View source for Laurent Blanc

{{short description|French football manager and former player (born 1965)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Laurent Blanc
| image = Laurent blanc 11 11 2013 reves de Clara.jpg
| caption = Blanc in 2013
| full_name = Laurent Robert Blanc<ref>{{cite web |url=https://entreprises.lefigaro.fr/bert-invest-68/entreprise-532765880 |title=Bert Invest (68100) |website=Figaro Entreprises |date=22 November 2024 |access-date=17 February 2025 |language=fr}}<br />{{cite web |url=https://dirigeants.bfmtv.com/Laurent-BLANC-2081435/ |title=Laurent Blanc |website=BFM Business |publisher=NextInteractive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229003734/https://dirigeants.bfmtv.com/Laurent-BLANC-2081435/ |archive-date=29 December 2020 |language=fr}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|11|19|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/laurent-blanc/ |title=Laurent Blanc: Profile |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HEIM:SPIEL |access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Alès]], Gard, France
| height = 1.92 m<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur2563.html |title=Laurent Blanc |newspaper=L'Équipe |location=Paris |access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref>
| position = [[Centre-back]]<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|1718|access-date=28 December 2020}}</ref>
| currentclub = [[Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)|Al-Ittihad]] (manager)
| youthyears1 = 1976–1978
| youthclubs1 = AS Rousson
| youthyears2 = 1978–1980
| youthclubs2 = [[Olympique Alès]]
| youthyears3 = 1980–1983
| youthclubs3 = [[Montpellier HSC|Montpellier]]
| years1 = 1983–1991
| clubs1 = [[Montpellier HSC|Montpellier]]
| caps1 = 243
| goals1 = 76
| years2 = 1991–1992
| clubs2 = [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]]
| caps2 = 31
| goals2 = 6
| years3 = 1992–1993
| clubs3 = [[Nîmes Olympique|Nîmes]]
| caps3 = 29
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 1993–1995
| clubs4 = [[AS Saint-Étienne|Saint-Étienne]]
| caps4 = 70
| goals4 = 18
| years5 = 1995–1996
| clubs5 = [[AJ Auxerre|Auxerre]]
| caps5 = 23
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 1996–1997
| clubs6 = [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]
| caps6 = 28
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 1997–1999
| clubs7 = [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]]
| caps7 = 63
| goals7 = 14
| years8 = 1999–2001
| clubs8 = [[Inter Milan]]
| caps8 = 67
| goals8 = 6
| years9 = 2001–2003
| clubs9 = [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
| caps9 = 48
| goals9 = 1
| totalcaps = 602
| totalgoals = 125
| nationalyears1 = 1989–2000
| nationalteam1 = [[France national football team|France]]
| nationalcaps1 = 97
| nationalgoals1 = 16
| manageryears1 = 2007–2010
| managerclubs1 = [[FC Girondins de Bordeaux|Bordeaux]]
| manageryears2 = 2010–2012
| managerclubs2 = [[France national football team|France]]
| manageryears3 = 2013–2016
| managerclubs3 = [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]]
| manageryears4 = 2020–2022
| managerclubs4 = [[Al-Rayyan SC|Al-Rayyan]]
| manageryears5 = 2022–2023
| managerclubs5 = [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]]
| manageryears6 = 2024–
| managerclubs6 = [[Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)|Al-Ittihad]]
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|FRA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Winner|[[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UEFA European Championship]]}}
{{Medal|Winner|[[UEFA Euro 2000|2000]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UEFA European Under-21 Championship]]}}
{{Medal|Winner|[[1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship|1988]]|}}
}}
'''Laurent Robert Blanc''' ({{IPA|fr|lɔʁɑ̃ blɑ̃}}; born 19 November 1965) is a French professional [[Manager (association football)|football manager]] and former [[Football player|player]] who played as a [[centre-back]] and is the manager of [[Saudi Pro League]] club [[Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)|Al-Ittihad]]. He has the nickname ''Le Président'', which was given to him following his stint at [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] in tribute to his leadership skills.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01e3-0e740b3074ab-296c4384e65c-1000--blanc-s-bordeaux-rise-to-the-occasion/ |title=Blanc's Bordeaux rise to the occasion |publisher=UEFA |date=15 March 2010 |access-date=29 June 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100317/SPORT/703169857/1004/foreign |title=Bordeaux hope this season is not Blanc's last hurrah |publisher=The National |date=16 March 2010 |access-date=29 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407073855/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100317%2FSPORT%2F703169857%2F1004%2Fforeign |archive-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.<ref name="50 Greatest Defenders">{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1767176-50-greatest-defenders-in-world-football-history |title=50 Greatest Defenders in World Football History |publisher=bleacherreport.com |date=10 September 2013 |access-date=30 October 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 50 best defenders in football history ranked by fans |url=https://www.givemesport.com/football-fans-rank-the-50-greatest-defenders-in-football-history/|website=GiveMeSport |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>

Blanc played professional football for numerous clubs, including [[Montpellier HSC|Montpellier]], [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]], [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]], [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]], [[Inter Milan]] and [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], often operating in the [[Defender (association football)#Sweeper (libero)|sweeper position]]. He is also a former [[France national football team|French international]], earning 97 caps and scoring 16 international goals. He represented the country in several international tournaments, including the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]] and [[UEFA Euro 2000]], both of which [[France national football team|France]] won. On 28 June 1998, Blanc scored the first [[golden goal]] in [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] history against [[Paraguay national football team|Paraguay]].

He began his managerial career at [[Girondins de Bordeaux|Bordeaux]] in 2007, winning domestic honours including the [[2008–09 Ligue 1]] title. After leaving Bordeaux in 2010 he became the manager of the France national team until 2012, replacing [[Raymond Domenech]] in the wake of the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Laurent Blanc appointed new manager of France |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8685345.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=2 July 2010 |access-date=4 July 2010 }}</ref> and leading the country to the quarter-finals of [[UEFA Euro 2012]]. In 2013, he was hired by Paris Saint-Germain, winning further honours. After three successful years with Paris Saint-Germain he left the club in June 2016. Following more than six years without coaching in Europe, he was appointed manager by [[Olympique Lyon|Lyon]] in October 2022.

