Top facts about Steve Mandanda, the Frenchie

, born on March 28th 1985, is a French international footballer who plays as goalkeeper at the Olympique de Marseille.

Steve Mandanda’s age

is 31. Here you can find out the most important facts about Steve Mandanda, the legendary French player.

The first fact about Steve Mandanda is that he is the most capped player in the history of

, of which he has been captain from 2010 to 2016 and since summer 2019.

With this club, he won Ligue 1 in 2010 as well as two Champions Trophies in 2010 and 2011 and three League Cups in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He was also voted best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 five times in 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018.

With the French International since 2008, he reached with the France team the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 then the final of Euro 2016, before winning the 2018 World Cup.

Mandanda earned the nickname "Frenchie" among his relatives for having chosen to play for the French national football team rather than Congo, his country of birth.

In 2016, Mandanda left Marseille for

on a three-year deal but he left the club at the end of his first season and returned to Marseille in 2017.

"The Marseille I've returned to is very different to the one I left. The club is now targeting European football, it's more stable and structured. So I don't see it as a failure or a step back."

Top facts about Steve Mandanda:

An important fact about Steve Mandanda is that he spent the most of his professional career at Marseille, where he made over 500 appearances in all competitions over two periods and was five times named Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year.

Steve Mandanda early life

Born in Kinshasa, the family of Steve Mandanda Mpidi moved to Évreux in France when he was two years old. Speaking about

Steve Mandanda’s childhood

, he spent a year in Nevers before returning to Haute-Normandie.

Regarding

Steve Mandanda’s parents

, it is worth mentioning that his father Franck was an electrician and his mother Brigitte was a nursing assistant. Very young, he practiced boxing for two years before obtaining his first football license at ALM Évreux in the second-year category.

Steve Mandanda personal life

Mandanda has three younger brothers, all goalkeepers: Parfait, a Charleroi goalkeeper and Congolese international; Riffi, a Kongsvinger goalie; and Over, a

goalkeeper.

In Marseille, where he resides, he likes spending time with his family. Because he opted to play for the French national football team rather than Congo, his native country, he has acquired the moniker "Frenchie" among his family.

Steve Mandanda professional career

Steve Mandanda made his debut for France on May 27, 2008 in a 2-0 winning match against

during a UEFA Euro 2008. It was a warm-up friendly game where he came in halftime as a substitute for Sebastien Frey and from there on he became the third choice for goalkeeper in the French squad for Euro 2018.

Mandanda won the ‘Club’s Player of the season’ in 2007-08 Ligue 2 season, which turned out to be really great for him. He appeared in 34 matches during that season.

Steve Mandanda club career

Steve Mandanda entered the Havre AC training center at the age of fifteen. He played in the Gambardella Cup in his first season and quickly became the goalkeeper of the Normandy reserve team which played in CFA 2.

Le Havre AC

An important

fact about Steve Mandanda

is that he joined the professional group in 2004. The December 11, 2004, Steve Mandanda took part in his first match with the professional team during a Coupe de France meeting against US Quevilly (lost 1-2).

After the retirement of number one goalkeeper from Le Havre Alexander Vencel, Mandanda became the understudy of Olivier Blondel, promoted to holder. But after several average performances from Blondel, Mandanda seized the post of holder of the Le Havre training.

A notable fact about Steve Mandanda is that he played his first Ligue 2 match on Aug 26, 2005 against Valenciennes FC and subsequently established himself as one of the best prospects in Ligue 2 when he was not yet twenty years old. A month later, he played his first Coupe de la Ligue match against Stade de Reims.

Olympique de Marseille

After an unsuccessful try at the English club

, he was loaned to Olympique de Marseille for a season with an option to purchase to replace Cédric Carrasso.

The latter was injured in August 2007 and Steve Mandanda played his first Ligue 1 match against SM Caen on 25 August. After good performances during the first part of the season, he kept his starting position after the return of Cédric Carrasso.

