Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (born 1 January 1972) is a French retired professional football defender. Thuram played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. He is the most capped player in the history of the France national team with 142 appearances between 1994 and 2008. In 2010, he became a UNICEF ambassador, and has stood out for his initiatives to fight against racism.
About Lilian Thuram in brief
Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (born 1 January 1972) is a French retired professional football defender. Thuram played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. With France, Thuram was a key player for the team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, his side also won UEFA Euro 2000, and was in the runner-up squad for the 2006 World Cup. A quick, powerful and versatile player, he was capable of playing both as a centre-back or as a right-back. In 2010, he became a UNICEF ambassador, and has stood out for his initiatives to fight against racism. He is the most capped player in the history of the France national team with 142 appearances between 1994 and 2008. He made his professional debut with Monaco in 1991. He then transferred to Parma, then to Juventus for £25 million, and eventually to Barcelona in 2006. He has been described as a’studious’ figure off the pitch, and is also a FIFA World Player of the Year award winner. He won the Scudetto two times with Juventus, although these titles were later revoked due to the club’s involvement in the Italian football scandal of 2006.
In his first season with Barcelona, he won the La Liga title and the Champions League. He also won the Coupe de France in 1991, also reaching the final of the 1991–92 European Cup Winners’ Cup. He scored his only UEFA Champions League goal in his career for Monaco in a 4–1 victory over Spartak Moscow in the 1993–94 season. In all, he made over 200 appearances for the club, really making a name for himself, also earning caps for France. His transfer to Juventus cost the club 80 billion Italian lire. Thuram won both the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia during the 1998–99 season, immediately followed by the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana. In the summer of 2001, he along with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, transferred to Juventus, along with eventual Juventus teammates Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro. During the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons under coach Fabio Capello, he formed a centre of defence with Gianluca Zambrotta, Jonathan Zebina, Nicola Legrottaglie, Giorgio Chiellini and Federico Balzaretti.
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