==Club career==
===Early years===
Blanc was born in [[Alès]], Gard, France.<ref name=Hugman/> His career started at [[Montpellier HSC|Montpellier]], where he signed his first professional contract in 1983. A very technical, yet slow player, he played as an [[Midfielder|attacking midfielder]] and helped the club get promoted to [[Ligue 1|Division 1]] in [[French football Division 2 1986-87|1987]]. Only a few years later did he settle as a defender following the advice from [[Michel Mézy]], a position in which his physical stature (1.92&nbsp;m, 86&nbsp;kg) and his temperament would prove invaluable. His game being perfectly fitted for the French league, he managed to score at least 12 Division 1 goals per season in his last three seasons at Montpellier, for the most part penalties and headers. He also won the [[Coupe de France]] in [[1989–90 Coupe de France|1990]], scoring a goal in the [[1990 Coupe de France Final|final match]]. Blanc remains Montpellier's all-time leading goal scorer, with 83 in all competitions (76 altogether in Division 1 and [[Ligue 2|Division 2]]). On 5 August 2017, [[Souleymane Camara]] scored the only goal (in the 59th minute) in Montpellier's [[2017-18 Ligue 1|Matchday 1 Ligue 1]] 1–0 win against [[SM Caen|Caen]] to register his 48th Ligue 1 goal for Montpellier, breaking Blanc's longstanding Montpellier record of 47 Division 1 goals scored in four seasons.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ligue1.com/ligue1/article/montpellier-win-it-for-nicollin.htm|title=Montpellier win it for Nicollin|publisher=www.ligue1.com|date=5 August 2017}}</ref>

In 1991, Blanc tried his luck abroad when he left Montpellier for [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]] in the Italian [[Serie A]]. Despite a decent season, during which he managed to score six goals, he felt like he could not fully express his potential and returned to France after just one year, to [[Nîmes Olympique|Nîmes]] and then [[AS Saint-Étienne|Saint Étienne]], where again he imposed himself as one of the best defenders in the league. Although Blanc scored 13 goals in his last season at Saint-Étienne, les Verts were almost relegated, only staying up because [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] were not allowed to return to the first division because of the club's financial difficulties. [[Guy Roux]], impressed by Blanc and looking for a replacement for [[Netherlands national football team|Dutch]] international [[Frank Verlaat]], convinced him to join [[AJ Auxerre|Auxerre]] in 1995. Despite injuring himself early in the season, Blanc came back strongly and played a great part in the team's [[Double (association football)|double]] that year.

===Barcelona===
Blanc's success at Auxerre drew the attention of several big European clubs. Blanc agreed to join [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] in Spain largely because manager [[Johan Cruyff]] wanted him and persuaded him to sign. But on the very day that Blanc said yes to ''Barça'', Cruyff was sacked, and Blanc's spell with the club was a less than happy one. Blanc was in the side when Barcelona won the [[Supercopa de España]] against [[Atlético Madrid]], but was injured soon afterwards. He played regularly upon his return from injury, but was sent off during the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|Cup Winners' Cup]] [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996–97#Quarter-finals|quarter-final]] against [[AIK Fotboll|AIK]]. He then injured himself again against [[CF Extremadura|Extremadura]], which forced him to miss the ''[[El Clásico|Clásico]]'' and the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final 1997|Cup Winners' Cup final]] against [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]]. After this disappointing season and only one year away from the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]], he decided to leave.

===''"Le Président"''===
[[Rolland Courbis]] managed to convince Blanc to join Marseille, which proved beneficial for both the club and Blanc. Blanc quickly became a leader in a team that was desperately lacking confidence, and helped Marseille finish in fourth place in his first season, during which he scored 11 goals and earned the nickname "''Le Président''" ("The President"). The season following the World Cup was both successful and frustrating for Blanc and Marseille, as they finished runners-up in the [[1998–99 French Division 1|championship]], only one point shy of [[FC Girondins de Bordeaux|Bordeaux]], and reached the [[1998–99 UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup]] [[1999 UEFA Cup Final|final]], only to lose 3–0 to [[Parma F.C.|Parma]], with [[Hernán Crespo]] intercepting Blanc's back pass to [[Stéphane Porato]] to score the opener. Afterwards, Blanc left Marseille for [[Inter Milan]], where he enjoyed some success, winning the ''Pirata d'Oro'' (Inter Player of the Year) in 2000.

===Manchester United===
[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] manager [[Alex Ferguson]] had attempted to lure Blanc several times since 1996 and finally succeeded in August 2001 when, at the age of 35, Blanc was brought in to replace the departing [[Jaap Stam]]. He was criticised for poor performances in the early months of his stay at [[Old Trafford]], when United suffered five defeats in the league by 1 December 2001 – with some critics even being keen to point out that the five teams who had beaten them in the league began with the letters which spelt out Blanc's surname – ''[[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|'''B'''olton Wanderers]], [[Liverpool F.C.|'''L'''iverpool]], [[Arsenal F.C.|'''A'''rsenal]], [[Newcastle United F.C.|'''N'''ewcastle United]], and [[Chelsea F.C.|'''C'''helsea]].'' He initially arrived at [[Old Trafford]] on a one-year contract, and as his form and his team's form improved throughout the season (although it wasn't enough for United to catch Arsenal in the title race or advance beyond Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League semis), he was eventually awarded a fresh one-year contract to give him a second season in Manchester. He was nicknamed "Larry White" by fans as a loose translation of his name.<ref name="Independent 2011-05-06"/>

He scored four goals during his time at Manchester United. One of these came in the league against [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Man Utd's amazing comeback|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1567733.stm|website=BBC Sport|date=29 September 2001 |access-date=4 November 2009}}</ref> and the other three all came in the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] in games against [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/champions_league/2344237.stm|title=Man Utd go through |website=BBC Sport |date=23 October 2002 |access-date=4 November 2009}}</ref> and [[Boavista F.C.|Boavista]] (both home<ref>{{cite news |title=Man Utd stroll past Boavista |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/champions_league/1691444.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=5 December 2001 |access-date=4 November 2009}}</ref> and away).<ref>{{cite news |title=Man Utd top group |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/champions_league/1878830.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=19 March 2002 |access-date=4 November 2009 }}</ref> Blanc retired from football after helping United win the [[2002–03 FA Premier League]] title.<ref name="Independent 2011-05-06">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/in-black-and-white-blanc-is-on-the-brink-2279670.html |location=London |work=The Independent |first=John |last=Lichfield |date=6 May 2011 |title=In black and white: Blanc is on the brink |access-date=23 December 2022}}</ref>

==International career==
Blanc won the [[1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship]], his team beating [[Greece national under-21 football team|Greece]] in the final.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=1988 Under-21 EURO: France sweep to final glory|work=UEFA|url=https://www.uefa.com/under21/history/1988/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118090818/https://www.uefa.com/under21/history/1988/|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 January 2021|access-date=11 August 2013}}</ref> He was named the tournament's Golden Player by [[UEFA]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=1988 Under-21 EURO Golden Player: Laurent Blanc|url=https://www.uefa.com/under21/news/0257-0de65293c8b5-1b17d21bed85-1000--1988-laurent-blanc/|access-date=15 July 2020}}</ref>

On 7 February 1989, Blanc made his debut for the [[France national football team|senior national team]] against the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]]. France, then in reconstruction after the retirement of numerous key players, did not manage to qualify for the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]]. Shortly after that, they started an impressive 19-game unbeaten streak, including eight wins out of eight in [[UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying Group 1|Euro 1992 qualifying]], making them one of the favorites to win the [[UEFA Euro 1992|competition]]. They would, however, get knocked out in the group stage by eventual winners [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]].