A notable fact about Steve Mandanda is that he had performed well in the Champions League, especially against Liverpool FC at Anfield on October 3, 2007 where he made a conclusive match allowing Olympique de Marseille to win the match thanks to a goal from

(1-0).

OM lifted the option to purchase Mandanda before the Marseille goalkeeper won the same month and for the first time in his career the UNFP Player of the Month Trophy.

Mandanda was thus the fourth goalkeeper to win this trophy after Fabien Barthez, Grégory Coupet and Jérémie Janot and the second Olympian to receive this distinction during the 2007-2008 season after Mamadou Niang in December. The May 11, 2008, he received the UNFP Trophy for best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 of the season.

After a good start to the season, Mandanda was awarded the UNFP Player of the Month Trophy in August 2008. During this second season, he consolidated his starting position and the club ended the season vice-champion of France and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup where he was beaten by

.

the May 8, 2010 Steve Mandanda received the first red card of his career in Ligue 1 against the Lille OSC, scything international Ivorian Gervinho. He won his first French Championship title at the end of the 2009-2010 season, taking part in thirty-six of the thirty-eight matches this season.

Steve's and Olympique de Marseille's record was also enriched with a League Cup won against Girondins de Bordeaux that same season as well as the Champions Trophy won the July 28, 2010 on penalties against

.

the August 19, 2010, Steve Mandanda became captain of Olympique de Marseille after the departure of Mamadou Niang. He played for the first time in his career in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Manchester United but the club was eliminated at Old Trafford by a goal after a draw at home.

After a good performance in Marseille goals during the 2010-2011 season during which he played all thirty-eight league games, Mandanda, nicknamed "Il fenomeno" by Olympians supporters, received the title of best goalkeeper in Ligue 1.

The club won a second Consecutive League Cup and finished vice-champion of France behind Lille OSC before winning the 2011 Champions Trophy against this same Lille OSC.

During the 2011-2012 season, the club experienced a difficult second part of the championship. But despite a 10th place in the championship, he again reached the final round of the Champions League.

Against

, the club qualified thanks to the away goal but Steve was sent off in the return leg at San Siro. Suspended in the first leg of the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, he played the return to the Allianz Arena but the club was eliminated after two defeats. During this season, he still won his third consecutive League Cup by beating the Olympique Lyonnais during the extension.

During the 2013-2014 season, the club had a complicated season with a change of coach during the season, elimination in the group stage of the Champions League after zero points in six games and a sixth place in the league. The May 17, 2014 During the 38th day of Ligue 1, Steve Mandanda was hit to the neck during a collision with Guingamp Mustapha Yatabaré.

After losing consciousness for a few minutes, he was immediately transferred to the Timone hospital for x-rays. The next day, the club announced that the Marseille goalkeeper was hit by a crack in the neck and had to forfeit the upcoming World Cup.

During the 2014-2015 season, the club finished in 4th place two points less for qualification in the Champions League. As an individual, he received the UNFP Trophy for best goalkeeper for the third time in his career.

the Aug 16, 2015 he played his 400th match in Ligue 1 during a defeat away against Stade de Reims. A month later, he played at the Stade Velodrome, his 400th official match in the jersey of Olympique Marseille at the 8th day of the championship against the Angers SCO.

Despite a bad season for the club and a maintenance obtained only three days from the end of the championship, he personally had a quality season and won the UNFP Trophy, best goalkeeper for the fourth time in his career and the second time in a row.

He was also playing the Coupe de France final for the first time in his career. At the end of this final he lost four goals to two against Paris Saint-Germain, then he announces that this is probably his last match in the Olympian jersey.

At the end of this season, Steve Mandanda had recorded 441 official matches with the Marseille jersey, making him the second most capped player in the history of the club behind Roger Scotti.

Crystal Palace

On the 1st July 2016, Mandanda had signed up for three seasons with Crystal Palace in the Premier League. He passed the medical examination at Clairefontaine, the transfer taking place during Euro 2016 in which he participated.

