Johan Micoud

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Johan Micoud (born 24 July 1973 in Cannes) is a French professional footballer. His preferred position is attacking central midfielder.

A product of AS Cannes youth system, it was not until he joined Bordeaux that his career really took off. In 1999, he played a pivotal role as the club were crowned league champions, his influential form paving the way for a first call up at international level, making his debut against Northern Ireland in August of that year.

In 2000 Johan was seduced by the attraction of playing abroad, initially moving to Italy, joining AC Parma where he stayed for two seasons. Micoud then moved country again, this time to Germany, signing for Werder Bremen, where he enjoyed a successful four year stay, the peak of which being a major force in the Bundesliga and German Cup double in 2004.

Depsite being selected in the French national squad on several occasions throughout his career he has never managed to secure himself a regular starting role, due mainly to the presence of Zinedine Zidane who was always guaranteed a place in the starting eleven, and more often than not in the very attacking midfield role coveted by Micoud. He was a member of the French squad which won Euro 2000, but he only played in one of the six matches of the tournament, appearing in the group match against Holland, a game which was effectively a dead rubber given that both nations had already qualified both the group. He was also selected for the disasterous World Cup campaign of 2002, during which he was entrusted with the key role in the French midfield against Uruaguay only to turn in a largely unconvicing display in a hugely disappointing 0-0 draw mostly remembered for Thierry Henry's red card.

Regardless of his consistently high level of performance at club level he has since found himself marginalised by the national selectors. Jacques Santini only selected him once, in a friendly match against Holland in 2004, and he failed to make the squad for Euro 2004 in Portugal despite his aforementioned success at club level at the time. As for Raymond Domenech, Johan failed to win a single call up for the qualifiers for the World Cup in Germany, the country where he delivered shining performances every weekend.

In June 2006 he left Werder Bremen to return to France, re-joining the club where he first flourished, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, enjoying immediate success scoring the winnerin his first Ligue 1 match back at the club agains Lorient.

[edit] References

This article has been translated from French Wikipedia

	France squad - 2000 European Football Championship (2nd Title)
1 Lama | 2 Candela | 3 Lizarazu | 4 Vieira | 5 Blanc | 6 Djorkaeff | 7 Deschamps | 8 Desailly | 9 Anelka | 10 Zidane | 11 Pirès | 12 Henry | 13 Wiltord | 14 Micoud | 15 Thuram | 16 Barthez | 17 Petit | 18 Leboeuf | 19 Karembeu | 20 Trézéguet | 21 Dugarry | 22 Ramé | Coach: Lemerre

	France squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup
1 Ramé | 2 Candela | 3 Lizarazu | 4 Vieira | 5 Christanval | 6 Djorkaeff | 7 Makélélé | 8 Desailly | 9 Cissé | 10 Zidane | 11 Wiltord | 12 Henry | 13 Silvestre | 14 Boghossian | 15 Thuram | 16 Barthez | 17 Petit | 18 Leboeuf | 19 Sagnol | 20 Trézéguet | 21 Dugarry | 22 Micoud | 23 Coupet | Coach: Lemerre

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