After France [[1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA – Group 6)|failed to qualify]] for the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]], Blanc was heavily criticised, as well the rest of the team, and he subsequently decided to retire from international football. [[Aimé Jacquet]], after taking over the managerial position of the national team, made it one of his priorities to convince Blanc to change his mind. Blanc returned to the team for the [[UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying Group 1|Euro 1996 qualification campaign]] and scored in a 4–0 win over [[Slovakia national football team|Slovakia]]. At the [[UEFA Euro 1996|tournament finals]], he formed a central defensive partnership with [[Marcel Desailly]]. Blanc scored France's opening goal in the final [[UEFA Euro 1996 Group B|group match]] against [[Bulgaria national football team|Bulgaria]] in a 3–1 win to put the team into the [[UEFA Euro 1996 knockout stage#France vs Netherlands|quarter-finals]], where they faced the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] at [[Anfield]]. Blanc scored France's winning [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty kick]] in the [[Penalty shootout|shootout]] after the match had ended 0–0. France then lost on penalty kicks at the [[UEFA Euro 1996 knockout stage#France vs Czech Republic|semi-final]] stage after drawing 0–0 with the [[Czech Republic national football team|Czech Republic]]. However, Blanc again successfully converted his kick.

France then entered the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]], which was held on home soil. Blanc was exemplary during the competition and, on 28 June 1998, scored the first-ever [[golden goal]] in World Cup history against [[Paraguay national football team|Paraguay]] in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage#France vs Paraguay|round of 16]]. In the [[1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage#Italy vs France|quarter-final]], Blanc helped France to a clean sheet over [[Italy national football team|Italy]] and scored the winning penalty as ''Les Bleus'' prevailed in the shootout. He missed the [[1998 FIFA World Cup Final|final]] after being [[Ejection (sports)|sent off]] in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage#France vs Croatia|semi-final]] against [[Croatia national football team|Croatia]] for slapping [[Slaven Bilić]]. The sending off was the first (and only) [[Penalty card|red card]] of Blanc's international professional career. Despite Blanc's absence, France lifted the World Cup for the first time after defeating [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] 3–0 at the [[Stade de France]].

Blanc was also part of the team that won [[UEFA Euro 2000]] during which, despite having been criticised for his age and lack of speed during the qualifications, he proved reliable in defence and even scored France's first goal of the tournament against Denmark in the [[UEFA Euro 2000 Group D|group stage]]. He announced his retirement from international football after the competition, following the example of his captain [[Didier Deschamps]]. On 2 September 2000, Blanc, along with Deschamps and [[Bernard Lama]], played his final match for ''Les Bleus'' in a friendly against [[England national football team|England]] at the Stade de France.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/sep/03/newsstory.sport16?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|title=England give France a fright|date=3 September 2000|access-date=11 August 2013|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

Blanc was well known for kissing good friend and goalkeeper [[Fabien Barthez]]'s head before the start of every match, supposedly for good luck (the two did repeat this ritual when they played together for Manchester United, but only for Champions League matches). The France national team was unbeaten in all matches when it fielded the World Cup and European Championship winning defence of Blanc, Desailly, [[Lilian Thuram]] and [[Bixente Lizarazu]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4753303/Four-of-a-kind-for-France.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4753303/Four-of-a-kind-for-France.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Four of a kind for France|date=26 June 2000|access-date=11 August 2013|work=The Telegraph|location=London|first=Alan|last=Smith}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Overall, Blanc recorded 97 [[cap (sport)|caps]] and scored 16 goals. In 1999, the readers of ''[[France Football]]'' magazine voted him the fourth-best [[France national football team|French]] player of all time, behind [[Michel Platini]], [[Zinedine Zidane]] and [[Raymond Kopa]].

==Managerial career==
===Bordeaux===
[[File:Laurent Blanc 23.jpg|thumb|Blanc during his time with Bordeaux in 2009]]

On 8 June 2007, Blanc was named the new manager of Bordeaux, replacing Brazilian [[Ricardo Gomes]]. For his [[2007–08 Ligue 1|first season]] on the bench, he led the club to second place in [[Ligue 1]] and won the [[Trophées UNFP du football#Manager of the Year|Manager of the Year award]]. His [[2008–09 Ligue 1|second Ligue 1 season]] was extremely successful. Bordeaux won the final 11 league matches of the [[2008–09 Ligue 1]] season, setting a new [[Football in France|French record]] for consecutive wins,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-world/joy-as-bordeaux-end-10year-french-title-wait-20090531-br8q.html|title=Joy as Bordeaux end 10-year French title wait|access-date=31 May 2009|work=Brisbane Times|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102544/http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-world/joy-as-bordeaux-end-10year-french-title-wait-20090531-br8q.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> to clinch the Ligue 1 title three points clear of [[Olympique de Marseille]]. Bordeaux also won the [[2008–09 Coupe de la Ligue]]. Blanc was again nominated for Manager of the Year but lost to Marseille manager [[Eric Gerets]].

In the [[2009–10 UEFA Champions League|2009–10 Champions League campaign]], Blanc's Bordeaux topped a group featuring [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] and [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] without losing a match.<ref>{{cite web|title=UEFA Champions League – 2010 standings|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2010/groups/|publisher=[[UEFA]]|access-date=21 April 2014}}</ref> After defeating [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] in the Round of 16, they were eliminated by fellow French side [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]] in the quarter-finals.

===France===
[[File:Laurent Blanc Euro 2012 vs Sweden 01 cropped.jpg|thumb|left|Blanc managing [[France national football team|France]] at [[UEFA Euro 2012]]]]