An important fact about Steve Mandanda is that he was faced with competition from Welsh international Wayne Hennessey and veteran Argentina Julián Speroni, Mandanda made his debut for England in the League Cup second round in a two-goal win over Blackpool at the following the injury of the Welshman.

This also allowed him to experience his first Premier League match, against Bournemouth on the third day where Palace gleaned their first point in the league. Despite Hennessey's return during the international break, Alan Pardew confirmed Mandanda in goal for a victorious trip to

.

He left Crystal Palace at the end of his first season at the club after playing only ten games with the English club, including nine in championships in which he did not perform any clean sheet as well as a League Cup match.

Return to Olympique de Marseille

On the July 11, 2017, he returned to Olympique de Marseille for three years. Mandanda found the Olympian cage in an official match during the reception of KV Ostend counting for the third preliminary round of the Europa League, a meeting during which he conceded two goals but OM won (4-2).

A notable

fact about Steve Mandanda

is that he performed more convincingly in the second leg by keeping his clean sheet. On the fourth day of the championship contested against AS Monaco, he experienced his biggest defeat in the Olympian jersey, allowing six goals.

On the October 15, 2017, Mandanda became the record holder for the number of matches played in the OM jersey, overtaking Roger Scotti (452 matches from 1942 to 1958). The second part of the season was more complicated for the Marseille goalkeeper, since he was injured once when moving to AS Saint-Étienne counting for the 25th day of championship.

Victim of a hamstring tear, his absence was estimated to be two to three weeks. On the February 28, he made his return in the quarter-final of the Coupe de France played at the Parc des Princes against Paris Saint-Germain (3-0 defeat) but he contracted a new injury against Dijon FCO at the end of March 2018.

He made his return to the Olympian group on the occasion of the semi-final return of the Europa League contested against Red Bull Salzburg, but insufficiently recovered, it was Yohann Pelé who finally played.

On the May 6, 2018, Mandanda made his return at the reception of

in the league. At the 37th day of the championship, Mandanda was sent off during the draw conceded by his team Guingamp (3-3), red card subsequently withdrawn by the Disciplinary Committee of the LFP.

At the end of the season, he was voted best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 for the fifth time in his career, a record in this category. The club finished in fourth place in the championship and lost in the Europa League final against Atlético de Madrid on the score of three goals to zero where he was involved in the opening of the Spanish scoring, following a raise in the axis of the goal lost by André Zambo Anguissa.

The 2018-2019 season for Mandanda was complicated, both individually and collectively; it ended without European qualification and with the departure of trainer Rudi Garcia.

He was named team captain in August 2019, before the friendly match against

at Vélodrome. In August 2020, he extends his contract for three seasons - until June 2024- with the Marseille club.

During the 2021-2022 season, he faced competition from Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez, freshly transferred from AS Roma on loan with option to buy and loses his place as indisputable holder at the post in the cages of the Marseille club.

According to coach Jorge Sampaoli, this is a turn-over between the two goalkeepers, however the Spaniard holds in the league and in the Europa League. On October 16, 2021, Jorge Sampaoli explained that Steve Mandanda “has lived a very stressful year and a half, very complicated things to take have happened here, for a player as emblematic as Steve. We thought he had to stop a bit because it was starting to affect his benefits”

Steve Mandanda international career

Born in Kinshasa, Steve Mandanda obtained French nationality (dual nationality is prohibited by the constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Steve Mandanda honored his first selection in the French U23 team on November 17, 2004 against the Netherlands in a friendly match. He then participated in the Toulon Tournament during which he was elected best goalkeeper. During the Euro hopes 2006, he replaced the injured Jérémy Gavanon, and performed well. In total, Mandanda had 16 caps for the hopes.

