Monaco and OM Legends XI
It was not easy to settle on the best XI. Everyone has their favorite era, favorite players, favorite moments and a dream of their own. To create our XI, we chose players having raised the most trophies with both clubs, with a few exceptions …
Managers: Lucien Leduc and Didier Deschamps
Let’s start with the coaches, where it was impossible to decide between Didier Deschamps and Lucien Leduc. Didier Deschamps is the architect of the epic 2004 campaign with AS Monaco as well as a League Cup in 2003. With Olympique de Marseille, he won a league title in 2010 and three League Cups from 2010 to 2012, adding the Champions League title in 1993 as captain. Naturally, his name comes to mind quickly when looking to appoint a man to represent both teams.
We must not forget the great Lucien Leduc. The native of Annecy won three league titles in France with the Rouge et Blanc in 1961, 1963 and 1978, to go with two French Cups in 1960 and 1963. Also, he won two titles in 1971 and 1972 with the Olympians. Five titles, two French Cups and two doubles, in 1963 on the Rock and in 1972 on the Canebière! With such success between them, we imagine that the two men could have formed a formidable duo.
Goalkeeper: Fabien Barthez
Stéphane Porato
The wall! The 1998 world champion and 2000 European champion goalkeeper with the Blues has a great history with both clubs. He was a champion of France in 1997 and 2000 with AS Monaco, but was also a winner of the Champions League with OM in 1993, not to mention a Ligue 2 championghip in 1995, before joining the top flight.
Defenders: Manuel Amoros – Yvon Le Roux – Rolland Courbis – Éric Di Meco
Also considered: Patrick Blondeau, Basile Boli, Nicolas Nkoulou, Benjamin Mendy, Patrice Evra, Aymen Abdennour, Gael Givet, Julien Rodriguez, Laurent Bonnart, Manuel Dos Santos, Cyril Domoraud
The right-back of this dream team, Manuel Amoros, was a champion with the Rouge et Blanc in 1982 and 1988 and a champion in 1990, 1991 and 1992 with the club Marseille.
His teammate with the Blues, Yvon Le Roux, composes the central defense alongside Rolland Courbis. Roux won the Coupe de France with AS Monaco in 1985 and became champion of France in 1989 with Marseille.
Rolland Courbis, was born in Marseille, where he played for the side that was champion of France in 1972. He returned as coach twenty-five years later, leading the team to the final of the C3 in 1999. He also found huge success with AS Monaco, with whom he was twice champion of France in 1978 and in 1982 while playing 155 matches in red and white.
On the left flank of the defense, Éric Di Méco stayed for twelve years in the Phocaean city, where he won the championship four times in a row with OM from 1989 to 1992. The current RMC Sports’ consultant subsequently wore the red and white jersey for four seasons, winning the title of champion of France in 1997.
Midfielders: Franck Sauzée – Albert Émon – Raoul Noguès – Benard Genghini
Also considered: Lucas Bernardi, Sabri Lamouchi, Lucas Ocampos, Édouard Cissé, Camel Mériem, Xavier Gravelaine, Daniel Bravo, William Vainqueur, Marcel Dib
In our 4-4-2 diamond setup, Franck Sauzée is positioned as a sentinel in front of the defense. The French international is a three-time champion with OM in 1989, 1990 and 1992, as well as a winner of the Champions League in 1993. During his time at AS Monaco, Sauzée won the Coupe de France in 1991.
On the right side of this diamond, Albert Emon also won the Coupe de France in 1980 with the Rouge et Blanc and won the French championship with Marseille, his original club, in 1972, before taking on the role of coach in the 2000s.
On the left side is Raoul Noguès, the Argentine midfielder and champion of France in 1978 with AS Monaco alongside Courbis. He also won the 1976 Coupe de France with OM.
In a playmaking position, French international Bernard Genghini won the Coupe de France wearing the diagonal jersey in 1985 and finished runner-up in France in 1987 with Olympique de Marseille.
Attackers: Sonny Anderson – George Weah
Fernando Morientes, Valère Germain, Toifilou Maoulida, Serge Roy, Gil Rui Barros
To lead the attack, we chose to form a pairing of Sonny Anderson and George Weah. A dream duo for a dream team. Sonny Anderson is champion of France with the Red and White in 1997 and runner-up of France with the Olympians. A small sample for OM, 24 games, but 16 goals that revealed the great striker he would become in the future.
As for Mister George, it was at AS Monaco that he discovered his quality form and won his first trophy, the 1991 French Cup, with a victory against OM in the final. After shining at PSG and winning the Golden Ball with AC Milan, the swift striker took the next step with Marseille during the 2000/2001 season. It was not a particularly brilliant selection, but when you have a ballon d’or doubled as a president for his team, it is difficult to be choosy!