On 16 May 2010, Blanc confirmed his departure from Bordeaux after three seasons in charge of the French outfit. After resigning from his position, Blanc contacted the [[French Football Federation]] (FFF) to inquire about the France national team job, which was eventually vacated by [[Raymond Domenech]] following the [[2010 FIFA World Cup|2010 World Cup]]. Later that day, FFF President [[Jean-Pierre Escalettes]] confirmed that Blanc was a candidate for the position. On 18 May 2010, with Blanc's appointment to the position becoming more probable, Bordeaux chairman [[Jean-Louis Triaud]] demanded compensation from the Federation. On 20 May 2010, the club reached an agreement with the FFF for €1.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2010/20100520_102217_accord-bordeaux-fff-pour-blanc.html |title=Accord Bordeaux-FFF pour Blanc |publisher=L'Equipe |access-date=20 May 2010 |date=20 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523071554/http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2010/20100520_102217_accord-bordeaux-fff-pour-blanc.html |archive-date=23 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8685345.stm|title=Laurent Blanc will leave Bordeaux to become France boss|date=20 May 2010|website=BBC Sport|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref> On 26 June, [[Media of France|French media]] confirmed that Blanc had signed a two-year contract with the Federation to lead the team to [[UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012]]. The deal was finalised a week later and Blanc was officially named as manager of the team on 2 July.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2010/20100626_103312_blanc-c-est-signe.html |title=Blanc, c'est signé! |publisher=L'Equipe |date=26 June 2010 |access-date=26 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628000008/http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2010/20100626_103312_blanc-c-est-signe.html |archive-date=28 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.francefootball.fr/FF/breves2010/20100626_110012_blanc-a-signe-deux-ans.html |title=Laurent Blanc a signé deux ans |publisher=France Football |date=26 June 2010 |access-date=26 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628011500/http://www.francefootball.fr/FF/breves2010/20100626_110012_blanc-a-signe-deux-ans.html |archive-date=28 June 2010 }}</ref>

As he took charge of France, the Federation had decided to suspend all 23 players who took part in the South African World Cup, much to Blanc's regret.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2010/08/18/laurent-blanc-victime-collaterale-des-sanctions-de-la-fff_1400263_3242.html|title=Laurent Blanc : "Ce n'est évidemment pas la situation idéale"|date=18 August 2010|newspaper=Le Monde}}</ref> On 11 August, in his first game as manager, France lost 2–1 to [[Norway national football team|Norway]] at the [[Ullevaal Stadion]] in [[Oslo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=290109&cc=5739&league=FIFA.FRIENDLY|title=Norway 2 – 1 France|date=11 August 2010|work=ESPN Soccernet|access-date=24 August 2010|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023111619/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=290109&cc=5739&league=FIFA.FRIENDLY|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, Blanc's team soon managed to top their [[UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D|Euro 2012 qualifying group]] while also achieving friendly wins over [[England national football team|England]], [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] and [[Germany national football team|Germany]]. France's first match in [[UEFA Euro 2012 Group D|Group D of Euro 2012]] was against England and ended in a 1–1 draw, after [[Samir Nasri]] scored to cancel out a goal scored by [[Joleon Lescott]]. France then went on to win their second match 2–0 against [[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]]. They advanced to the quarter-finals by finishing in second position in Group D, despite losing to [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] 2–0 in their final group match. France were defeated 2–0 by the defending champions [[Spain national football team|Spain]] in the quarter-final match. Blanc stepped down as manager of the national team on 30 June 2012 and was replaced by former France captain and teammate [[Didier Deschamps]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18659024|title=Laurent Blanc leaves job as France boss after Euro 2012 exit|date=30 June 2012|website=BBC Sport}}</ref>

===Paris Saint-Germain===
[[File:Laurent Blanc (11669076223).jpg|thumb|left|Blanc at [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]]'s December 2013 training camp in [[Doha]], [[Qatar]]]]

Blanc was appointed manager of [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]] on 25 June 2013 shortly after previous manager [[Carlo Ancelotti]] left for [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23047006|title=Carlo Ancelotti appointed Real Madrid boss and Blanc joins PSG|publisher=bbc.co.uk|access-date=25 June 2013}}</ref> On 3 August, Blanc won his first trophy with the club, the [[2013 Trophée des Champions]], defeating Bordeaux 2–1 in the [[Stade d'Angondjé]] in [[Libreville]], [[Gabon]], coming from behind with late goals from [[Hervin Ongenda]] and [[Alex (footballer, born June 1982)|Alex]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Blanc wins first trophy with PSG|url=http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1513330/paris-saint-germain-beat-bordeaux-trophee-des-champions?cc=5739|access-date=21 April 2014|newspaper=[[ESPN]]|date=4 August 2013}}</ref> A second item of silverware was won on 19 April 2014, as two goals from [[Edinson Cavani]] defeated Lyon 2–1 in the [[2014 Coupe de la Ligue Final]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Paris St-Germain v Lyon as it happened|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27090265|access-date=21 April 2014|newspaper=[[Sky Sports News]]|date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421070721/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27090265|archive-date=21 April 2014}}</ref> PSG's European campaign ended in the quarter-finals of the [[2013–14 UEFA Champions League]] with elimination by [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] on away goals.<ref>{{cite news|last=McNulty|first=Phil|title=Chelsea 2–0 Paris Saint-Germain|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26914647|access-date=21 April 2014|website=BBC Sport|date=8 April 2014}}</ref> On 7 May 2014, after nearest rivals [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]] drew with [[En Avant de Guingamp|Guingamp]], PSG won the league, despite losing to [[Stade Rennais F.C.|Rennes]] later that day in the match in which they celebrated their triumph.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paris St. Germain 1–2 Rennes|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27301041|access-date=9 May 2014|website=BBC Sport|date=7 May 2014}}</ref> The following day, Blanc was given a one-year contract extension to 2016, with club President [[Nasser Al-Khelaifi]] saying: "We are very happy with his results this season, as well as the very attractive football the team has played. We are convinced we will win a lot more trophies together."<ref>{{cite news|title=Laurent Blanc: Paris St-Germain coach signs new deal|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27334737|access-date=9 May 2014|website=BBC Sport|date=8 May 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Jean Louis Gasset 1 (cropped).jpg|upright|thumb|[[Jean-Louis Gasset]], his assistant from [[2007 in association football|2007]] to [[2016 in association football|2016]], conducts the training sessions]]

