Vincent Guérin has somewhat disappeared from the world of football, but he remains in the hearts of (old) PSG supporters and for good reason, he was a hell of a footballer. He was even voted best player in the French championship for the 1994-1995 season and best French player in 1995 by France Football. On the occasion of the 60th birthday of the person concerned, the site Blue Chronicles looks back on the great career of this defensive midfielder with XXL activity.
A native of the Princes clinic, a stone’s throw from the Parc des Princes, Guérin was revealed at Brest Armorique (now Stade Brestois) and arrived at PSG in 1992. He was an essential player in this great Rouge et Bleu team. The famous “Canal+ era”. The Parisians were French champions in 1994 and won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996 as well as three French Cups. Vincent Guérin is also the hero of the Champions League quarter-final second leg won against Johan Cruyff’s Barça in March 1995.
In the French team, Guérin did not experience as many good moments. Far from it. It was also launched in September 1993 by Gérard Houllier and honored his second international cape during the France-Bulgaria drama in November. He enters at the end of the match and… it is he who gives the ball to David Ginola in the 90th minute, a few moments before the fatal goal scored by Emil Kostadinov.
Guérin part of the Blues then forgotten
Despite his performances at PSG, Vincent Guérin was only recalled in the spring of 1995. He immediately established himself alongside Didier Deschamps and Zinédine Zidane in the midfield for the remainder of the Euro 1996 qualifiers. He was a scorer and a decisive four-time assist (for Youri Djorkaeff and Frank Leboeuf) during the 10-0 inflicted on Azerbaijan. Guérin is the indisputable starter for Aimé Jacquet at the European Championship in England, converting his shots on goal against the Netherlands and then the Czech Republic (for elimination in the semi-finals).
The French story comes to an abrupt end for Guérin. The Parisian was only 30 years old when he made his 19th and final selection, on August 31, 1996 against Mexico, at the Parc. “The coach is making his group evolve, reshaping it to give it a more offensive face, but he is no longer counting on Vincent Guérin”explains the site Blue Chronicles. Vincent Guérin remained a captain of PSG but his career collapsed in October 1997 when he tested positive for nandrolone, which earned him an 18-month suspension, including 6 months in prison.
The France team against the Czech Republic in the semi-finals of Euro 96.
