The son of a diplomat, Evra was born in Senegal and arrived in Europe when he was a year old. Evra started his senior career with Italian clubMarsala. The following season, he joinedMonza, but returned to France a year later to play forNice where he was converted into a full-back. In 2002, he joinedMonaco and was part of the team that reached the2004 UEFA Champions League Final. Evra's performances for Monaco culminated in a move to English club Manchester United in January 2006, where he spent eight years and went on to win 14 trophies including fivePremier League titles and aUEFA Champions League. In 2014 he joined Italian sideJuventus, where he won twoSerie A titles and played in anotherChampions League final.[8] Evra moved toMarseille in January 2017; however, he was released in November 2017 after being banned fromUEFA competition for seven months for kicking a fan prior to aUEFA Europa League match. Following a short-term contract withWest Ham United in February 2018,[9] Evra retired from professional football in July 2019, later completing his professional coaching badges and returning to former club Manchester United as a trainee coach at the club's academy.
Evra participated in five major international tournaments for France: the2008,2012 and2016UEFA European Championships, and both the2010 and2014 editions of theFIFA World Cup. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup, Evra was namedcaptain of the national team by managerRaymond Domenech. At the tournament, he appeared in two group matches, although France had a poor campaign that saw the players go on strike after a first-round elimination. The incident resulted in Evra, for his role as captain, being suspended from national team duty for five matches. He returned to the squad and enjoyed a successful 2014 World Cup in Brazil underDidier Deschamps as France reached the quarter-finals.
Evra began his football career playing for hometown clubCO Les Ulis. After playing in the streets for years, he was brought to the club by friend Tshymen Buhanga, who informed the club coach, "I bring you the newRomário."[10] Evra spent one year at the club under the watch of coach Jean-Claude Giordanella, who later became vice-president of the club. Giordanella described the player as "more quiet, almost shy. He was a good kid".[11] Evra originally played football in thestriker position and, while training at Les Ulis, underwent trials with professional clubsRennes andLens. Following the conclusion of the evaluations, Evra was rejected primarily due to his size.[11] In 1993, he joined amateur club CSF Brétigny based in nearbyBrétigny-sur-Orge. Similar to his stint with Les Ulis, Evra went on trials with several clubs, most notablyToulouse andParis Saint-Germain.[10] He was ultimately signed by the latter and converted into awinger.[12] Evra trained at theCamp des Loges for a few months, but was later released.[13]
After failing to convince PSG officials of his ability as a footballer, Evra returned to Brétigny and was invited by a friend to participate in an indoor five-a-side football tournament organised by theJuvisy-sur-Orge sports center.[14] While playing, he was spotted by an Italian scout who offered him the opportunity to attend a trial with professional clubTorino. Evra spent ten days training with the club and, after the trial, was offered a place on the club's youth team. Afterwards, he was approached bySerie C1 clubMarsala, whose officials enticed him with the prospect of becoming a professional. Evra chose the latter option and signed his first professional contract at age 17. Evra spent only one season with the club, appearing in 27 total matches and scoring six goals.[14] After this, he moved to theSerie B level to joinMonza for a €250,000 transfer fee after potential moves toSerie A clubsRoma andLazio fell-through.[14][15] Evra only appeared in three matches, making his debut on 29 August 1999 in a 2–1 away defeat againstAlzano.[16] He left the club following one season after becoming frustrated with his lack of appearances.[14]
Evra returned to France joining professional clubNice inLigue 2, the second division ofFrench football. He spent the majority of his first season with the club playing with its reserve team in theChampionnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. He primarily played as a midfielder on the team and appeared in 18 matches, scoring one goal.[17] Midway through the campaign, he was called into the first team by managerSandro Salvioni. He was assigned the number 26 shirt and made his club debut on 7 October 2000 in the team's 7–2 defeat toChâteauroux, starting in the left winger position.[18] Evra made four more appearances during the campaign, appearing as a substitute in defeats toCannes,Nancy and starting in the team's 3–0 win overLaval and 1–0 loss toLe Havre in the final match of the season.[19][20][21][22] Evra played primarily ascentre forward in the matches.[23]
In the2001–02 season, Evra switched to the number 17 shirt and was promoted to the first team on a permanent basis.[24] In the team's first league match of the season against Laval, he started in the team's 2–1 win.[25] Towards the end of the match, reserve left-backJean-Charles Cirilli, who was starting in place of the regular starterJosé Cobos, suffered an injury, which required the player to be substituted.[25] As a consequence, Evra dropped back into the role and played out the rest of the match in the position.[14] Following the match, due to injuries to both Cobos and Cirilli, Evra was informed by Salvioni he would take over the position. Evra made his debut in the position in the team's following league match againstStrasbourg, a 3–0 defeat.[26] He appeared regularly in the campaign and, following the return of Cobos, was even allowed to play in his preferred left wing role.[nb 1] With the club in the midst of a promotion battle, Evra scored his first and only goal for Nice in his last match with the club, a 4–3 win over Laval.[34] The victory placed Nice in third place, which resulted in the club earning promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time since 1997. For his performances, Evra was named to theNational Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP)Ligue 2Team of the Year in the left-back position.