{{wikinews|Blanc extends contract with Paris Saint-Germain by two years}}
Blanc's second season in charge began with victory in the [[2014 Trophée des Champions]] against Guingamp at the [[Workers' Stadium]] in [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Paris Saint-Germain beat Guingamp to win the Trophee des Champions|url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11800/9404373/paris-saint-germain-beat-guingamp-to-win-the-trophee-des-champions|access-date=17 May 2015|work=[[Sky Sports News]]|date=2 August 2014}}</ref> On 11 April 2015, PSG retained the [[Coupe de la Ligue]] with a victory over [[SC Bastia|Bastia]] in the [[2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final|final]], with [[Edinson Cavani]] and [[Zlatan Ibrahimović]] scoring two goals each in a 4–0 victory.<ref>{{cite news|title=PSG punish Bastia to retain Coupe de la Ligue|url=https://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/258/996/8/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710020835/http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/258/996/8/|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 July 2015|access-date=17 May 2015|agency=Agence France-Presse|publisher=FIFA|date=11 April 2015}}</ref> PSG won the [[List of French football champions|Ligue 1]] title for the third consecutive year on 16 May 2015 with a 2–1 victory at [[Montpellier HSC|Montpellier]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Montpellier 1–2 Paris St G|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32755112|access-date=17 May 2015|website=BBC Sport|date=17 May 2015}}</ref> On 11 February 2016, Blanc signed a two-year contract extension.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11820/10162834/paris-saint-germain-coach-laurent-blanc-extends-contract|title=Laurent Blanc extends contract at Paris Saint-Germain|website=Sky Sports}}</ref> PSG reached the quarter-finals of the [[2015–16 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|Champions League]] for the fourth consecutive year after dispatching [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in the round of 16, but lost to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] in the quarter-finals. Blanc was criticised by the French media after the Champions League quarterfinal second-leg match against Manchester City, where he had surprised many by having his team play in an untried 5–3–2 formation that backfired completely. On 21 May 2016, PSG defeated [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] 4–2 in the [[2016 Coupe de France Final]]. PSG thus won the Ligue 1–Coupe de France–Coupe de la Ligue [[Treble (association football)|domestic treble]] for the second consecutive season and equalled Marseille's all-time record of ten Coupe de France titles. On 3 June 2016, when asked for his assessment of the season during an interview given to the newspaper ''[[Le Parisien]]'', PSG's president, [[Nasser Al-Khelaifi]] described the 2015–2016 season as a failure because of PSG's elimination from the Champions League by Manchester City at the quarter-final stage, and stated that changes would be made before the following season and a new cycle would begin. On 27 June 2016, PSG announced that Blanc and assistant coach [[Jean-Louis Gasset]] had left the club by mutual agreement that "preserved the interests of both parties", noting that Blanc had "left a significant mark on the great history of Paris Saint-Germain". The French sports daily ''[[L'Équipe]]'' reported that Blanc would receive a severance deal worth 22 million euros.<ref>[The club's president, [[Nasser Al-Khelaifi]] Laurent Blanc's future as manager of Paris Saint-Germain in doubt], Guardian, 3 June 2016. original (fr): [http://www.leparisien.fr/psg-foot-paris-saint-germain/il-est-temps-que-ca-change-03-06-2016-5852345.php VIDEO. PSG. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi : « Il est temps que ça change »], Le Parisien.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/27/paris-saint-germain-laurent-blanc|title=PSG part company with manager Laurent Blanc|work=The Guardian|date=27 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/laurent-blanc-sacked-by-french-champions-psg-062716|title=Paris Saint-Germain part company with boss Laurent Blanc|work=Fox Sports|date=27 June 2016}}</ref>

===Al-Rayyan===
On 19 December 2020, Blanc was appointed as the head coach of Qatari club [[Al-Rayyan SC|Al-Rayyan]], replacing Uruguayan [[Diego Aguirre]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Former PSG boss Laurent Blanc resurfaces in Qatar at Al-Rayyan |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/sports/20201219-former-psg-boss-laurent-blanc-resurfaces-in-qatar-at-al-rayyan |website=RFI |language=en |date=19 December 2020}}</ref>

On 13 February 2022, he was terminated because of poor results and replaced by [[Nicolás Córdova]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Blanc booted out by Qatar club Al-Rayyan |url=https://www.thescore.com/fra_fed/news/2297814 |website=theScore |language=en |date=13 February 2022}}</ref>

===Lyon===
On 9 October 2022, Blanc was appointed as the manager of French club [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]]. He replaced outgoing Dutch manager [[Peter Bosz]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurent Blanc, nouvel entraîneur de l'OL jusqu'en 2024 |url=https://www.ol.fr/fr/actualites/communique-du-club-3 |website=ol.fr |language=fr |date=9 October 2022 }}</ref> He was sacked by OL on 8 September 2023, after losing three of their four opening games, leaving them in last place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Laurent-blanc-mis-a-pied-par-l-ol/1419174|title=Laurent Blanc mis à pied par l'OL|trans-title=Laurent Blanc dismissed by OL|language=fr|publisher=L'Équipe|date=11 September 2023|access-date=11 September 2023}}</ref>

===Al-Ittihad===
On 13 July 2024, Blanc was appointed as the head coach of [[Saudi Pro League]] club [[Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)|Al-Ittihad]], replacing Argentine [[Marcelo Gallardo]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurent Blanc replaces Marcelo Gallardo as Al Ittihad boss |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40554169/laurent-blanc-replaces-marcelo-gallardo-al-ittihad-boss |publisher=ESPN |date=13 July 2024 }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{Soccerbase|9350|name=Laurent Blanc}}</ref><ref name="Endlar">{{Cite web |url=http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/blanc.html |title=Laurent Blanc |access-date=27 November 2008 |last=Endlar |first=Andrew |publisher=StretfordEnd.co.uk }}</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup{{efn|Appearances in [[Football League Cup|League Cup]], [[Supercopa de España]]}}
!colspan="2"|Europe{{efn|Appearances in [[UEFA Champions League]], [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]}}
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="9"|[[Montpellier HSC|Montpellier]]
|[[1983–84 French Division 2|1983–84]]
|rowspan="4"|[[Ligue 2|Division 2]]
|15||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||15||0
|-
|[[1984–85 French Division 2|1984–85]]
|32||5||1||0||colspan="2"|—||33||5
|-
|[[1985–86 French Division 2|1985–86]]
|29||6||2||0||colspan="2"|—||31||6
|-
|[[1986–87 French Division 2|1986–87]]
|34||18||1||0||colspan="2"|—||35||18
|-
|[[1987–88 French Division 1|1987–88]]
|rowspan="4"|[[Ligue 1|Division 1]]
|24||6||1||0||colspan="2"|—||25||6
|-
|[[1988–89 French Division 1|1988–89]]
|35||15||3||1||2||0||40||16
|-
|[[1989–90 French Division 1|1989–90]]
|36||12||6||2||colspan="2"|—||42||14
|-
|[[1990–91 French Division 1|1990–91]]
|38||14||2||0||6||1||46||15
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!243!!76!!16!!3!!8!!1!!267!!80
|-
|[[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]]
|[[1991–92 S.S.C. Napoli season|1991–92]]
|[[Serie A]]
|31||6||3||0||colspan="2"|—||34||6
|-
|[[Nîmes Olympique|Nîmes]]
|[[1992–93 French Division 1|1992–93]]
|Division 1
|29||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||30||1
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[AS Saint-Étienne|Saint-Étienne]]
|[[1993–94 French Division 1|1993–94]]
|rowspan="2"|Division 1
|33||5||1||0||colspan="2"|—||34||5
|-
|[[1994–95 AS Saint-Étienne season|1994–95]]
|37||13||2||0||colspan="2"|—||39||13
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!70!!18!!3!!0!!0!!0!!73!!18
|-
|[[AJ Auxerre|Auxerre]]
|[[1995–96 AJ Auxerre season|1995–96]]
|Division 1
|23||2||8||2||colspan="2"|—||31||4
|-
|[[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]
|[[1996–97 FC Barcelona season|1996–97]]
|[[La Liga]]
|28||1||5||0||5||0||38||1
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]]
|[[1997–98 French Division 1|1997–98]]
|rowspan="2"|Division 1
|31||11||4||2||colspan="2"|—||35||13
|-
|[[1998–99 Olympique de Marseille season|1998–99]]
|32||3||2||0||10||1||44||4
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!63!!14!!6!!2!!10!!1!!79!!17
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Inter Milan]]
|[[1999–2000 Inter Milan season|1999–2000]]
|rowspan="2"|Serie A
|34||3||7||0||colspan="2"|—||41||3
|-
|[[2000–01 Inter Milan season|2000–01]]
|33||3||2||0||9||0||44||3
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!67!!6!!9!!0!!9!!0!!85!!6
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[2001–02 Manchester United F.C. season|2001–02]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Premier League]]
|29||1||2||0||15||2||46||3
|-
|[[2002–03 Manchester United F.C. season|2002–03]]
|19||0||1||0||9||1||29||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!48!!1!!3!!0!!24!!3!!75!!4
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!602!!125!!54!!7!!56!!5!!712!!137
|}

