Top 50 foreigners in Ligue 1 / Division 1

Perhaps many have already seen it but this are according to France Football the 50 most noteworthy foreigners in French Football. I've seen the issue with my own eyes and the criteria are a bit unclear to me but anyway, here they are:

1. Safet Sušić

2. Josip Skoblar

3. Juninho Pernambucano

4. Salif Keita

5. Abedi Pele

6. Carlos Bianchi

7. Vahid Halilhodžić

8. Denio Onnis

9. Rai

10. George Weah

11. Ivan Ćurković

12. Carlos Mozer

13. Pedro Miguel Pauleta

14. Oswaldo Piazza

15. Sonny Anderson

16. Roger Magnusson

17. Gunnar Andersson

18. Chris Waddle

19. Jurgen Klinsmann

20. Didier Drogba

21. Jorge Burruchaga

22. Enzo Franscescoli

23. Andrzej Szarmach

24. Dragan Džajić

25. Ivica Osim

26. Johnny Rep

27. Bram Appel

28. Eden Hazard

29. Carlos Valderrama

30. Ilija Pantelić

31. Ronaldinho

32. Roger Milla

33. Rudi Völler

34. Nenad Bjeković

35. Zlatko Vujović

36. Enzo Scifo

37. Kees Rijvers

38. Karl-Heinz Förster

39. Mustapha Dahleb

40. Alen Bokšić

41. Ricardo Gomes

42. Klaus Allofs

43. Paulo Cesar Caju

44. N `Doram Japhet

45. Hugo Curioni

46. Gabriel Heinze

47. Marco Simone

48. Victor Nürnberg

49. Glen Hoddle

50. Lisandro Lopez



It was not a public poll

 

Ordered on decade:

1950s:
17. Gunnar Andersson [Sweden] [also 1960s]
27. Bram Appel [Netherlands] [1940s]
37. Kees Rijvers [Netherlands]
48. Victor Nürnberg [Luxembourg] [1960s]

1960s:
None

1970s:
2. Josip Skoblar [Croatia] [also 1960s]
4. Salif Keita [Mali] [1960s]
6. Carlos Bianchi [Argentina] [1980s]
11. Ivan Ćurković [Serbia] [1980s]
14. Osvaldo Piazza [Argentina]
16. Roger Magnusson [Sweden] [1960s]
24. Dragan Džajić [Serbia]
25. Ivica Osim [Bosnia]
26. Johnny Rep [Netherlands] [1980s]
30. Ilija Pantelić [Croatia]
34. Nenad Bjeković [Serbia] [1980s]
39. Mustapha Dahleb [Algeria] [1980s]
43. Paulo Cesar Caju [Brazil]
45. Hugo Curioni [Argentina] [1980s]

1980s:
1. Safet Sušić [Bosnia] [also 1990s]
7. Vahid Halilhodžić [Bosnia]
8. Delio Onnis [Argentina] [1970s]
21. Jorge Burruchaga [Argentina] [1990s]
22. Enzo Franscescoli [Uruguay] [1990s]
23. Andrzej Szarmach [Poland]
29. Carlos Valderrama [Colombia] [1990s]
32. Roger Milla [Cameroon]
35. Zlatko Vujović [Bosnia] [1990s]
38. Karl-Heinz Förster [Germany] [1990s]
42. Klaus Allofs [Germany] [1990s]
49. Glen Hoddle [England] [1990s]

1990s:
5. Abedi Pele [Ghana] [also 1980s]
9. Rai [Brazil]
10. George Weah [Liberia] [1980s]
12. Carlos Mozer [Brazil] [1980s]
15. Sonny Anderson [Brazil] [2000s]
18. Chris Waddle [England] [1980s]
19. Jurgen Klinsmann [Germany]
33. Rudi Völler [Germany]
36. Enzo Scifo [Belgium] [1980s]
40. Alen Bokšić [Croatia]
41. Ricardo Gomes [Brazil]
44. N `Doram Japhet [Chad]
47. Marco Simone [Italy] [2000s]

2000s:
3. Juninho Pernambucano [Brazil]
13. Pedro Miguel Pauleta [Portugal]
20. Didier Drogba [Cote d'Ivoire] [also 1990s]
31. Ronaldinho [Brazil]
46. Gabriel Heinze [Argentina] [2010s]

2010s:
28. Eden Hazard [Belgium] [also 2000s]
50. Lisandro Lopez [Argentina] [also 2000s]

 

Personal note:

I see it as weakness that so few 1950s players are included. That was one of the Golden Ages for French football. They reached finals of European tournaments like Latin Cups and European Cups, including a few foreigners.

Excellent Dutch players of that era are Bertus de Harder (24 goals in one season as 'pure' winger) and Cor van der Hart - both reached finals of the Latin Cup.

I can also think of a few more Scandinavian and Austrian players in that era (Stojaspal).

 

That would be an interesting question for baboarum but in theory/practice it might be possible that the 1940s and 1960s had simply no great foreigners and, to be fair, French club football also showed no big sustained successes or consistent appearances in advanced stages in club competitions in those decades.

If you look at the 70s, 80s and 90s list I notice something noteworthy. Players in 70s list also played a few or more years in the 1980s. 6 show overlaps with 80s, only 2 with 60s - an decade that is omitted.

80s list show big overlaps with 90s and vice versa (only one in 80s list is related with 70s, only two in 90s list are related with 00s), which grossly correlates with another 'Golden Era' because around that time the French league reached the second place on the UEFA coefficient list. Since late 80s French league climbed in ranking and in 1993 they reached the second spot which lasted until 1996.

Anyhow, I think it is indeed strange but it might be possible that those decades had simply no great foreigners. However, from that point of view the small number of players included from the 1950s is strange because that was unquestionably a Golden Era for them.

That's my view but I think that French posters can provide more insight.

 

Here is a graph of 1960s to 1980s:




At the second half of the 1970s they climb up again.


And then they show another brief dip but came back strong at the second half/end of 1980s.

Source:
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/history/plot-1980-1990.html

 

I have one nice anecdote about Rai (ranked #9) when he played at Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo played against Barcelona in the Intercontinental Cup in 1992. He played very well.


Cruijff, trainer of Barcelona said after the match about him: "I prefer to get beaten by a Ferrari instead of a Volkswagen." This is an exact quote.

 

With the likes of Gabriel Heinze and Caju (played only year in French first division - other year was in second division) included you have a strong point.

Did not think about 1930s because of lack of international club football IIRC - save Mitropa Cup.

Rep.

edit:

Also interesting: Caju is included but Jairzinho, who was his partner at Marsielle, isn't.

 

They refused invitation too. Don't know why.

They were one of the driving forces behind the Latin Cup and also the European Cup with the FA not objecting at that time. So that is a bit strange although a lot of attitudes changed rapidly in many countries after the war.

I do know however that French FA combated professionalism heavily and fiercely during 1920s and it was only introduced at 1932. I know this because I have an extensive profile of Gabriel Hanot. In 1930s professional football was in its infancy in France.

 

Where do you get those names from? Any info about their status? Status of Ben Barek is well known and is in his own country a legend. He is not listed either but he also played several games for French national team.

 

Google has no hits

 

Thanks.

Btw, IFFHS also mentions that France refused participation.

 

What do you think of Ronaldinho his place?

Yes, Valdo is often forgotten like many Brazilians of the 1986-1994 timespan. Silas, Neto, Ricardo Gomes and so on.

Rai was great indeed.