Didier Deschamps coached Evra during his four-year stint with Monaco.
Following the season, Evra was recruited by Nice'sDerby de la Côte d'Azur rivalsMonaco. Despite wanting to play as a left winger again, Evra was advised by managerDidier Deschamps he would only play as a left-back; Evra has since credited Deschamps for allowing him to become a better defender after initially describing the role as being "not fun".[35] Evra was inserted into a back four that consisted ofcentre-backsRafael Márquez andSébastien Squillaci and right-backFranck Jurietti. Evra was assigned the number 3 shirt and made his debut for the club in the opening match of the2002–03 season againstTroyes. He played the entire match in a 4–0 win.[36] On 28 September, Evra scored his first goal for the club, scoring the match-winner in a 2–1 victory against Rennes.[37] On 22 March 2003, he scored his second goal of the season in a 3–0 away win over Le Havre.[38] The victory allowed Monaco to maintain its position at the top of the table, as the club was in a three-way battle withLyon andMarseille.[39] Monaco climactically conceded first place to Lyon in May, which resulted in Lyon being declared champions for the second time in its history.[40] Monaco finished the campaign in second place, which merited the club an appearance in theUEFA Champions League.[41] The club was also rewarded domestically for its performance in theCoupe de la Ligue where it reachedthe final. Evra featured in the team's 4–1 win overSochaux in the match.[42] The league cup title gave Evra the first major honour of his career.
After the season, Márquez and Jurietti departed Monaco for Spanish clubBarcelona andBordeaux respectively, and were replaced byGaël Givet andHugo Ibarra, the latter joining the club on loan. In the2003–04 league season, Deschamps installed Evra as avice-captain and he responded by appearing in 33 matches and providing four assists.[24][43] Monaco spent six months from September to March in first place, but, like the previous season, conceded the top spot to Lyon as the season wore on.[41] Evra made hisUEFA Champions League debut on 17 September 2003 in the team's opening group stage match againstPSV. Evra played the entire match in a 2–1 win.[44] He appeared in all six group stage matches as Monaco finished in first place.[nb 2][50] For his performances in the first half of the 2003–04 season, Evra was linked with a 2004 winter move to English clubArsenal, Italian clubsJuventus andMilan, and Spanish club Barcelona.[51]
After appearing consistently with the team, on 24 March 2004, Evra suffered an ankle injury in the club's 4–2 first leg defeat to Spanish clubReal Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.[52][53] Evra subsequently missed two weeks in the league, but was healthy enough to return for the team's second leg quarter-final tie against Madrid, which Monaco won 3–1.[nb 3][56] The win allowed the club advancement to the Champions League semi-finals on the away goals rule.[56] In the semi-finals, Monaco faced English clubChelsea. Evra appeared in both matches as Monaco advanced to the final, beating the London club 5–3 on aggregate.[57][58] In the2004 UEFA Champions League Final, Monaco were pitted againstPorto at theArena AufSchalke inGelsenkirchen, Germany. The club was defeated 3–0 by Porto. Evra played the full 90 minutes.[59][60] After the season, Evra was given the UNFPYoung Player of the Year award, becoming only the second defender and the first since 1997 (Philippe Christanval) to win the award.[61] He was also named to the organisation's Ligue 1Team of the Year.[62]
Despite missing out on playing inUEFA Euro 2004, Evra endured a tumultuous summer in which the player was linked with moves toManchester United in England, and Juventus andInternazionale in Italy.[63][64][65] Despite offers, Evra remained at Monaco. On 24 September 2004, he signed a one-year contract extension with the club until 2008.[66] In the season, Evra was a regular appearing in a career-high 52 matches scoring one goal and contributing seven assists as Monaco reached the semi-finals in both the Coupe de la Ligue andCoupe de France.[41] Evra scored his only goal of the season on 8 January 2005 in the team's round of 64 Coupe de France match against amateur club AC Seyssinet-Pariset. He netted the opener in a 7–0 win.