{{notelist}}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name="NFT">{{NFT|13955|name=Blanc, Laurent|accessdate=}}</ref><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/blanc-intl.html Laurent Blanc – International Appearances] Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, 23 August 2001</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[France national football team|France]]
|1989||6||1
|-
|1990||7||1
|-
|1991||6||2
|-
|1992||8||0
|-
|1993||8||3
|-
|1994||7||0
|-
|1995||4||1
|-
|1996||10||3
|-
|1997||7||0
|-
|1998||13||3
|-
|1999||9||0
|-
|2000||12||2
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!97!!16
|}

:''Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Blanc goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Laurent Blanc
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|style="text-align:center"|1
|{{dts|18 November 1989}}
|[[Stadium de Toulouse]], [[Toulouse]], France
|{{fb|CYP|1960}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|[[1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Cyprus|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/32760/France_Cyprus.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|2
|{{dts|21 January 1990}}
|[[Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium]], [[Kuwait City]], Kuwait
|{{fb|KUW}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|[[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Kuwait vs. France|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/31629/Kuwait_France.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|3
|{{dts|20 February 1991}}
|[[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]], France
|{{fb|ESP}}
|style="text-align:center"|3–1
|style="text-align:center"|3–1
|[[UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Spain|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/30708/France_Spain.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|4
|{{dts|14 August 1991}}
|[[Poznań Stadium]], [[Poznań]], Poland
|{{fb|POL}}
|style="text-align:center"|4–1
|style="text-align:center"|5–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Poland vs. France|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/30642/Poland_France.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|5
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|17 February 1993}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Ramat Gan Stadium]], [[Ramat Gan]], Israel
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|ISR}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4–0
|rowspan="2"|[[1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|1994 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite web|title=Israel vs. France|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/29149/Israel_France.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|6
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|7
|{{dts|8 September 1993}}
|[[Tampere Stadium]], [[Tampere]], Finland
|{{fb|Finland}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|1994 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Finland vs. France|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/29153/Finland_France.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|8
|{{dts|26 April 1995}}
|[[Stade de la Beaujoire]], [[Nantes]], France
|{{fb|SVK}}
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|style="text-align:center"|4–0
|[[UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Slovakia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27315/France_Slovakia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|9
|{{dts|1 June 1996}}
|[[MHPArena]], [[Stuttgart]], Germany
|{{fb|GER}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|Friendly
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Germany vs. France|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26505/Germany_France.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|10
|{{dts|18 June 1996}}
|[[St James' Park]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], United Kingdom
|{{fb|BUL}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|3–1
|[[UEFA Euro 1996]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Bulgaria|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16143/France_Bulgaria.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|11
|{{dts|9 October 1996}}
|Parc des Princes, Paris, France	
|{{fb|TUR}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|4–0
|Friendly
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Turkey|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26593/France_Turkey.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|12
|{{dts|25 February 1998}}
|[[Stade Vélodrome]], [[Marseille]], France
|{{fb|NOR}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|3–3
|Friendly
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Norway|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/24967/France_Norway.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|13
|{{dts|29 May 1998}}
|[[Stade Mohammed V]], [[Casablanca]], Morocco
|{{fb|MAR}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|2–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Morocco vs. France|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/24963/Morocco_France.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|14
|{{dts|28 June 1998}}
|[[Stade Bollaert-Delelis]], [[Lens]], France
|{{fb|PAR}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|[[1998 FIFA World Cup]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Paraguay|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/12596/France_Paraguay.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|15
|{{dts|26 April 2000}}
|[[Stade de France]], Paris, France
|{{fb|SVN}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–2
|style="text-align:center"|3–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Slovenia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/22182/France_Slovenia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|16
|{{dts|11 June 2000}}
|[[Jan Breydel Stadium]], [[Bruges]], Belgium
|{{fb|DEN}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|[[UEFA Euro 2000]]
|<ref>{{cite web|title=France vs. Denmark|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16119/France_Denmark.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Managerial statistics==
{{updated|30 May 2025}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"	
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure			
|-
! rowspan="2" |Team
! rowspan="2" |Nat
! rowspan="2" |From
! rowspan="2"|To
! colspan="8" |Record			
!rowspan=2|{{abbr|Ref|Reference}}	
|-	
!{{Tooltip|G|Games managed}}
!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}
!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}
!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}
!{{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!{{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!{{Tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}
!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}			
|-
|align=left|[[FC Girondins de Bordeaux|Bordeaux]]
|{{Flagicon|France}}
|align=left|8 June 2007
|align=left|16 May 2010
{{WDL|159|93|31|35|for=261|against=160|diff=yes}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/france/fc-girondins-de-bordeaux/891/ |title=FC Girondins de Bordeaux: Matches |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>
|-
|align=left|[[France national football team|France]]
|{{Flagicon|France}}
|align=left|2 July 2010
|align=left|30 June 2012
{{WDL|31|17|8|6|for=43|against=22|diff=yes}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/france/france/944/ |title=France: Matches |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>
|-
|align=left| [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]]
|{{Flagicon|France}}
|align=left|25 June 2013
|align=left|27 June 2016
{{WDL|173|126|31|16|for=391|against=126|diff=yes}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/france/paris-saint-germain-fc/886/ |title=Paris Saint-Germain: Matches |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>
|-
|align=left| [[Al-Rayyan SC|Al-Rayyan]]
|{{Flagicon|Qatar}}
|align=left|19 December 2020
|align=left|13 February 2022
{{WDL|51|19|10|22|for=70|against=73|diff=yes}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/teams/qatar/al-rayyan-sc/3505/matches/ |title=Al Rayyan: Matches}}</ref>
|-
|align=left| [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]]
|{{Flagicon|France}}
|align=left|9 October 2022
|align=left|8 September 2023
{{WDL|37|17|8|12|for=60|against=50|diff=yes}}
|<ref name="Olympique Lyonnais: Matches">{{cite web |url=https://us.soccerway.com/teams/france/olympique-lyonnais/884/ |title=Olympique Lyonnais: Matches}}</ref>
|-
|align=left| [[Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)|Al-Ittihad]]
|{{Flagicon|Saudi Arabia}}
|align=left|13 July 2024
|align=left|present
{{WDL|39|30|6|3|for=92|against=40|diff=yes}}
|<ref name="Al Ittihad Club: Matches"/>
|-
!colspan="4"|Total
{{WDLtot|490|302|94|94|for=917|against=471|diff=yes}}
!
|}

