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3 months ago
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While Karim Benzema is now playing in Saudi Arabia, Antoine Griezmann becomes the French player to have played the most seasons in one of the major European championships.
Antoine Griezmann may never have been Spanish champion with Real Sociedad, Atlético de Madrid and Barça, but he achieved the feat of starting his 15th season in La Liga last Monday with the Colchnoeros (for a 2-2 draw against Villarreal). “Grizi” is the active French player to have played the most seasons in one of the four major European championships.
This is quite a performance for the Mâcon native who was trained at Real Sociedad and started in the Spanish D1 at 18 years old. For comparison, Kylian Mbappé is playing his first season outside of Ligue 1 four months before his 26th birthday. And Karim Benzema stopped, last year, after 14 seasons in the Spanish Liga, all with Real Madrid of course.
Distin and Frey like Griezmann
Two French players have also managed to play 15 seasons in a top league of the Old Continent: central defender Sylvain Distin in the Premier League (with Newcastle, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Everton and Bournemouth from 2001 to 2016) and goalkeeper Sébastien Frey in Serie A (with Inter Milan, Héllas Verona, Parma, Fiorentina and Genoa from 1998 to 2013).
Like Benzema, two other former French internationals played 14 seasons in one of the four best European championships, namely Nicolas Anelka and Gaël Clichy, both in England. The striker with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton, Chelsea and West Brom (from 1996 to 2014) and the left-back with Arsenal and Manchester City (from 2003 to 2017). Anelka also played one season in La Liga with Real Madrid and a few months in Serie A with Juventus.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
