AS Monaco Greatest All-Time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

1977-1978 Ligue Champion

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Olympique de Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain
Olympique Lyonnais, AS Monaco, Nantes
Saint-Étienne, Girondins de Bordeaux, Lille OSC

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Though based in Monaco, the club plays in the French football league system. Monaco is one of the most successful clubs in France, having won seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies. The club has also competed in European football having been runners-up in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 2004.

The club's traditional colours are red and white, and the club is known as Les Rouges et Blancs (The Red and Whites). Monaco is a member of the European Club Association. In December 2011, two-thirds of the club was sold to an investment group led by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev

2016-2017 Ligue 1 Champion

Team
GK: Jean-Luc Ettori (France)
Jean-Luc Ettori spent his entire career with AS Monaco, and had held the record for the most appearances by any player in Ligue 1 or Division 1 with 602 appearances until 4 December 2013 when Mickaël Landreau surpassed his record. He earned nine caps for France in the early 1980s, including starting six out of seven matches in the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain. his international career ended the same year.

Jean-Luc Ettori

GK: Flavio Roma (Italy)
Flavio Roma started his career in the youth teams of S.S. Lazio before leaving the club to play for clubs in Serie B and Serie C1. In 1999 he was signed by the Serie A side Piacenza as part of Simone Inzaghi's deal. In 2001 he was signed by AS Monaco FC and  played the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. Roma was capped 3 times by Italy in 2005.

GK: Fabien Barthez (France)
Barthez had 87 caps for "Les Bleus".   He won the World Cup in 1998 at home and then, the European Championship two years later. He is France's most capped player in the World Cup, with 17 appearances at the finals. For domestic football, he played with Toulouse, Marseille, AS Monaco, Manchester United and Nantes.  He also won Champions League medal with Marseille in 1993.  

RB/LB:  Manuel Amoros (France)
Manuel Amoros is widely considered to be France's greatest fullback.  He was a part of France's Golden Generation in the 1980's.  He played 82 times for France.  He played in the European Championships Finals of 1984 and 1992, winning the 1984 version.  He also played in the World Cup Finals in 1982 and 1986.  He won the Champions League with Marseille in 1993, but also losing the one in 1991. He also played for Monaco and Lyons.

Manuel Amoros

CB/RB:  Mustapha Zitouni (France/Algeria)
Mustapha Zitouni was capped 4 times by France in the late 1950's.  He was on France's 1952 Olympic team.  He went on to represent the FLN football team, and then, Algeria when it became independent.  Zitouni began his career with OM Saint-Eugène. He then played in France for Cannes, Monaco and Chartres. While in Algeria, he played club football for RC Kouba.

RB/CB:  Lilian Thuram (France)
Lilian Thuram is France's most capped player.  He was known for his strength, pace and stamina.  He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. With France, Thuram won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, and was in the runner-up squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.  He scored two goals vs Croatia in the semifinal of the World Cup in 1998. 

CB:  Rafael Marquez (Mexico)
Rafael Marquez is one of the best players in Mexico's history.  He started his career with Atlas before moving to play in Europe, notably with Monaco and Barcelona.  He was the first Mexican to win the European Champions' League. He is the first player ever to captain his national team in five consecutive World Cup Finals, captaining Mexico in the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

CB: Armand Forcherio (Monaco)
Born in Monaco in 1941, Armand Forcherio spent his entire career with his hometown club AS Monaco, playing 300 matches from 1961 to 1972. At 22 years of age, he was a part of the historic double winning team of the 1962-63 season.  He then managed the same team from 1976 to 1977, the only Monégasque to manage the club.

CB: Marcel Artélésa (France)
Nicknamed "le Maçon" (Mason), Marcel Artélésa played for Troyes, Monaco, Marisellie and Nice.  From 1961 to 1966, he played with AS Monaco, winning the Double in the 1962-1963 season. He was the French player of the Year in 1964, awarded by "France Football" magazine.  He was capped 21 times between 1960 and 1963.  He went to the 1966 World Cup Finals in England.

CB: Luc Sonor (France)
Luc Sonor started his career with  CS Sedan Ardennes.  From1979 to 1986, he played for FC Metz.  Then, he played from 1986 to 1996 with AS Monaco. He later played in Scotland. He won the French Cup two times, once with AS Monaco and once with FC Metz. He also won the French Championship with Monaco in 1988 where he played under Arsène Wenger.  He was capped 9 times.

LB: Patrice Evra (France)   
Patrice Evra began his career with Nice and then, Monaco. He played for the Manchester United from 2006 to 2014, where he became one of the best left backs in the world.  At the time of writing, he earned 81 caps and was a key player for France since 2008.  He was the captain of the national team.  At South Africa 2010, he led a player revolt against Raymond Domenech, in which he received a ban, but he recalled back to the national team in 2011 by Laurent Blanc.