==Honours==
===Player===
'''Montpellier'''
*[[Coupe de France]]: [[1989–90 Coupe de France|1989–90]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fff.fr/www/coup/historique/pages/hist1990.shtml|title=Finale le 02/06/1990|website=FFF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209144424/http://www.fff.fr/www/coup/historique/pages/hist1990.shtml|accessdate=3 May 2021|archive-date=9 December 2006|language=French}}</ref>

'''Auxerre'''
*[[Ligue 1|Division 1]]: [[1995–96 French Division 1|1995–96]]<ref name=FDOUB>{{cite web|url=https://zicoball.com/guy-rouxs-double-winning-a-j-auxerre/|title=Guy Roux's Double-Winning A.J. Auxerre|website=Zicoball|accessdate=3 May 2021}}</ref>
*Coupe de France: [[1995–96 Coupe de France|1995–96]]<ref name=FDOUB />

'''Barcelona''' 
*[[Copa del Rey]]: [[1996–97 Copa del Rey|1996–97]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-13 |title=Laurent Blanc &raquo; Copa del Rey 1996/1997 |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/laurent-blanc/esp-copa-del-rey-1996-1997/fc-barcelona/3/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=worldfootball.net |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Supercopa de España]]: [[1996 Supercopa de España|1996]]{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
*[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]: [[1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|1996–97]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/1119560/psg-v-fc-barcelona-did-you-know|title=PSG v FC Barcelona. Did you know?|website=FC Barcelona|accessdate=3 May 2021}}</ref>

'''Manchester United'''
*[[Premier League]]: [[2002–03 FA Premier League|2002–03]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/2114/Laurent-Blanc/overview |title=Laurent Blanc: Overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

'''France U21'''
*[[UEFA European Under-21 Championship]]: [[1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship|1988]]<ref name=":0" />

'''France'''
*[[FIFA World Cup]]: [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2020/04/24/france-98-reliving-a-world-cup-of-shocks-stepovers-and-controversial-sponsorships/|title=FRANCE 98: RELIVING A WORLD CUP OF SHOCKS, STEPOVERS AND CONTROVERSIAL SPONSORSHIPS|website=These Football Times|date=24 April 2020|access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref>
*[[UEFA European Championship]]: [[UEFA Euro 2000|2000]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/06/20/zidane-deschamps-and-frances-functional-euro-2000-winners/|title=ZIDANE, DESCHAMPS AND FRANCE'S FUNCTIONAL EURO 2000 WINNERS|website=These Football Times|date=20 June 2016|access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref>

'''Individual'''
*[[UEFA European Under-21 Championship#Golden Player|UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player]]: 1988<ref name=":1" />
*[[French Player of the Year]]: 1990<ref name="RSSSF">{{cite web|first1=Erik |last1=Garin |first2=José Luis |last2=Pierrend |title=France – Footballer of the Year |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=18 January 2018 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/franpoy.html |access-date=18 December 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008104442/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/franpoy.html |archive-date=8 October 2018 }}</ref>
*[[Onze d'Or|Onze Mondial]]: 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000<ref>{{Cite web|title="Onze Mondial" Awards|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/onze-awards.html|access-date=2021-12-17|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=4 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704020132/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/onze-awards.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament]]: [[UEFA Euro 1992#Awards|1992]],<ref>{{cite news |title=1992 team of the tournament |url=https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/news/0253-0d7bc692c194-ce0e0f567c1e-1000--euro-1992-team-of-the-tournament/ |work=Union of European Football Associations |date=17 October 2011 |access-date=17 June 2012 }}</ref> [[UEFA Euro 1996#Awards|1996]],<ref name="report">{{cite web | url = https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/491990.pdf | title = UEFA Euro report | publisher = [[UEFA]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071127110833/http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/491990.pdf | archive-date = 27 November 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref> [[UEFA Euro 2000#Awards|2000]]<ref name="report"/>
*[[European Sports Media#ESM Team of the Year|ESM Team of the Year]]: [[European Sports Media#1990s|1995–96]], [[European Sports Media#1990s|1997–98]], [[European Sports Media#1990s|1998–99]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Stokkermans |first=Karel |title=ESM XI |publisher=[[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]] |date=14 March 2007 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/esm-xi.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315073244/http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/esm-xi.html |archive-date=15 March 2007}}</ref>
*Pirata d'Oro (Inter Milan Player of the Year): 2000<ref>{{cite web |author=Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it |url=http://inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=en&N=24665&stringa=%22player%20of%20the%20year%22 |title=F.C. Internazionale Milano |publisher=Inter Milan |date=17 November 2006 |access-date=14 October 2017 |archive-date=19 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819174527/http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=en&N=24665&stringa=%22player%20of%20the%20year%22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Trophées UNFP du football#Trophée d'honneur UNFP|Trophée d'honneur UNFP]]: 2004<ref name="UNFP">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-foot,247.html |title=Palmarès Trophées UNFP - Oscars du football - Trophée d’honneur UNFP |access-date=3 May 2021 |archive-date=2 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802221955/https://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-foot,247.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Trophées UNFP du football#Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP|Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP]]: 2011<ref name="UNFP2">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-foot,287.html |title=Palmarès Trophées UNFP - Oscars du football - Trophée spécial UNFP |access-date=3 May 2021 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702223242/http://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-foot,287.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[French Player of the Year#Player of the Century|French Player of the Century]]: 4th place<ref name="RSSSF"/>

