Football is known to be so close to the marginalized. As a sport that does not require a lot of money, football is so cheap and can be a source of solace for people that even breathing fresh air is difficult. France is one of the few countries in Europe whose football has such a close relationship with the marginalized. Some of the greatest players ever produced, from Zinedine Zidane to Franck Ribery, had their lives not far from being complicated before football made them rich.
Unlike the bad luck that hit other French players, Patrice Evra lives from the established class. Evra was born of the blood of a Guinean diplomat. The job made him inevitably have to follow his father’s work to move countries, leading him to Les Ulis, South Paris. Evra’s passion for football was seen since he was a child. Unlike his brother, who often studied after school, he chose to play football on the street. “He has strong intelligence. In addition, he likes to choose a different path than his other siblings since he was little,” said Mary Magdalene, Evra’s eldest sister, as quoted by Le Parisien.
Together with his close friend, Tshymen Buhanga, Evra also joined CO Les Ulis, a local team at the age of 11 years. “I brought a new Romario,” said Jean-Claude Giordanella, coach of Les Ulis as he imitated Buhanga’s words about Evra playing as a striker. “At that time he was different from other children his age. Shy, quiet, like a child whose parents really care about it,” added Giordanella.
CO Les Ulis who is known as one of the producers of talented players makes many people know about Evra’s talent. Some of the top teams in French football, such as Rennes and Lille, said Giordanella had sent his scouts to see Evra, but in the end Evra was not ogled because his height was considered too short for a striker. Although active in football, Evra never forgot his school. Therefore, at the age of 12, he chose to play in an amateur team located near his home, CSF Brétigny, in order to fulfill his desire to play football and at the same time stay in school.
In Bretigny, Evra had another chance to show off. This time he got a chance from two other Ligue 1 teams, Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse, at the age of just 16 years. He finally received the opportunity to play at the junior level from Paris Saint-Germain, although in the end he was released by the management of Paris Saint-Germain for no apparent reason. Evra’s love for football continued to be shown until he entered his teens. Instead of choosing to continue his education at the famous Ecole Polytechnique or Sorbonne, Evra continued his career even though he never got a chance in a professional team.
Blessings came when he participated in a futsal tournament in Juvisy-sur-Orge, southeast Paris. Evra’s slick appearance in the tournament was seen by one of the Italian half-time scouts. The scout also offered Evra the opportunity to take part in a trial in Torino. A few weeks following the trial in Torino, Evra apparently failed again. However, he actually got a blessing when he was glimpsed by Italian C1 team, Marsala, and offered him a professional contract and a place in the wing midfielder position.
“There was a moment I will always remember in football. Not when I won the league or the Champions League, but when I was 17 years old and managed to sign a career as a professional footballer,” Evra said of his joy at being signed by Marsala. Not wanting to appear disappointing, Evra began to learn Italian to further deepen his coach’s instructions. As a result, Evra was able to appear in 27 matches and scored six goals as a wing midfielder.
Since then, Evra’s name has continued to climb in the Italian lower level competition. The following year, he moved to the Serie B team, Monza, with a transfer value of 250 thousand euros. At the end of the 1999/00 season, Evra decided to leave Monza because he did not get a place as a starting player. It didn’t take long, Evra was invited to join by OGC Nice who was in Ligue 2. One season he appeared in the reserve team, Evra started to get opportunities in the senior team as a striker and got the number 17 shirt.
2001/02 season became a season that will not be forgotten by Evra. Injuries to Nice’s two left-backs, Jean-Charles Cirilli and José Cobos, meant that Evra had the opportunity to play at left-back for the remainder of the match. Evra’s good performance in the match made Nice coach, Sandro Salvioni, inaugurate Evra as his team’s new left back. Instead of being happy, Evra was actually angry at the opportunity. Not accepting the angry players, Salvioni actually scolded Evra.
“If you want to be on the pitch, you have to accept to play here!” said Evra imitating Salvioni’s words. The decision also made Evra continue to be trusted as a left back. The good performances he showed as a left back also made his name into the Ligue 2 Team of the Year 2001/02. When he moved to AS Monaco, Evra actually wanted to play more attacking, as a left winger. But Monaco coach at the time, Didier Deschamps, advised him to continue playing at left-back. Deschamps polish also makes Evra more mature playing at left back.
Evra is also known as a smart player when he has the ball. Paul Scholes, a former teammate at Manchester United, once called him one of the most intelligent players in football besides Andrea Pirlo. It is thanks to his intelligence that Evra is one of the left-backs that Juventus still relies on today, even though he is 35 years old.
ASL