[67] In the Champions League, Monaco reached the first knockout round, where they suffered defeat to PSV 3–0 on aggregate.[68][69] Evra appeared in nine of the ten matches the team contested in the competition.[24] In April 2005, Evra confirmed he was interested in departing the club, stating, "I will have a decision to make for the rest of my career... If attracted clubs show concrete interest, I will think about it seriously."[70] Despite several clubs declaring interest in Evra, Deschamps declared he would not be sold. At the start of the2005–06 season, Monaco struggled falling to 15th place after only a month of play. On 21 December 2005, Evra made his final appearance with the club in a 1–0 win overLille in the Coupe de la Ligue.[71]
Evra comes off the pitch after a match versusArsenal
On 27 December, French sources revealed that Manchester United was interested in signing Evra.[72] Despite rumours of Monaco reaching a transfer agreement with Internazionale, on 3 January 2006, Evra revealed he preferred to move to England to join Manchester United.[73] The following day, Manchester United officially issued a transfer bid for the player.[74] On 6 January, United managerAlex Ferguson confirmed a deal for Evra was reached.[75] Four days later, the transfer was official as Evra joined the club for a transfer fee of around£5.5 million and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.[76][77] Evra's arrival signalled Ferguson's intention to shore up the club's defence that had suffered since the sidelining ofGabriel Heinze.[75] After joining the club, Evra affirmed thatManchester was his only future destination: "I was not very keen to go forward in the talks with Arsenal, Liverpool or Real Madrid. They all talked with my agent in the past two seasons. But to me, it was over. As I said to the Monaco officials, I only wanted to hear about Manchester."[78]
Evra initially had some problems adapting to the English game. He made his debut for the club on 14 January in a 3–1 away defeat toManchester City in thePremier League, and he was substituted at half-time after failing to make an impact.[14][79] After the conclusion of the match, Ferguson stated, "Maybe it was a bit of a gamble playing Evra," while the player himself admitted that "playing for Manchester United was something I was not prepared for".[80] Despite the initial set-back, Evra started in the team's ensuing match againstLiverpool, a 1–0 victory, and was praised for his performance by teammateRio Ferdinand.[81][82] On 26 February, Evra appeared as a substitute in United's 4–0 win overWigan Athletic in the2006 League Cup final.[83] On 2 March, it was reported that Liverpool defenderSteve Finnan had racially abused Evra in the match. The abuse claims surfaced from two deaf television viewers lodging a police complaint. The viewers claimed to have lip-read Finnan abusing Evra during the televised match.[84] Finnan denied the charge and, after an investigation,The Football Association (FA) decided against charging the player.[85] Evra regularly alternated between the bench and the starting 11 to close out the campaign. He finished the season with 14 total appearances for his new club.[citation needed]
In Evra's first full season as a Manchester United player, he struggled to consistently appear as a starter early on in the season as Ferguson preferred Evra's compatriotMikaël Silvestre.[86] After appearing as an unused substitute in United's first two Champions League matches, on 17 October 2006, Evra made his European debut for the club in its 3–0 group stage win overCopenhagen.[87] On 18 November, he provided the assist for the game-winning goal, scored byWayne Rooney, in the team's 2–1 win overSheffield United.[88] Eight days later, Evra scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 league win overEverton, also contributing an assist.[89] By December, Evra began featuring as a regular in the starting 11. After starting in United's 3–1 Champions League win overBenfica on 6 December, Evra started nine consecutive matches.[4][90] Evra provided assists in two of the matches; a Rooney goal in a 2–1 away defeat to Arsenal and another in a 2–0 victory overCharlton Athletic.[91][92] On 10 April 2007, Evra scored the final goal in a 7–1 win over Roma in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the2006–07 UEFA Champions League.[93] The goal was his first-ever in the Champions League and helped progress Manchester United to the semi-finals, where the club suffered defeat to the eventual champions Milan.[94][95][96] Following the league season, which Manchester United won by a six-point margin, Evra was named to theProfessional Footballers' Association (PFA)Team of the Year, despite only appearing in 24 league matches.[97]
