It is the other French embassy in Germany. There is the real one in Berlin with its diplomats. And the other, less official: Bayern Munich. The Bavarian club is almost a tricolor annex. The current squad includes five French players: Benjamin Pavard, Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman, Lucas Hernandez and Michael Cuisance. Not to mention Tanguy Kouassi, who has recently freely left PSG to join Bayern next season. For several seasons, the Munich leaders have chosen, for their recruitment, to release the Blues card. They know that the footballer from France is a species which adapts perfectly to the climate of Bavaria.
It's simple, before the current quintet, Bayern had already enlisted seven other French. Only two proved to be a failure. And again, the bets were inexpensive: Alou Diarra, arrived at 19 from Louhans-Cuiseaux, was still too tender for the high level and never played in the first team. The same goes for Steven Ribéry, recruited in 2013 to please his big brother Franck, but who did not have the talent of his elder brother. But the other five “Franzosen” managed to win. The pioneer Jean-Pierre Papin, even at the end of his career after Marseille and AC Milan, left good memories between 1994 and 1996.
Full-backs Bixente Lizarazu and Willy Sagnol have played there for nine seasons. The former is now Bayern ambassador and the latter even coached the team for a match after Carlo Ancelotti's dismissal. Valérien Ismaël, who arrived in 2005, had a good first season, before seriously injuring himself the second. Franck Ribéry, he spent twelve years in the red jersey and won nine league titles across the Rhine, a record for a foreign player in Bavaria. The native of Boulogne arrived with the label of the phenomenon before earning a prestigious nickname: "Kaiser Franck". An allusion to the legendary defender of the club and the West German national team Franz Beckenbauer, nicknamed the “Kaiser”.
"A lucky story, with a lot of titles"
Today, it's easy to be French when you arrive at Bayern. “When I arrived, there had been very few in the Bundesliga,” smiles Bixente Lizarazu. Just before me, Jean-Pierre Papin had done two seasons. But I made nine! After Franck Ribéry made twelve! It created a special story between the club and the French players. A lucky story, with a lot of titles, so they keep believing it. "
Willy Sagnol aligns himself with the analysis of his former friend. “Bayern like all German clubs really like the French. The club comes to recruit young players because they are complete in particular on the tactical aspect, the reading of the game, the individual technique. The French sometimes take time to adapt because there is a rigor and a discipline which is light years away from what is in force here. But once the codes are acquired, the guys have a blast. And then there is a real sense of belonging to this club. Like a family. "
For Valérien Ismaël, successful adaptations owe nothing to chance. "For a long time the club knew how to integrate South Americans but not other nationalities," he explains. But today, everyone thinks that the French are reliable. It is especially Lizarazu and Sagnol who made it possible to begin the love story. We know that tactically, the French adapt very quickly thanks to his training. And there is no reluctance to go. If a player as emotional as Ribéry has been able to flourish so much, it is because this club is a family. It is perfect for the French colony. "
