Series B Italian by the scandal of the 'calciopoli'. Ludovic Sylvestre arrived from the filial in 2005, but would leave to the Sparta of Prague a year afterwards. More remembered is the case of Ludovic Giuly, one of the figures in the semis of Champions of the season 2005-06 with his goal in front of the Milan. It arrived in 2004 from the Rome and left in 2008 to Paris Saint-Germain.

Principles of the 21st century

With a more discreet step by the Catalan entity, the list of French has the names of Philippe Cristanval, the one who dressed the Barcelona T-shirt from 2001, when it arrived from the Monaco, until his goodbye in 2003 to the Fulham. By his part, the culés also had Emmanuel Petit, more remembered for being one of the champions of the world of the 98, the one who only played the season 2000-01 pertinent of the Arsenal before returning to London to defend the colours of Chelsea. To them it adds the goalkeeper Richard Detruel, Barcelona between 2000 and 2002 that arrived of the Celtic and left to the Alavés.

Frenchmen culés in the 20th century

The rest of the list complete it players like Frédéric Déhu, the one who only played the course 1999-00 of the hand of Louis Go Gaal. Before being champions of the world in France 98, Christophe Dugarry (1997-98) and Laurent Blanc (1996-97) went through the Camp Nou. From this last is precise to trace back several decades backwards to find another French: Lucien Müller, culé between 1965 and 1968.

Another half dozen of French dressed the colours of the Barça until the first-half of the 20th century: Jules Robisco, the first Frenchman that arrived in the postwar period, although only it played two parties. To him they join Jean Verdoux (1917-18), Maurice Bigué (1913-14) Jim Carlier (1913-14), Henry Normand (1908-09) and the first Frenchman in dressing the T-shirt of the Barcelona, René-Victor Fenouillère.