Evra began the2007–08 season as the first-choice left-back.[98] He began the campaign appearing in United's 3–0penalty shoot-out win over rivals Chelsea in the2007 FA Community Shield.[99] In competitive matches, Evra appeared in the club's first 12 matches.[4] He missed his first match of the season against Ukrainian clubDynamo Kyiv in the Champions League after suffering a calf injury during warm-ups.[100] Evra returned to the team a few days later for the team's league match against Arsenal. The rest paid off as he assistedCristiano Ronaldo's goal in the 82nd minute to give United a 2–1 lead. France teammateWilliam Gallas later equalised for Arsenal to draw the match at 2–2.[101] In the return match against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League, Evra provided the assist for one of the goals in a 4–0 victory.[102] Though he made 48 appearances in all competitions, Evra failed to score a goal.[citation needed] Manchester United clinched its second consecutive Premier League title on the final day, edging Chelsea by two points.[103] The club later completed a double after defeating the same club on penalties in the2008 UEFA Champions League Final.[104] Evra made ten appearances in the competition, which included playing the entire 120 minutes in the final.[24][104] After the season, on 12 June, he signed a four-year contract extension with Manchester United, a deal that was set to keep him atOld Trafford until 2012.[105][106]
Evra (left) passing the ball toGabriel Obertan in a match againstEverton in the 2009–10 season
Prior to the start of the2008–09 season, on 18 July 2008, Evra was charged with four separate counts of improper conduct by the FA.[107] The charges were related to an incident that occurred during the 2007–08 season when Evra had an altercation with a Chelseagroundsman during a warm-down following a match on 26 April. The defender denied the charges and was supported by several members of the club's staff, who commented that the player was racially abused by the groundsman prior to the confrontation.[108][109] Evra remained free to play for United up to the date of the hearing despite the charges being made in July 2008. He began the campaign in similar fashion to the previous season as Manchester United won the Community Shield following the team's 3–0 victory overPortsmouth on penalties.[110] Evra was ever-present in Manchester United's first 22 competitive matches of the season, starting 19 of them.[4] At the hearing on 5 December, Evra was found guilty of improper conduct, and handed a four-match ban – due to start on 22 December 2008 – and a £15,000 fine.[111]
Despite the suspension, Evra still featured with Manchester United in December as the club participated in the2008 FIFA Club World Cup. He appeared in both matches the team contested as United came out as champions after defeating Ecuadorian clubLDU Quito in thefinal.[112][113] Evra temporarily returned to the team domestically for its home match against Chelsea on 11 January 2009, assisting the second goal in a 3–0 victory.[114] He was later forced to leave the match due to a foot injury, which was later discovered to be serious. Evra missed a month and returned to the line-up on 15 February in a 3–0 win overFulham.[115] Evra subsequently appeared in every remaining competitive match for United, excluding an April league match againstSunderland, as the club cruised to its third consecutive Premier League title, won theLeague Cup, and reached the2009 UEFA Champions League Final after defeating league rivals Arsenal 4–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.[4][116][117][118] Following the second leg against Arsenal, Evra was asked his opinion of the team's 3–1 second leg victory, and declared, "It was 11 men against 11 babies. We never doubted ourselves."[119] The final marked Evra's third appearance in Champions League finals as Manchester United lost 2–0 to Barcelona.[120] At the end of the season, Evra was included in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time.[121]