===Manager===
'''Bordeaux'''
*[[Ligue 1]]: [[2008–09 Ligue 1|2008–09]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/may/31/laurent-blanc-bordeaux-manchester-united-profile|title=Laurent Blanc thinks big at Bordeaux|website=The Guardian|date=30 May 2009|access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref>
*[[Coupe de la Ligue]]: [[2008–09 Coupe de la Ligue|2008–09]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/465/france/2009/04/25/1229810/bordeaux-destroy-vannes-in-coupe-de-la-ligue-final|title=Bordeaux Destroy Vannes In Coupe de la Ligue Final|website=Goal|date=25 April 2009|access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref>
*[[Trophée des Champions]]: [[2008 Trophée des Champions|2008]], [[2009 Trophée des Champions|2009]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football/bordeaux-lyon-les-compos_AN-200808020012.html |title=BORDEAUX – LYON : LES COMPOS |publisher=rmcsport.bfmtv.com |access-date=1 March 2021 |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219030846/https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football/bordeaux-lyon-les-compos_AN-200808020012.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goal.com/fr/news/1729/france/2009/07/25/1403535/troph%C3%A9e-des-champions-bordeaux-guingamp-les-compos |title=Trophée des champions - Bordeaux-Guingamp, les compos |publisher=goal.com|access-date=1 March 2021 }}</ref>

'''Paris Saint-Germain'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/laurent-blanc-handed-17m-pay-off-after-being-sacked-by-psg-a7098446.html|title=Laurent Blanc 'handed £17m pay-off' after being sacked by PSG|website=Independent|date=23 June 2016|access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/20/laurent-blanc-paris-saint-germain-psg-leaves-agent|title=Laurent Blanc to leave PSG before the end of the week, confirms agent|website=The Guardian|date=20 June 2016|access-date=20 June 2020}}</ref>
*Ligue 1: [[2013–14 Ligue 1|2013–14]], [[2014–15 Ligue 1|2014–15]], [[2015–16 Ligue 1|2015–16]]
*Coupe de France: [[2014–15 Coupe de France|2014–15]], [[2015–16 Coupe de France|2015–16]]
*Coupe de la Ligue: [[2013–14 Coupe de la Ligue|2013–14]], [[2014–15 Coupe de la Ligue|2014–15]], [[2015–16 Coupe de la Ligue|2015–16]]
*Trophée des Champions: [[2013 Trophée des Champions|2013]], [[2014 Trophée des Champions|2014]], [[2015 Trophée des Champions|2015]]

'''Al-Ittihad'''
*[[Saudi Pro League]]: [[2024–25 Saudi Pro League|2024–25]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/651853/Sports/Ittihad-seals-league-title-away-from-Jeddah-once-again|title=Ittihad seals league title away from Jeddah once again|newspaper=[[Saudi Gazette]]|date=15 May 2025|access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref>
*[[King's Cup (Saudi Arabia)|King's Cup]]: [[2024–25 King's Cup (Saudi Arabia)|2024–25]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/652319/Sports/Al-Ittihad-win-2025-Kings-Cup-ending-six-year-title-drought|title=Al Ittihad end six-year wait to reclaim King’s Cup crown|newspaper=[[Saudi Gazette]]|date=31 May 2025|access-date=31 May 2025}}</ref>

'''Individual'''
*[[Trophées UNFP du football|Ligue 1 Manager of the Year]]: 2008, 2015, 2016<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-football,238.html |title=Palmarès Trophées UNFP - Oscars du football - Meilleur entraîneur de Ligue 1 |access-date=2 August 2017 |language=fr |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702223248/http://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-football,238.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[France Football|French Manager of the Year]]: 2009, 2015{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}
*[[Saudi Pro League]] Manager of the Month: [[2024–25 Saudi Pro League#Monthly awards|October 2024]], [[2024–25 Saudi Pro League#Monthly awards|November 2024]], [[2024–25 Saudi Pro League#Monthly awards|February 2025]]
* [[Saudi Pro League#SPL Awards|Saudi Pro League Manager of the Season]]: [[2024–25 Saudi Pro League#Annual awards|2024–25]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.spl.com.sa/en/news/750871/benzema-blanc-al-dawsari-ronaldo-honoured-at-spl-awards |title=Benzema, Blanc, Al Dawsari, Ronaldo honoured with SPL Awards |publisher=Saudi Pro League |date=29 May 2025 |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref>

===Orders===
*[[Knight of the Legion of Honour]]: 1998<ref>{{cite journal |date=25 July 1998 |title=Décret du 24 juillet 1998 portant nomination à titre exceptionnel |trans-title=Decree of 24 July 1998 appointing on an exceptional basis |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000374701 |journal=Official Journal of the French Republic |volume=1998 |issue=170 |id=PREX9801916D |access-date=2 January 2021 |language=fr}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{FFF player}}
*{{UEFA player}}
*{{FIFA player}}

{{Al-Ittihad squad}}
{{Saudi Professional League managers}}
{{Navboxes
| title = France squads
| bg = #002395
| fg = white
| bordercolor = #ED2939
| list1 = 
{{France squad UEFA Euro 1992}}
{{France squad UEFA Euro 1996}}
{{France squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}
{{France squad UEFA Euro 2000}}
{{France squad UEFA Euro 2012}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{FC Girondins de Bordeaux managers}}
{{France national football team managers}}
{{Paris Saint-Germain F.C. managers}}
{{Olympique Lyonnais managers}}
{{Al-Ittihad managers}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| title = Awards
| list1 = 
{{UEFA Euro 1992 Team of the Tournament}}
{{UEFA Euro 1996 Team of the Tournament}}
{{UEFA Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament}}
{{European U21 Championship Golden Player}}
{{1991 World Soccer World XI}}
{{1992 World Soccer World XI}}
{{French Player of the Year}}
{{Pirata d'Oro}}
{{Ligue 1 winning managers}}
{{Coupe de France winning managers}}
{{Coupe de la Ligue winning managers}}
{{Ligue 1 Manager of the Year}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanc, Laurent}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Alès]]
[[Category:Footballers from Gard]]
[[Category:French men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:Montpellier HSC players]]
[[Category:SSC Napoli players]]
[[Category:Nîmes Olympique players]]
[[Category:AS Saint-Étienne players]]
[[Category:AJ Auxerre players]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona players]]
[[Category:Olympique de Marseille players]]
[[Category:Inter Milan players]]
[[Category:Manchester United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Ligue 2 players]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 players]]
[[Category:Serie A players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:France men's international footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1992 players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1996 players]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players]]
[[Category:European champions for France]]
[[Category:UEFA European Championship–winning players]]
[[Category:French expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Italy]]
[[Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:French expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:French football managers]]
[[Category:FC Girondins de Bordeaux managers]]
[[Category:France national football team managers]]
[[Category:Paris Saint-Germain FC managers]]
[[Category:Al-Rayyan SC managers]]
[[Category:Olympique Lyonnais managers]]
[[Category:Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah) managers]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 managers]]
[[Category:Saudi Pro League managers]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2012 managers]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Association football people awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:20th-century French sportsmen]]