Patrice Evra

DM: Marcel Dib (France)
Marcel Dib started with  SC Toulon in 1981 in the lower divison.  He made a big time move to AS Monaco in 1985.  He played briefly with Girondins de Bordeaux before joining his hometown club Olympique de Marseille at that time in Ligue 2.  He became the captain and led the club to return to top flight and then, retired. Dib was capped 6 times.

DM: Claude Puel (France)
Claude Puel started his football career as a youth with Castres FC, where he was spotted by AS Monaco. He played his first professional game in the 1979–80 season. He spent his entire career at Monaco, playing 601 official matches in total. During his time at Monaco, he won two championships and three French Cups. He played once for France in an unofficial game against Girondins de Bordeaux. 

CM: Jean Petit (France)
Jean Petit earned twelve international caps (one goal) for the French national team during the late 1970s. He was a member of the French team at the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina. Petit played most of his professional career for AS Monaco, with whom he won the French title in 1978 as its captain.  He belonged to the club's generation known as "Onnis". He was the French Player of the Year in 1978 awarded by French Foootball" magazine.

Jean Petit

CM: Théodore Szkudlapski (France)
Born in France of Polish ancestry, Théodore Szkudlapski was better know as Theo.   He played for RC Lens from 1953 to 1958 when he left for Stade Rennes, where he played with Raymond Kopa, another Polish-French player. Two years later, he joined the AS Monaco, where he won the French league twice.  He was capped twice for France.

RW/FW: Ludovic Giuly (France)
Ludovic Giuly started with Olympique Lyonnais in 1994.  Later, he played for Monaco, Barcelona, Roma and PSG.  He captained Monaco as they reached the Final of the Champions' League in 2004.   With Barcelona, he helped the team win the 2005–06 Champions League.  He was capped 17 times, but missed the World Cup finals in 2002 and Euro 2004 due to injuries.

LW: Bruno Bellone (France)
In his career, Bruno Bellone played for Cannes, Monaco and Montpeller.  He won a league title with Monaco in the 1981-1982 season.  He earned 34 caps and scored two goals for France from 1981 to 1988. One of the goals was in the final of the 1984 European Championships, where France defeated Spain 2–0 to win the title. He was also on France's 1982 and 1986 World Cup squads. 

AM: Youri Djorkaeff (France)
Youri Djorkaeff is the son of French international Jean Djorkaeff. He played for many clubs in Europe, including Monaco, PSG, Inter Milan, Kaiserslautern, etc.  With OSG, he won the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup. He won another UEFA Cup a year later with Inter Milan. Internationally, he was a part of the great French team that won the World Cup in 1998 and then European Championship in 2000. He is considered one of the best French offensive players in that era.

Youri Djorkaeff

AM/FW: George Weah (Liberia) 
In terms of individual awards, no other African player wins more awards than him.  He was was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or in 1995.  He won African Footballer of the Year: 1989, 1994, 1995.  He was voted African Player of the Century in 1996.  He had great careers with AC Milan where he won two Serie A titles. He also played for Paris St Germaine and AS Monaco in France. In 2017, Weah was elected as the President of Liberia.

George Weah

FW:  Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria)

Victor Ikpeba was a member of Nigeria's Golden Generation in the 1990's. He had 31 caps for the Super Eagles. He was the African Player of the Year in 1997.  He won the African Cup of Nations in 1994 and the Gold Medal at 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.  He appeared in the World Cup Finals in both 1994 and 1998.  At the club level, he had a great career with Monaco, but his career was not the same after Monaco.  

FW:  Theirry Henry (France)
Thierry Henry is the all-time leading scorer for both Arsenal and France.  He was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and the FWA Footballer of the Year three times. He started with AS Monaco in 1994. The, he spent 8 seasons with Arsenal, where he enjoyed the peak of his career. He also played for Juventus, Barcelona and NY Red Bulls. For France, he earned 123 caps and was a part of France's Golden Team form 1998 to 2002.

Theirry Henry

ST: Sonny Anderson (Brazil)
Sonny Anderson played most of his abroad career in France, amassing Ligue 1 totals of 221 games and 138 goals.  He was the top soccer in the French league three times while winning the Étoile d'Or in 1996.  He also played in Switzerland and Spain.  Due to fierce competition within the Brazil national team, he was only capped 6 times between 1997 and 2001.

ST: Yvon Douis (France)
During his career, Yvon Douis played for Lille OSC (1953–59), Le Havre AC (1959–61), AS Monaco (1961–67) and AS Cannes (1967–69). At the international level, he earned 20 caps and scored 4 goals for the France national football team between 1957 and 1965, and played in the 1958 World Cup when France finished third, scoring a single goal in the Finals.  He also participated in the first ever European Championship in 1960.

ST: Christian Dalger (France)

During his career, Christian Dalger played for clubs like SC Toulon (1962–1971) and AS Monaco (1971–1980), with whom he won the French title in 1978. He formed a famous partnership with Argentine Delio Onnis.  He was capped 6 times between 1974 and 1978. He was a member of the French national team in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, where he played against Italy in the first round.