For the first time in his career, Evra appeared in all 38 league matches in the2009–10 season.[24] The campaign initially began badly for him after he delivered a soft penalty shot, described by some in the media as "awful", in the team's penalty shoot-out defeat to Chelsea in the2009 FA Community Shield.[122] Due to injuries to Rio Ferdinand,Gary Neville andRyan Giggs, he captained the team in several matches during the season wearing the armband for the first time in his Manchester United career in the team's 3–1 Champions League victory overVfL Wolfsburg.[123][124] In December 2009, Evra was among three Manchester United players named to theFIFPro World XI for the 2009 calendar year,[125] before being named to theUEFA Team of the Year in January 2010.[126] On 28 February 2010, Evra captained Manchester United to a 2–1 win againstAston Villa in the2010 League Cup final.[127][128] The league cup title was Evra's fourth overall as well as his first title earned as a captain. He also became only the second Frenchman afterEric Cantona to captain a Manchester United team to victory in a major competition.[127] In league play, Manchester United failed to win its fourth-straight league title, conceding the honour to Chelsea.[129] The club also failed to reach the Champions League final for their third-straight final appearance, losing to German championsBayern Munich in the quarter-finals.[130]
Early on during the2010–11 season, Evra was hampered by constant inquiries about what happened at the2010 FIFA World Cup from theFrench Football Federation (FFF), the French media, as well as theFrench government.[131][132][133] Evra's contract with Manchester United was also up at the end of the 2011–12 season, which led to the player being linked with a move to Real Madrid.[134] Evra's hearing with the FFF inParis, which he attended, was held the day after the team's opening 3–0 league win overNewcastle United.[135] Evra played over 85 minutes in the match.[136] On 20 November, Evra scored his second Premier League goal in a 2–0 win at home against Wigan Athletic.[137] On 21 February 2011, after weeks of negotiations, Evra signed a contract extension with Manchester United that would keep him with the club until at least the end of the 2013–14 season.[138][139] Two days after signing his contract extension, Evra participated in United's 0–0 draw with Marseille in the first leg of the team's first knockout round tie in the Champions League.[140] The match, played at theStade Vélodrome inMarseille, was Evra's first match played in France since the 2010 World Cup debacle. As a consequence, he was subjected to a barrage of jeers and boos every time he touched the ball.[141]
At the start of the2011–12 season, Evra helped United win the2011 Community Shield against Manchester City on 7 August. Despite being caught out in the first half by a header fromJoleon Lescott and a long-rangeEdin Džeko strike that put City into a 2–0 lead, United rallied in the second half and won 3–2 to claim the Shield.[142] On 15 October, Evra captained Manchester United in the club's 1–1 draw away to Liverpool.[143] Following the match, in an interview with French television channelCanal+, Evra asserted that Liverpool playerLuis Suárez had racially abused him multiple times during the match.[144] He also stated that he had informed refereeAndre Marriner of the incidents at the conclusion of the match. The following day, the FA announced it would investigate the claim,[citation needed] and on 17 November, the FA announced it would charge Suárez with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules", including "a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra".[145]
During the 2012–13 season, despite being just 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) tall, Evra built up a reputation as an attacking threat at corners, doubling his goals tally from his previous seven years at the club with three headed goals from corners in the space of 13 games, against Newcastle United, Arsenal andSwansea City.[146] He continued this run into the 2013–14 season, heading home againstCardiff City on 24 November 2013.[147] In addition to the headers, Evra has also scored twice from open play since the start of the 2012–13 season, the first a low drive from just outside the penalty area against Newcastle on Boxing Day 2012,[148] and the second a curling, right-footed effort againstStoke City in the fifth round of theLeague Cup almost a year later.[149] On 23 May 2014, Evra signed a new one-year contract extension that would have kept him at Manchester United until at least the summer of 2015.[150]
