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Jean-Pierre Papin 1991
Back to Papin, and there is something about the letter “P” when French football is the topic. In the late 1950s and early 1960s Roger Piantoni, inside-left of Reims and the French side placed third in the 1958 World Cup, was one of the finest all-round forwards in Europe.
Some 20 years later and Michel Platini was king of football in both France and Europe. For several years he was probably superior in his overall contribution to Diego Maradona. Platini was a consistent winner throughout his career whereas Maradona had, remarkably, won nothing of value before the 1986 World Cup.
Now, after all those fond memories of Piantoni and Platini, French fans are basking in the reflected glory of Marseille’s captain and top scorer, Papin.
Papin, like his predecessors, is more than a footballer. He is a national hero whose fame, character and influence transcend the football pitch.
At Marseille, at the heart of the multi-million pound football collection being pieced together by president Bernard Tapie, Papin is a figurehead, a spokesman, a leader. A captain on and off the pitch.
It was Papin in whom Tapie confided his determination to sign West Germany World Cup coach Franz Beckenbauer long before the media knew what was happening; it was Papin who led the Marseille players out on strike in protest at the French federation’s decision to suspend Tapie for a year as punishment for attacks on referees and other club presidents; it was Papin who backed up the strike threat by insisting he would play abroad if he could not play for his beloved Marseille.
Right through his career the wiry little Frenchman has set his eye on one goal or another. That has been Papin’s hallmark ever since his early days. He scored 120 goals in two years with the renowned INF Vichy youth teams and then, on being signed by second division Valenciennes, earned promotion to the first team and was their 15-goal leading scorer in 1983-84.
Those goals earned him both selection for the France Under-21s and a transfer to Belgian side Club Brugge, who urgently needed a deputy for injured veteran Willy Wellens. Papin’s marksmanship took Brugge to the cup, and earned five goals in the UEFA Cup including a hat-trick against Boavista. He was not, however, settled in Belgium.
Papin says: “The year with Brugge was the longest of my life. At first people there were laughing at me – saying I was too small. But in a funny sort of way that helped me. It made me all the more determined to succeed. That ’s why I think I could do well in Italy because certainly I do not see myself as finishing my career in France.”
Papin signalled his international potential in 1984 when he collected important strikes against East Germany and Yugoslavia in the Under-21 European Championship. Indeed,
Papin scored twice in the 7-0 thrashing of the Slavs in November 1985 which qualified France for the quarter-finals.
Senior recognition from national coach Henri Michel could not long be delayed. Papin duly made his senior France debut in a 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland and he went on to become a key figure in the French side which finished third at the 1986 World Cup.
Papin scored one of the goals in the 4-2 defeat of Belgium in that third place play-off. Then, at the insistence of his wife who wanted to finish her studies, Papin returned to France.
Monaco appeared to have him signed and sealed but were then pipped on the post by Marseille. Now he is club captain, considered France’s No.1 footballer and now top of Wor ld Soccer’s charts.
In 1988-89 Papin was not only the league’s 22-goal top scorer but grabbed a hat-trick in Marseille’s cup final defeat of Monaco. He was top scorer again in 1989-90, with 30 goals (including three hat-tricks) and completed his third successive season as top scorer with 23 more in 1990-91.
Papin has been Mr. France for several years. Now he is also Mr. World. Keir Radnedge
There is something about the letter “P” when French football is the topic...after all those fond memories of Piantoni and Platini, French
fans are basking in the glory of Papin
Top 10 Players of 1991
Player Club
Country % of vote 1) Jean-Pierre Papin Marseille France 25 2) Robert Prosinecki Red Star Belgrade/R. Madrid Yugoslavia 15 3) Darko Pancev Red Star Belgrade Yugoslavia 13 4) Mark Hughes Manchester United Wales 8 5) Lothar Matthaus Internazionale Germany 6 6) Gianluca Vialli Sampdoria Italy 5 7) Gabriel Batistuta Boca Juniors/Fiorentina Argentina 4.5 8) Sergio Goycochea Brest Argentina 4 9) Stuart Pearce Nottingham Forest England 3.5 10) Gary Lineker Tottenham Hotspur England 3
France talisman…Papin
Other World Soccer Award winners 1991
France… Les Bleus edged out Argentina and Red Star
TEAM OF THE YEAR: France
