Manuel Amoros (born February 1, 1962 in Nîmes) is a retired football defender from France. He was capped 82 times (one goal) for the France national football team, and played in the Euro Cup finals of 1984 and 1992, and the World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986.

Amoros played most of his career for AS Monaco in the French first division. He missed his penalty in the 1991 European Cup Final for Marseille and subsequently Red Star Belgrade won the match 5–3 on penalties.

It was his stints with the tricolor during the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups in which he stood out. In the 1982 World Cup semifinal against West Germany, Amoros' goalbar-hitting 30-yard shot in the 89th minute sent chills to the spines of many a West German fan.^{[citation needed]} In the penalty shoot-out he converted his kick before France bode out.

In the 1984 European Championships held in France, Amoros showed an egregious side of him. During the inaugural game against Denmark, the French back was harshly tackled by a Danish midfielder. As the referee went searching for the yellow card to book the offender, Amoros quickly jumped on his feet and head-butted his tackler on the forehead in front of a stunned ref who also yanked a red card out of his pocket to send Amoros off. He was banned for three games. However, in the final against Spain, national coach Michel Hidalgo took him on as a sub in a game that Les Bleus won by 2–0 at Le Parc des Princes.

In the 1986 World Cup the 24-year-old Amoros was overshadowed by the likes of Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Harald Schumacher, Emilio Butragueño, Gary Lineker and Enzo Scifo, who took center stage. However, he was voted best right-back by the international press and had a field day of a game against Brazil in the quarterfinals.

[edit] Honours

European Championship: 1984

Ligue 1: 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992

French Cup: 1985

UEFA Champions League: 1993

[edit] References

• (French) French Football Federation Profile

France Squad v • d • e France squad – 1982 FIFA World Cup Fourth Place 1 Baratelli • 2 Amoros • 3 Battiston • 4 Bossis • 5 Janvion • 6 Lopez • 7 Mahut • 8 Trésor • 9 Genghini • 10 Platini • 11 Girard • 12 Giresse • 13 Larios • 14 Tigana • 15 Bellone • 16 Couriol • 17 Lacombe • 18 Rocheteau • 19 Six • 20 Soler • 21 Castaneda • 22 Ettori • Coach: Hidalgo v • d • e France squad – UEFA Euro 1984 Winners (1st title) 1 Bats • 2 Amoros • 3 Domergue • 4 Bossis • 5 Battiston • 6 Fernández • 7 Ferreri • 8 Bravo • 9 Genghini • 10 Platini • 11 Bellone • 12 Giresse • 13 Six • 14 Tigana • 15 Le Roux • 16 Rocheteau • 17 Lacombe • 18 Tusseau • 19 Bergeroo • 20 Rust • Coach: Hidalgo v • d • e France squad – 1986 FIFA World Cup Third Place 1 Bats • 2 Amoros • 3 Ayache • 4 Battiston • 5 Bibard • 6 Bossis • 7 Le Roux • 8 Tusseau • 9 Fernández • 10 Platini • 11 Ferreri • 12 Giresse • 13 Genghini • 14 Tigana • 15 Vercruysse • 16 Bellone • 17 Papin • 18 Rocheteau • 19 Stopyra • 20 Xuereb • 21 Bergeroo • 22 Rust • Coach: Michel v • d • e France squad – UEFA Euro 1992 1 Martini • 2 Amoros • 3 Silvestre • 4 Petit • 5 Blanc • 6 Casoni • 7 Deschamps • 8 Sauzée • 9 Papin • 10 Fernández • 11 Perez • 12 Cocard • 13 Boli • 14 Durand • 15 Divert • 16 Vahirua • 17 Garde • 18 Cantona • 19 Rousset • 20 Angloma • Coach: Platini