Mandanda joins Ligue 1's retired numbers
On Saturday evening, before a match between Marseille and Mason Greenwood's team against Le Havre AC (6-2), Steve Mandanda was invited to kick off the game. This was a fitting invitation for the recently retired player, who spent 14 seasons with Marseille after coming through the ranks at Le Havre. Marseille also took the opportunity to announce that Steve Mandanda's number would be retired.
Not a first for OM
Induction into a club's "Hall of Fame" it's the ultimate tribute in American sports, and it's a custom that sometimes crosses the Atlantic and consists of recognizing that a player's career has been so remarkable that no one else will ever be able to wear the same number afterward. But while OM may never again allow a member of its squad to wear Steve Mandanda's number 30, the Marseille club has already granted the same honors to other former players before reversing course.
Thus, Mathieu Valbuena had his number 28 retired when he left for Dynamo Moscow in the summer of 2014. The same happened with Souleymane Diawara's number 21, who also left OM during the same transfer window. But two and a half years later, Patrice Evra wore it during his – unremarkable – stint at the club. Since then, it was worn by Valentin Rongier for five years before ending up on the back and shorts of Nayef Aguerd. As for Mathieu Valbuena, his number 28 was quickly taken by Antoine Rabillard and then by Valère Germain. And today, it's Benjamin Pavard's number.
As @loicperrin_24 has called time on his legendary career for @ASSE_english we pay tribute to Les Verts' retiring captain:https://t.co/oaXQezyegB pic.twitter.com/nom8QTlXUX
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) August 1, 2020
Danzé and Perrin honored
And what about other clubs? A legend of Stade Rennais, where he was trained before spending his entire career there, Romain Danzé had his number 29 retired in 2019 when he hung up his boots. This tribute was notably initiated by Olivier Létang, then a director of the Breton club. No one has worn that number 29 since, which had at one time been worn by Moussa Sow, Étienne Didot, and Laurent Battles.
Much like Danzé, Loïc Perrin spent his entire career at a single club, a "bandiera" as they call it in Italy. For him, it was while playing for AS Saint-Étienne, between 2003 and 2020. A little over a year later, the club announced that his number 24 would no longer be offered to Saint-Étienne players.
Tragic Fates
In far less joyful circumstances, several French clubs have retired a player's number for tragic reasons. Following the death of Cameroonian international Marc-Vivien Foé, who played for Lyon between 2000 and 2002, the club retired his number 17. As a reminder, the great midfielder collapsed during a match in late June 2003 during a Confederations Cup game and could not be revived. A few seasons later, his number was worn by his compatriot Jean II Makoun as a tribute, before being put back into circulation (Boateng, Reine-Adélaïde, etc.).
At FC Nantes, it was the disappearance of Emiliano Sala that led to a tribute involving his number 9. As the Argentinian was about to sign for Cardiff, his plane disappeared from radar over the English Channel. Since January 2019, no Nantes player has worn the number 9 in Ligue 1 McDonald's. It should be noted, however, that his friend Nicolas Pallois swapped his number 4 for the 9 during a French Cup match to pay tribute to him. Finally, OGC Nice retired Kévin Anin's number 17 after his serious car accident in 2013. Khéphren Thuram was nevertheless allowed to use it upon his arrival at the club in 2019.
