Franck Silvestre
Franck Silvestre | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 5, 1967 Paris, France |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (retired) |
| Years active | 1985–2006 |
| Known for | Centre back for Sochaux, Auxerre, Montpellier, Bastia, Sturm Graz, and Sète; France national team player; UEFA Euro 1992 participant |
Franck Claude Silvestre (born 5 April 1967) is a retired French professional football player who operated primarily as a centre back.
Throughout a career that extended across six clubs in two countries, he amassed over 700 official appearances. Silvestre was capped by the French national team for three years and took part in Euro 1992 representing France.
Career
Originating from Paris, Silvestre launched his professional journey at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in 1985. By the age of 18, he had secured a regular starting position and experienced the club's demotion to the second division in 1987, followed by an immediate return to the top flight. During this period, Sochaux reached the final of the French Cup in 1988 but were defeated by FC Metz. That same year, Silvestre was part of the France U21 team that won the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Despite not being affiliated with a top-tier club at the time, Silvestre received his inaugural senior national team call-up from coach Michel Platini in 1989, debuting against the Republic of Ireland. Although included in France's squad for UEFA Euro 1992, he did not feature in matches as the team was eliminated during the group phase. He accumulated a total of 11 international caps from 1989 to 1992.
In the summer of 1993, Silvestre joined AJ Auxerre, managed by Guy Roux, where he succeeded William Prunier. Teaming up with players such as Dutchman Frank Verlaat, Laurent Blanc, and Frédéric Danjou, he secured two domestic cup victories and a league championship, notably achieving the prestigious double during the 1995–96 season. He also participated in the UEFA Champions League competitions with Auxerre.
Silvestre moved to Montpellier HSC in 1998, quickly establishing himself as a key starter and eventually assuming captaincy. During the 2000–01 campaign, he recorded a personal best of nine goals across 33 appearances, playing a significant role in Montpellier’s promotion back to top-tier football. In January 2003, he transferred to SC Bastia, where he aided in securing their safe position away from relegation threats.
At age 36, Silvestre embarked on his first stint abroad by joining Austria’s SK Sturm Graz. He regularly featured for the team though did not capture any major trophies. His playing career concluded at second division side FC Sète in January 2006, finishing with an impressive total of 638 league matches played.
Honours
Sochaux
- Division 2 champions: 1987–88
- Coupe de France finalist: 1987–88
Auxerre
- Division 1 title: 1995–96
- Coupe de France winner: 1993–94, 1995–96
Montpellier
- UEFA Intertoto Cup winner: 1999
France U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship champion: 1988
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1967 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Paris
- French men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- FC Sochaux-Montbéliard players
- AJ Auxerre players
- Montpellier HSC players
- SC Bastia players
- SK Sturm Graz players
- FC Sète 34 players
- Ligue 1 players
- Ligue 2 players
- Austrian Football Bundesliga players
- France men's under-21 international footballers
- France men's international footballers
- UEFA Euro 1992 players
- French expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Austria
- French expatriate sportspeople in Austria
- 20th-century French sportsmen