Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda (born 13 June 1980) is a French retired professional footballer who played as a winger. He made over 500 appearances in the Premier League and Ligue 1 combined, winning the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and Coupe de France once each.
Malouda began his career at Châteauroux in 1997, before moving to Guingamp two years later. He joined Lyon in 2003, where he won the Ligue 1 title three consecutive times. In 2007, Malouda signed for Chelsea for a fee of £13 million, where he won the Premier League title once, the FA Cup three times, and the Champions League once. He left Chelsea in 2013 and had brief spells at Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor, Delhi Dynamos, and Metz.
Malouda made his debut for the France national team in 2004, and went on to make 80 appearances, scoring nine goals. He represented France at two World Cups and two European Championships, helping them reach the final of the 2006 World Cup.
Malouda was known for his dribbling skills, pace, and goalscoring ability. He was also a versatile player, capable of playing on either wing or as a central striker.
Club career
Châteauroux
Malouda was born in Cayenne, French Guiana, and began his career at local club CS Case-Pilote. In 1997, he moved to France and joined Châteauroux in the Championnat National, the third tier of French football. He made his debut for the club in the 1997–98 season, and went on to make 63 appearances, scoring 13 goals.
Guingamp
In 1999, Malouda signed for Guingamp in Ligue 1. He made his debut for the club in the 1999–2000 season, and went on to make 108 appearances, scoring 12 goals. He helped Guingamp win the Coupe de France in 2000, and also helped them reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2001.
Lyon
In 2003, Malouda joined Lyon for a fee of €11 million. He made his debut for the club in the 2003–04 season, and went on to make 166 appearances, scoring 42 goals. He helped Lyon win the Ligue 1 title three consecutive times, from 2004 to 2006.
Chelsea
In 2007, Malouda signed for Chelsea for a fee of £13 million. He made his debut for the club in the 2007–08 season, and went on to make 229 appearances, scoring 45 goals. He helped Chelsea win the Premier League title once, in 2010, the FA Cup three times, in 2009, 2010, and 2012, and the Champions League once, in 2012.
Fenerbahçe
In 2013, Malouda left Chelsea and signed for Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He made his debut for the club in the 2013–14 season, and went on to make 30 appearances, scoring 5 goals.
Trabzonspor
In 2015, Malouda signed for Trabzonspor, also in Turkey. He made his debut for the club in the 2015–16 season, and went on to make 29 appearances, scoring 3 goals.
Delhi Dynamos
In 2016, Malouda signed for Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super League. He made his debut for the club in the 2016 season, and went on to make 10 appearances, scoring 2 goals.
Metz
In 2017, Malouda signed for Metz in Ligue 1. He made his debut for the club in the 2017–18 season, and went on to make 18 appearances, scoring 1 goal.
International career
Malouda made his debut for the France national team in 2004, in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He went on to make 80 appearances for his country, scoring 9 goals. He represented France at two World Cups, in 2006 and 2010, and two European Championships, in 2008 and 2012. He helped France reach the final of the 2006 World Cup, where they lost to Italy on penalties.
Personal life
Malouda is married to Naomie Malouda, and they have three children together. He is a practicing Muslim.
Honours
Lyon
Ligue 1: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06 Trophée des Champions: 2005
Chelsea
Premier League: 2009–10 FA Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12 UEFA Champions League: 2011–12 UEFA Europa League: 2012–13
France
FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2006
Individual
UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2006–07 Chelsea Player of the Year: 2007–08 Premier League Player of the Month: August 2007, October 2008
