Frank Leboeuf (born Franck Alain James Leboeuf^[1], or Lebœuf (which literally translates to "the beef")^[2], on January 22, 1968 near Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône) is a former French footballer, who played as a defender. With the French national team, Leboeuf won the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

After starting his career in 1986 in the lower divisions of the French league, Leboeuf moved to Laval in 1988. In 1991, he moved to Strasbourg and played there until 1996, when he made a switch to English club Chelsea for £2.5m. He played over 200 games for the club and scored 24 goals, mainly from penalties and set pieces. With Chelsea, he won two FA Cups, one League Cup and one Cup Winners' Cup. He left in 2001 for his hometown club Olympique Marseille, before finishing out his career in Qatar.

A highly cultured centre back Leboeuf was noted for his long range passing ability and also for his consistent penalty-taking throughout his career. He took more than 20 penalties for Chelsea, missing just 3 times - against Leicester and Feyenoord and Blackburn. Leboeuf failed to score in a penalty shoot-out in Euro 2000.

For France, Leboeuf was capped 50 times, scoring five goals. A bench player in 1998, he stepped in for red carded Laurent Blanc to play in the final, a 3-0 win against Brazil. Shortly after the tournament, he appeared on the now defunct BBC One comedy quiz show They Think its All Over. During the show every time a joke was aimed at Frank by any of the panel, or by host Nick Hancock he replied with simply "I don't care what you say, I've won the World Cup!", which after a while led to Hancock comparing him to Alan Ball. Although he did not get off the bench, Leboeuf did receive a winner's medal at Euro 2000. He then played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Leboeuf now lives in Los Angeles and plays for celebrity team Hollywood United as a midfielder as he says he doesn't like chasing attackers anymore.

He also appeared in the 2001 film, Taking Sides.^[3]

Following the 1998 World Cup, he was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1998^[1][4]

[edit] Club Playing Honours

RC Strasbourg

• Ligue 2: runner-up 1991-92
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995

Chelsea F.C.

• FA Cup: 1997, 2000
• FA Community Shield: 2000, runners-up 1997
• League Cup: 1998
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1998
• UEFA Super Cup: 1998

Al-Sadd Sports Club

• Qatar National First Division: 2003-04

Al-Wakrah Sports Club

• Qatar Sheikh Jassem Cup: 2005

[edit] International Playing Honours

France National Football Team

• FIFA World Cup: 1998
• UEFA European Championship: 2000
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001

[edit] Famous Quotes

"There are more stars in Qatar than in France"
"Fate is definitely with us, even if we have to pray a lot. I don't know if God is a Frenchman, but he is a good guy anyway." - Leboeuf on Spain's late penalty miss against France in Euro 2000. [1]
"I now know what Rocky Balboa must have felt like - I am a World Champion"
"I have....won the World Cup"

[edit] Notes

France Squad v • d • e France squad – UEFA Euro 1996 semi-finalists 1 Lama • 2 Angloma • 3 Di Meco • 4 Leboeuf • 5 Blanc • 6 Guérin • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Djorkaeff • 10 Zidane • 11 Loko • 12 Lizarazu • 13 Dugarry • 14 Lamouchi • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Madar • 18 Pedros • 19 Karembeu • 20 Roche • 21 Martins • 22 Martini • Coach: Jacquet v • d • e France squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Lama • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Blanc • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Guivarc'h • 10 Zidane • 11 Pirès • 12 Henry • 13 Diomède • 14 Boghossian • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Karembeu • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Charbonnier • Coach: Jacquet v • d • e France squad – UEFA Euro 2000 Winners (2nd title) 1 Lama • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Blanc • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Anelka • 10 Zidane • 11 Pirès • 12 Henry • 13 Wiltord • 14 Micoud • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Karembeu • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Ramé • Coach: Lemerre v • d • e France squad – 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Ramé • 2 Sagnol • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Gillet • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Pirès • 8 Desailly • 9 Anelka • 10 Carrière • 11 Wiltord • 12 Coupet • 13 Silvestre • 14 Née • 15 Bréchet • 16 Dacourt • 17 Marlet • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Karembeu • 20 Camara • 21 Dugarry • 22 Robert • 23 Landreau • Coach: Lemerre v • d • e France squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Ramé • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Christanval • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Makélélé • 8 Desailly • 9 Cissé • 10 Zidane • 11 Wiltord • 12 Henry • 13 Silvestre • 14 Boghossian • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Sagnol • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Micoud • 23 Coupet • Coach: Lemerre