They called him Le Président. Laurent Blanc was tall and composed, strong in the air and unusually comfortable with the ball at his feet, and he brought that calm to every dressing room he joined.
His biggest achievements came with France. He was a key member of the defence that won the country's first World Cup in 1998, and two years later he helped win Euro 2000, the second half of a golden period for Les Bleus. His partnership with Marcel Desailly was one of the strongest in international football.
Ball-playing before it was fashionable
Blanc was a centre-back who could play out from the back long before that became the standard job description. He carried the ball, passed it forward and rarely panicked. In the modern game he would be the first name on a coach's list.
His club career took him from Montpellier to Barcelona, Inter Milan and Manchester United.
He was the prototype of the modern ball-playing centre-back: elegant, composed and very good in possession. France's first World Cup had plenty of heroes, and Blanc was one of the most important. Number 13.
Tomorrow: number 12.