Mandanda was called up for the first time in the French team by Raymond Domenech on January 31, 2008 and participated in the match of France A ' against the Democratic Republic of Congo on February, the team of his brother Perfect Mandanda who also took part in this friendly meeting which took place in Marbella.

Steve Mandanda came out at the 46th minute giving way to

. He was called up for the second and last time in France A 'during a match against Mali at Stade Charléty. He was also replaced at half-time by Hugo Lloris.

the May 27, 2008, he honored his first selection for the France A team against Ecuador by replacing Sébastien Frey at half-time. Crowned with his good season with OM, the next day, Raymond Domenech selected him to participate in Euro 2008 to the detriment of Mickaël Landreau.

Number 3 in the hierarchy of goalkeepers, however, he did not participate in any match in the competition, France being eliminated in the first round.

At the start of the 2008, Raymond Domenech chose Steve Mandanda as the titular goalkeeper following the international retirement of Grégory Coupet and Sébastien Frey. He therefore became number one in the hierarchy of goalkeepers ahead of Hugo Lloris and Cédric Carrasso.

His first match as a starter took place against Sweden (3-2) on August 20, 2008. Holder at the start of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, he lost his place in favor of Hugo Lloris, his direct competitor from France- Turkey in June 2009.

Indeed, he committed several errors (Argentina, Nigeria) and his performances were at this time less convincing than OM. While Lloris was sent off against Serbia (1-1), Mandanda replaced him during the game and then fully against the Faroe Islands, Lloris being suspended.

In May 2010, he was selected by Raymond Domenech to compete in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In preparation, he held against the Costa Rica at the Stade Felix Bollaert, in Lens, he allowed a goal in the 11th minute of play on a cross-shot from Carlos Hernández but the France team eventually won 2- 1.

However, he did not participate in the two other preparatory matches against Tunisia and China as well as in the final phase matches of the World Cup. Despite good club performances, Steve Mandanda retained his number 2 status, Hugo Lloris being preferred to him.

the June 6, 2011, Laurent Blanc decided to rotate the workforce by establishing Mandanda and giving him the captain's armband during the friendly match against Ukraine in Donetsk (victory 1-4). Two years later, the June 5, 2013,

rotated and started Mandanda in the friendly match against Uruguay in Montevideo (1-0 defeat) during the South American tour.

Initially retained in the list of twenty-three players called to play the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he had to forfeit after being the victim of a crack in the first cervical vertebra during the last day of the French Championship on contact with Mustapha Yatabaré.

He started against Portugal (2-1 victory) then against Armenia (0-3 victory) in October 2014 after the withdrawal of Hugo Lloris, and distinguished himself in particular against the Portuguese with a superb save on a header from

.

He conceded during this match a goal from the penalty spot. In November 2014, Didier Deschamps decides to start him against Sweden (1-0 victory) because the match had to be played at the Stade Vélodrome, where he played with OM.

He only has three interventions to make but performed them impeccably. Author of good performances with Olympique de Marseille, and to rest the titular goalkeeper of the France team Hugo Lloris, he started in the first match of 2016 that France won 3-2 against the Netherlands.

He was part of the list of twenty-three French players selected by Didier Deschamps to play the Euro 2016 during which the selection lost in the final against Portugal one goal to zero after extra time.

the May 17, 2018, Mandanda was one of the twenty-three French players selected to play in the 2018 World Cup. He started in the first preparation match played against the Republic of Ireland.

During the competition, he started in the third group match against Denmark (0-0). The French team was crowned world champion following their victory against Croatia in the final (4-2).

On September 2020, he tested positive for the second time for Covid-19 (after August 14th); he then forfeited the French team to face Sweden and Croatia in the League of Nations.

On September 30, 2021, Didier Deschamps announced his list to face

in the semi-final of the League of Nations and possibly Italy or Spain in the final; Steve Mandanda did not appear and lost his place in favor of the Girondins de Bordeaux goalkeeper, Benoît Costil.

