French stars at Bayern: a love affair in red and blue 🫂 | OneFootball

For over thirty years, Bayern Munich has maintained a special relationship with French football. On the occasion of the PSG-Bayern showdown (Champions League), let's focus on the French players who have donned the Bavarian jersey, often with brilliance.

From Papin to Coman, including Ribéry and Lizarazu, the Bavarian club has often found in France talents capable of combining technical elegance and a winning mentality.

It all began in the mid-1990s when Jean-Pierre Papin became the first French player to wear Bayern's red jersey. The former Ballon d'Or played two mixed seasons there (6 goals in 40 matches) before returning to Bordeaux.

A few years later, Bixente Lizarazu established himself as one of the best full-backs in the world under the guidance of Otto Rehhagel and then Ottmar Hitzfeld. With him, Willy Sagnol formed a French full-back duo that would mark the club's history in the 2000s.

Honorable mention for Valérien Ismaël, who wore the Bavarian colors from 2005 to 2008, establishing himself as a key figure in central defense.

The golden era of the Franco-Bavarian connection then arrived with Franck Ribéry. Arriving from Marseille in 2007, "Kaiser Franck" would become a true Bayern legend over twelve seasons: 425 matches, 124 goals, and a Champions League victory in 2013. His duo with Arjen Robben, the formidable "Robbery," will remain etched in the fans' memories.

The 2010s continued this tradition with Corentin Tolisso, Benjamin Pavard, and Lucas Hernández, all three world champions in 2018 with the French team. Kingsley Coman, meanwhile, has been a long-term fixture: arriving at just 19, he delivered the winning goal for Bayern in the 2020 European final against PSG. The "revenge" of the Parisian kid.

Between 2019 and 2022, young players Michaël Cuisance and Tanguy Kouassi did not leave a lasting impression in Munich, but they can boast of having won the German championship. A nice consolation prize.

Today, the new generation is taking over. Dayot Upamecano has become a defensive pillar and Sacha Boey is a valuable backup on the right flank.

More recently, Michael Olise has come to strengthen this already well-established "French connection." He now embodies the future of the Bavarian project, following Mathys Tel's sudden departure to Tottenham.

Talent, character, and often trophies: France and Bayern, it's an alliance that lasts and continues to write one of the most beautiful cross-border stories in European football.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 CHRISTOF STACHE