On 21 July 2014, Evra joined Italian Serie A club Juventus on a two-year contract. The fee was £1.2 million, which rose to £1.5 million, after Juventus qualified for the2015–16 UEFA Champions League.[151][152] On 14 December 2014, he scored his first goal for the club, opening the scoring of a 1–1 home draw toSampdoria. On 6 June 2015, Evra started for Juventus in the2015 UEFA Champions League final as Juventus were defeated 3–1 by Barcelona atBerlin'sOlympiastadion.[153] The match was the fifth Champions League final in which he had appeared, and the defeat meant he became the first and only player to lose four Champions League finals.[154] In addition, he becomes the first and only player to lose the final with three different clubs, and the first and only player to lose against the same opponent, Barcelona, on three occasions.[155]
Evra made his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance in a 1–0 home win over Manchester City on 25 November 2015, becoming the second French player to do so afterThierry Henry.[citation needed] Evra scored a goal in the last match of the2015–16 Serie A season on 14 May 2016, in a 5–0 home win over Sampdoria, as Juventus celebrated winning the league title for a fifth consecutive time since the 2011–12 season.[156][157] On 6 June 2016, Evra signed a one-year contract extension with Juventus; the deal included an option for a further extension of one year.[158]
On 25 January 2017, Evra joined Marseille on a free transfer, signing an 18-month contract with the club.[159][160] On 7 May 2017, he scored his only goal for Marseille in a 2–1 win over his former club Nice.[161]
Evra with Marseille in September 2017
In the warm-up preceding aEuropa League match on 2 November 2017, Evra was sent off for kicking a spectating Marseille fan in the head, who was reportedly "ridiculing" him as he trained. Marseille coachRudi Garcia was critical of the fans, but also criticized Evra for reacting to the provocation.[162][163] On 3 November, the day after Evra's altercation with a fan, he was suspended from playing indefinitely by Marseille, pending an interview with the player regarding his conduct and further investigation before any other sanctions are imposed on him. Marseille released a statement concerning the incident, condemning Evra's actions. He also received a charge of violent conduct from UEFA as a consequence.[164] Evra also received a UEFA ban that made him ineligible to play in any UEFA competitions until June 2018. Marseille subsequently terminated Evra's contract with immediate effect.[165]
On 7 February 2018,West Ham United signed Evra on a free transfer. He signed a contract until the end of June 2018.[166] He made his debut againstLiverpool on 24 February.[167] Evra departed West Ham United when his contract expired at the end of the season, having made five appearances for the club.[168] Evra remained a free agent for a year before finally announcing his retirement from professional football in July 2019.[169]
Evra is a formerFrench youth international having played for theunder-21 team. Due to harboring in Italy during his development years, he failed to earn call-ups with teams below the under-21 level. Evra earned his first call-up to the under-21 team under coachRaymond Domenech on 3 October 2002 for matches againstSlovenia andMalta.[171] He made his under-21 debut in the match against Slovenia as France cruised to a 1–0 victory.[172] Evra was forced to miss the match against Malta after suffering an injury in the win over Slovenia.[173] The defender regularly appeared for the team through 2002–2004 as France attempted to qualify for both the2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and thefootball tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics. France failed to qualify for both competitions, which resulted in the end of Evra's youth career.