Steve Mandanda Characteristics

Steve Mandanda, the Olympique de Marseille goalkeeper, is considered one of the team's leaders. He is the captain, a position he retains under the control of several successive coaches. At the technical level, his strengths are the kicking game, "above the average goalkeeper" as well as anticipation.

Some quick facts about Steve Mandanda:

Steve Mandanda has represented France in six international competitions since his debut in 2008, including four UEFA European Championships (2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020) and two FIFA World Cups (2010 and 2018), the latter of which he won.

Mandanda was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire), on March 28, 1985, but relocated to Évreux, France, with his family when he was two years old. Before joining the local team ALM Évreux at the age of nine, he practiced boxing.

A notable

fact about Steve Mandanda

is that he made his league debut in August 2005 with Le Havre, and he did not surrender a goal until his fourth encounter.

In the 2005–06 season, he played 30 league matches and in the 2006–07 season, he played 37, and his performances drew the interest of other teams. He joined Marseille in the summer of 2007 after a failed trial with Aston Villa before to the 2007–08 season.

Mandanda was considered as a backup to first-choice goalkeeper Cédric Carrasso at the start of his first season at Marseille. Carrasso was out for six months due to a knee injury, allowing Mandanda to establish himself as a regular in Ligue 1, Champions League, and UEFA Cup fixtures. Mandanda signed a four-year deal with Marseille on March 5, 2008.

Mandanda was voted Marseille's Player of the Season at the completion of his last season with the club. He received the accolade for the second time, having previously won it in the 2007-08 season.

Crystal Palace confirmed on July 1, 2016, that they have finalized the signing of Mandanda on a free transfer from Marseille.

Due to an injury that kept him out for the most of the season, he failed to make an impression. He only appeared in 10 episodes.

Mandanda signed a three-year deal with Olympique de Marseille for €3 million on July 11, 2017. Mandanda made his 500th appearance for Marseille in a 1–1 draw with Angers on December 22, 2018. He extended his contract till 2024 on August 25, 2020, when he was 35 years old.

An important fact about Steve Mandanda is that he has played for France's under-21 national team and was nominated to the French squad for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. In 2007, he participated in the French A-squad pre-selection for the first time.

On 5 February 2008, he participated in a friendly match with France B against Congo DR, in which he was replaced at halftime by his younger brother Parfait, who came on for

.

He made his full international debut on May 27, 2008, in a 2–0 win against Ecuador in a Euro 2008 warm-up friendly, replacing Sébastien Frey at halftime, and was subsequently named as the French squad's third-choice goalkeeper for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

He began the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification process as France's first-choice goalkeeper, earning his competitive international debut against Austria on September 6, 2008.

In the summer of 2009, however, he was replaced by Olympique Lyonnais goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who was chosen by Raymond Domenech for the international starting eleven. Mandanda was a part of France's World Cup squad, although he did not play in any of the country's three games.

An important fact about Steve Mandanda is that he led the French to a 4–1 friendly triumph against Ukraine at the Donbass Arena on June 6, 2011. He was selected for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Mandanda was nominated to the team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup as well; however he suffered an injury before the tournament and was replaced by AS Saint-Stéphane Étienne's Ruffier. He was a member of the UEFA Euro 2016 runner-up team on home soil.

A notable fact about Steve Mandanda is that he was a member of France's 23-man World Cup-winning side in Russia in 2018. At the age of 33, he made his maiden tournament debut in a goalless group game against

. He tested positive for COVID-19 in September 2020.

Steve Mandanda social media

Regarding

Steve Mandanda social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with 634k followers. In the page we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

He also has a Twitter account (

) with more than 468k followers. He often posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Steve Mandanda body measurements

Speaking about

Steve Mandanda body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the player is 185 cm and 82 kg.

Steve Mandanda net worth and salary

Steve Mandanda’s net worth

is £10 million as a result of his excellent football career. Steve Mandanda is paid really well. His yearly income is around 2.6 million Euros.

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