Steve Mandanda

Steve Mandanda (French pronunciation: ​[stɛv mɑ̃dɑ̃nda]; born 28 March 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English Premier League club Crystal Palace and the French national team. He has represented France at four international tournaments: three UEFA European Football Championships (2008, 2012, and 2016) and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Le Havre

Mandanda made his league début for Le Havre in August 2005, and did not concede a goal until his fourth match. He played 30 league matches in the 2005–06 season and 37 in 2006–07, with his performances attracting the attention of other clubs. Following an unsuccessful trial at Aston Villa prior to the 2007–08 season, he joined Marseille in summer 2007.

Olympique de Marseille

At the start of his first season with Marseille, Mandanda was regarded as an understudy to first choice keeper Cédric Carrasso. However a knee injury ruled Carrasso out for six months, leaving the way clear for Mandanda to become a regular fixture in Ligue 1, Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. On 5 March 2008, Mandanda joined Marseille on a permanent four-year contract.

At the end of Mandanda's final season at Marseille he was named as the club's Player of the Season. It was the second time that he won the award having previously done so in the 2007-08 campaign.

Crystal Palace

On 1 July 2016, Premier League club Crystal Palace announced that they had completed the signing of Mandanda on a free transfer from Marseille.

Mandanda has won a number of caps for the France national under-21 football team and was named in the French squad for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

For the first time, in 2007, he took part in the French A-squad pre-selection.

He played in a friendly match with France B against Congo DR on 5 February 2008, in which he was substituted at half time, and his younger brother Parfait came on for Congo. He made his full international debut on 27 May 2008 in a 2–0 victory against Ecuador in a Euro 2008 warm-up friendly, coming on as a half-time substitute for Sébastien Frey, and was subsequently nominated as the third-choice goalkeeper in the French squad for Euro 2008.

He started the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign as France's first-choice goalkeeper, making his competitive international debut on 6 September 2008 in their opening qualifier against Austria. However, he was replaced in the summer of 2009, as Raymond Domenech chose Olympique Lyonnais goalkeeper Hugo Lloris over him for the international starting eleven. Mandanda was a member of France's World Cup team, but did not appear in any of its three matches in the competition. Mandanda has continued to play for France as shown in his selection in the French squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Steve Mandanda has three younger brothers, all of whom are goalkeepers: Parfait, goalkeeper of Charleroi and Congolese international; Riffi, goalkeeper of AC Ajaccio and France U-16; and Ever, goalkeeper of Lusitanos Saint-Maur. He enjoys spending time with his family in the city of Marseille, where he lives. He has earned the nickname "Frenchie" amongst his relatives for having chosen to play for the French national football team rather than Congo, his country of birth.

Club

International

Club

• Ligue 1 (1): 2009–10
• Coupe de la Ligue (3): 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
• Trophée des Champions (2): 2010, 2011

• UNFP Player of the Month (2): February 2008; August 2008
• Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year (4): 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Ligue 1 Team of the Year (4): 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Marseille Olympian of the Season (2): 2007-08; 2015–16