Evra earned his first call-up to thesenior national team in May 2004 after coachJacques Santini named him to the 31-man preliminary squad to participate inUEFA Euro 2004. Following the trimming of the squad to 23 players, Evra was not included and subsequently missed out on the competition.[63] Following the European Championship, with former under-21 coach Domenech now coaching the team, Evra was called up to the senior team for itsfriendly againstBosnia and Herzegovina on 18 August 2004. The defender admitted that he was "very proud" to have been called up to the team.[174] Evra made his senior international debut in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He started on the left wing before being substituted in the 75th minute forRobert Pires. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.[175]
Due to an injury to starterEric Abidal, Evra supplanted him and appeared as the starting left-back in France's first two2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.[176][177] After being called up for the team's March 2005 friendly againstSwitzerland, Evra was forced to withdraw from the team due to injury.[178] As a result,William Gallas was inserted in the role as a makeshift left-back.[14] Following Abidal's return from injury and, due to Domenech preferring Mikaël Silvestre as the incumbent's back-up, Evra went without a call-up for almost two years and, consequently, missed the2006 World Cup. In October 2007, the defender explained toL'Équipe that the World Cup snub "gave me my determination".[179]
Evra returned to the team in November 2006 for the team's friendly match againstGreece. He appeared as a half-time substitute for Abidal as France won the match 1–0.[180] After going another year without representing France, Evra began appearing as a regular under Domenech in 2007. On 28 May 2008, he was included in the squad to participate inUEFA Euro 2008.[181] He was initially placed onto the squad to serve as back-up to Abidal, however after failing to appear in the team's opening 0–0 draw withRomania, there were calls from the French media urging Domenech to insert Evra into the starting line-up at the behest of Abidal.[182][183][184] Domenech relented and started Evra in the team's next match against theNetherlands, which ended in a 4–1 defeat.[185][186] In the must-win final group stage match againstItaly, Evra started his second consecutive match, but France lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition in the first round.[187] Following the match, cameras witnessed Evra and teammatesPatrick Vieira and Abidal getting into an altercation in the tunnel. Vieira later stated the video was shot after he got into an argument with a set of French supporters.[188] A day after the team's elimination, Evra admitted his frustration toL'Équipe, stating, "I am someone who does not like losing but I'm not going to make excuses. We had three games in this Euro, we have not won one. It's even hard to believe, to say it's over now."[189]
"Tonight it's time for the big apology towards the thousands of French people, because I share the pain of all these French people. What hurts even more is that this apology should have been made yesterday, but my coach stopped me doing it as a captain, and that hurts even more. But it won't change anything, now is not the time to settle scores. I have nothing to hide. The French team doesn't belong to anyone, it belongs to all of these French people. People need to know the truth, the causes of this enormous disaster."
After Euro 2008, defensive stalwartLilian Thuram retired from the team. To mitigate his absence, Domenech moved Abidal into the centre-back position, allowing Evra to take over as starting left-back. In the team's first competitive match since Euro 2008, againstAustria, Evra provided the assist for France's only goal scored bySidney Govou in a surprising 3–1 defeat.[191] During the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Evra participated in ten of the team's 12 matches, which included both legs in the team's playoff round win over theRepublic of Ireland.[192] On 26 May 2010, Evracaptained the national team for the first time in a friendly match againstCosta Rica; France won the match 2–1.[193] He was subsequently named the captain for the2010 World Cup ahead of Thierry Henry, who was relegated to the bench for the tournament.[194] Evra wore the armband in the team's first two matches, a 0–0 draw withUruguay and a 2–0 loss toMexico.[195][196]
On 19 June 2010, strikerNicolas Anelka was dismissed from the squad after reportedly having a dispute, in which obscenities were passed, with Domenech during half-time of the team's loss to Mexico.[197] The resulting disagreement over Anelka's exclusion between the players, the coaching staff and France Football Federation (FFF) officials resulted in Evra leading a player protest against the decision on 20 June, in which the players refused to train.[198][199][200] Prior to leading the revolt, Evra had got into a verbal argument with national team fitness coach Robert Duverne.[201] The strike was denounced by the FFF as well as French government officials.[202] The following day, the players returned to training without incident.[203] As a result of the mutiny, Evra was stripped of the captaincy and benched for the team's final group stage match against hostsSouth Africa.[204] France lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the competition.[205]