ST: Delio Onnis (Argentina)
Born in Italy, Delio Onnis was an Argentine.  He earned the nicknamed "El Tano" (the Italian) in Argentina.  He began his career as the star striker with Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.  He was widely known as the greatest player ever to have played for AS Monaco,  He is still today the French championship highest scorer, scoring 299 goals from 1972 to 1986 for Stade de Reims, AS Monaco FC, Tours FC and Sporting Toulon Var.  He was the Top goalscorers in Ligue 1: 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984.

Delio Onnis 

Honorable Mention
Glenn Hoddle (England), Patrick Battiston (France), Willy Sagnol (France),  Sébastien Squillaci (France), François Ludo (France), Emmanuel Petit (France), Henri Biancheri (France), Michel Hidalgo (France), Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Youssouf Fofana,  Enzo Scifo (Belgium), Lucien Cossou (France), Marco Simeone (Italy), Armand Forcherio (Monanco), Maurice Revelli (France), David Trezeguet (France), Kylian Mbappé (France), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Danijel Subašić (Croatia).

Squad Explanation 
-- Arsene Wenger had a successful period between 1987 and 1994.  George Weah, Youri Djorkaeff, Marcel Dib, Luc Sonar and Lilian Thuram from that generation made this team.  Thierry Henry did not play for him, but he came from the youth academy under Wenger's guidance.  They would pair up later with Arsenal.
-- AS Monaco won the Double in the 1962-1963 season.  I do not really know much the team, but I selected Yvon Douis, Théodore Szkudlapski and Marcel Artélésa to be on my all-time team.  I also do not know the historical context of that era.  Charles De Gaulle started a blockade of Monaco in early 1962.  The crisis climaxed in Octber, 1962 and ended in May, 1963.  I believed that the entire season was played under a political crisis.  However, I found no information how it affected AS Monaco's season.  I found one sentence mentioning about how AS Monaco was about to be expelled from the French league, but I had no other information. The situation was made famous by Olivier Dahan's movie "Grace de Monaco", starring Nicole Kidman.
-- AS Monaco reached the Final of the 2004 Champions' League before losing to Jose Mourinho's Porto.  Flavio Roma, Patrice Evra and Ludovic Giulymade made this all-time team.
-- I knew of two Monaco-born player who played for AS Monaco.  They are Armand Forcherio and Maurice Revelli.  Armand Forcherio played 303 games for the club.  I put them on honorable mention.  I put there as symbolic act since Monaco is an independent country.  
-- Due to the fact that Manuel Amoros can play as both fullback position, I selected a fifth centerback.
-- Delio Onnis (Argentina) is the all-time leading scorer for Ligue One. He is also AS Monaco all-time leading scorer.  At the time of writing, his tally of 223 goals is still more than 110 goals away from second place Lucien Cossou.  No active player has more than 60 goals.  AS Monaco's team in the 1970's was nicknamed after him.  Jean Petit was a part of the "Onnis" generation.
-- Jean Petit was the French Player of the Year in 1978 awarded by "French Foootball" magazine.  He was the captain of the 1982 league champion.
-- George Weah won the African Footballer of the Year for the first time in 1989 while with AS Monaco. It was his first major individual award.  He helped Monaco reach the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1992, scoring four goals in nine cup appearances.
-- Thierry Henry was home grown.  He helped Monaco to win a league title and led it the semifinal of the Champions' League.  Henry formed a partnership with David Trezeguet.  
-- David Trezeguet should have been selected too. I cannot find space for him. I was choosing between him and Victor Ikpeba.
-- Victor Ikpeba earned the 1997 African Player of the Year award because of his performance at the UEFA Cup.
-- Youri Djorkaeff was the French league top scorer in 1994. 
-- François Ludo should have been selected.
-- Sonny Anderson was the league top scorer three times while playing for AS Monaco.  He also won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 1997.
-- Goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettori held the record appearance for all of Ligue One or Division One until 2013.  He is still the appearance record holder for AS Monaco. 
-- Leonardo Jardim created a great team for 2016-2017 season, winning the league title over the heavy spending Paris St Germain and reaching the semifinal of the Champions' League.  However, it is hard to keep a smaller club in intact.  Most of the players probably won't make the team because they did not play too long for the club. Radamel Falcao and Danijel Subašić made my honourable mention.
-- Kylian Mbappé only played one good season with the club. However, he helped the club to reach the semifinal of the Champions' League.  He deserved a honorable mention.  In time, he might have a chance to be on the team.  Thierry Henry also did not spend much time with the club. So they are in similar position.  I have chosen homegrown players who had became mega stars but not necessary a star player at the mother club for my all-time teams.  For example, Cristano Ronaldo is listed for my All-Time Sporting SP club.

Formation