There has been no shortage of French players to have played for Premier League outfit Chelsea and we have picked out some of the most notable.
From Frank Leboeuf to Olivier Giroud, Chelsea are no strangers to signing French players and we have taken a look at some of the best to have graced the Stamford Bridge turf.
Of Chelsea’s current first-team squad, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto and Wesley Fofana are the three players flying the flag for France and the trio are the latest to have made their careers across the English Channel.
With the Blues and Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg both owned by BlueCo, there is a strong French link and that has been evident on a number of occasions this season.
Mathis Amougou and Ben Chilwell both left Stamford Bridge to join Le Racing on permanent deals in the summer, while Mamadou Sarr, Aaron Anselmino, Mike Penders, David Datro Fofana and Kendry Paez arrived on loan.
Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior also made the switch to Chelsea in January, signing a six-and-a-half-year deal, and the French connection remains strong.
We have picked out some of the most notable French players to have pulled on the famous blue shirt.
Marcel Desailly
Nicknamed ‘The Rock’, Marcel Desailly arrived at Chelsea in 1998 from AC Milan and he is regarded as one of the club’s greatest defenders, making in excess of 150 appearances.
The Frenchman won three trophies during his time in West London – the 1998 UEFA Super Cup and the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2000 – and he was one half of a formidable defensive duo alongside the next person on this list, Frank Leboeuf.
Frank Leboeuf
Leboeuf joined from Strasbourg in 1996 and he was a pillar of Chelsea’s backline, winning two FA Cups (1997 and 2000), the League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup (all in 1998) and the 2000 Community Shield.
He spent five years at Stamford Bridge before leaving for Marseille in 2001, where he played until 2003, before spells at Al Sadd and Al Wakrah.
Emmanuel Petit
Perhaps more famous for his time at Arsenal, Emmanuel Petit made the switch from Barcelona to Chelsea in 2001 and made over 50 appearances in a three-year stint in West London.
The defensive midfielder failed to win a trophy during his spell and his final season was blighted by injury, which proved to be his final campaign before retiring.
Still, Petit was a fantastic footballer who was part of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning squad, scoring the third goal in the final as Les Bleus beat Brazil 3-0.
William Gallas
Another defender to have thrived when moving to the Blues is William Gallas, who spent five years at the club after arriving from Marseille in 2001 before leaving for Arsenal.
The centre-back won two Premier League titles, the League Cup and the Community Shield during his time at Chelsea.
He retired from football in October 2014 after spells with the Gunners, Tottenham and Perth Glory.
Claude Makelele
Chelsea made a statement signing in 2003 when acquiring the services of Claude Makelele from Real Madrid, with the Frenchman winning six trophies and finishing runner-up in the 2008 Champions League.
He redefined defensive midfield play in English football during his five years at the club and this position is sometimes colloquially known as the ‘Makelele Role’.
Makelele left the club for Paris Saint-Germain in 2008, where he spent three years before retiring.
Nicolas Anelka
A mercurial talent, Nicolas Anelka played for no less than 12 clubs during his career, starting out at Paris Saint-Germain and bringing his career to an end at Mumbai City in 2015.
Capped 69 times for France and a part of the squad which won the 2000 European Championship, the forward spent four years at the Blues from 2008-2012, arriving from Bolton Wanderers.
Anelka’s attitude was not fantastic, earning him the nickname ‘Le Sulk’, but his quality was undeniable and he scored some cracking goals.
N’Golo Kante
Another defensive midfield maestro to have played for Chelsea is N’Golo Kante, who is considered as one of the greatest players in that position and is as close to Makelele 2.0 as you can get.
Kante arrived in English when signing for Leicester from Caen in 2015 and he spent one memorable season at the King Power Stadium, helping the Foxes win the Premier League title.
His performances led to a move to Chelsea in 2016 and he spent seven years in West London, winning six trophies including the 2021 Champions League and the 2017 Premier League.
Olivier Giroud
Currently at Lille, Olivier Giroud boasts a strong scoring record at most of the clubs he has played for, and one of those was Chelsea, who he represented from 2018 to 2021.
The striker, who started his career at Grenoble, scored 17 goals in 75 appearances for the Blues and won three pieces of silverware, including the 2021 Champions League.
