The hard player: Stéphane Guivarc’h
Born on 6 September 1970 in Concarneau, Finistère, Stéphane Guivarc’h started his career at Brest Armorique, making his first-division debut in 1989. After the professional side was dissolved, he moved to Guingamp in the second division, where he proved himself a clinical finisher over 131 matches and 79 goals. Four seasons later, he joined Guy Roux’s AJ Auxerre and was crowned French champion in 1996. After a difficult year at Auxerre, he was loaned to Stade Rennais, where he finished as the league’s top scorer.
In 1998, the accolades kept coming: top scorer in the French league, the Coupe de la Ligue, the Intertoto Cup and the UEFA Cup, with a total of 47 goals across the entire season. He also lifted the World Cup that same year. He then left France for Newcastle United and later the Glasgow Rangers, where he claimed the Scottish treble in 1999 – league title, Scottish Cup and League Cup. After hanging up his boots, he moved into commercial activities, coaching and punditry.
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PlayThe medium player: Seydou Keita
Born on 16 January 1980 in Bamako, Mali, Seydou Keita is a well-travelled midfielder who made his mark across several top European leagues. He made 210 appearances for RC Lens and 43 for Sevilla FC before stepping up a level and joining FC Barcelona, where he featured in 188 games and scored 22 goals. His career path also took him through AS Roma (56 appearances, 5 goals) and FC Lorient (64 appearances, 2 goals).
An international for Mali since his early years, Keita demonstrated the ability to adapt and perform in clubs with very different styles and ambitions. Born in Bamako, his career embodies the journey of a player who grew up in Africa and managed to carve out a lasting place for himself on the European stage, from Ligue 1 to La Liga and through Serie A.
The easy player: Claude Makélélé
Born on 18 February 1973 in Kinshasa, Zaire, Claude Makélélé is one of those players whose name ended up defining a position. A defensive midfielder of the highest order, he launched his career in 1990 and graced the biggest stages in Europe: FC Nantes, Real Madrid, Chelsea and finally Paris Saint-Germain, where he hung up his boots in 2011. His 280 appearances in Chelsea blue stand as his most prolific stint in terms of matches played.
With the French national team, Makélélé’s international career spanned thirteen years, from 1995 to 2008. He missed out on the 1998 World Cup triumph and Euro 2000 glory, but was a key figure in the squad that reached the 2006 World Cup final. His trophy cabinet includes the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 2002, plus the French (1995), Spanish (2001 and 2003) and English (2005 and 2006) league titles. After retiring, he moved into coaching at PSG as an assistant, before taking charge of SC Bastia in Ligue 1 and then AS Eupen in the Belgian First Division.