Following the competition, former national team captain Lilian Thuram stated that Evra should be banned permanently from playing for the national team.[206] His sentiments were later echoed by Sports MinisterChantal Jouanno, who declared, "I have nothing against Evra but, as a France player and especially captain, he did not defend the values of sport which are shared by the Republic. I am sure there exist other talents who have not sullied France and are waiting for the chance to write new history".[207] On 6 August, Evra was one of five players summoned to attend a hearing held by the Disciplinary Committee of the FFF in response to the team's strike at the World Cup.[208] On 17 August, he received a five-match international ban for his part in the incident.[135][209]
As a result of being captain, Evra bore the brunt of the criticism. However, despite the public ridicule, Evra maintained his stance regarding his future with the national team, stating, "I can't see my future without the France team."[210] On 17 March 2011, he was called up to the national team by new managerLaurent Blanc for the first time since the 2010 World Cup.[211] He had been eligible to return to the team since the previous month after serving his five-match suspension, however he was not called up to the team by Blanc, with the manager citing "sporting reasons" as the reason.[212] Evra made his return to the team on 25 March in the team'sEuro 2012 qualifying match againstLuxembourg. He started the match and played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win.[213] Four days later, Evra appeared on the bench in his first match at theStade de France since the World Cup, againstCroatia.[214] After appearing regularly in qualifying forEuro 2012, on 29 May 2012, he was named to the 23-man squad to participate in the finals of the competition.[215] France were eliminated in the quarter-finals following a 2–0 defeat against eventual championsSpain.[216]
Evra played four of France's five matches at the2014 World Cup, in which they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the eventual championsGermany.[152]
In May 2016, Evra was named inDidier Deschamps's 23-man France squad forEuro 2016, to be played on home soil.[217] On 10 June, he was later included in the starting line-up for France'sopening match of the tournament against Romania, playing the entire 90 minutes of the fixture. With France leading 1–0, Evra fouledNicușor Stanciu in the penalty box;Bogdan Stancu scored the resulting penalty in the 65th minute. The hosts eventually won the match 2–1, although Evra was later criticised for his performance.[218] In the semi-final against Germany on 7 July, Evra drew praise from the media as he helped win a penalty for his team and produced a strong defensive performance to help France keep a clean-sheet and defeat the reigning world champions 2–0 to advance to the final of the competition. Following the victory, he was also lauded for his leadership and his role in using his experience to unite the team.[219][220] In thefinal, France suffered a 1–0 extra-time defeat toPortugal.[221]
Regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position during his prime, due to his ability to help out at both ends of the pitch,[222][223] Evra is a fast, energetic and athleticleft-back, with good acceleration, who, despite his size, is physically strong, and good in the air, which also allows him to be deployed as acentre-back on occasion; in addition to his physical attributes, he is also a technical player, with good vision, who is comfortable on the ball and adept at getting into attacking positions as awing-back, where he can delivercrosses to teammates, having functioned as awinger earlier on in his career.[224][225][226][227][228][229][230][231] An aggressive, tactically intelligent, versatile and hard-working player, he is also renowned for his leadership and tenacity on the pitch.[226][232][233] These attributes make him effective both offensively and defensively.[224]
Evra was born inDakar, the capital city of Senegal. His father was a Senegalese national of Bissau-Guinean ancestry, while his mother, Juliette, was a Cape Verdean (Mixed Portuguese and African) national.[234][235][236] His father divorced three times and had 24 children;[224] as of 2007, two of these children are deceased.[237] One of his brothers, Mamadou, changed his name to Claude in order to get a job in France.[238] Evra was raised in Catholicism and has said that his father held anti-Muslim views.[239]
Evra's father was a diplomat and, when Evra was a year old, moved toBrussels in Belgium to work at the Senegalese embassy.[236][10] After over two years living in Belgium, when Evra was three, the family moved to France and settled inLes Ulis, acommune south of Paris. The family first settled in the local Bergeries neighbourhood before moving to the Hautes Plaines quarter shortly after.[10] Evra was raised on Senegalese culture and values that quickly became "Westernised". At age 10, he returned to Senegal for a short period, describing the return as "not a good experience" primarily because he went back to the country to undergocircumcision.[235] He had not returned to the country as of 2011.[235] Ahead of the2010 World Cup, Evra revealed he had suffered abuse from supporters of theSenegal national team for choosing to represent France internationally over his country of birth.[240]
He is married to Sandra with whom he has a son, Lenny and a daughter, Maona.[241] As of 2020, Evra and his wife are separated and he is engaged to Danish model Margaux Alexandra.[238]
Evra speaks five languages: his nativeFrench,English,Italian,Spanish andPortuguese. He is allergic to eggs, a condition which he did not discover until an examination by Juventus.[242] He participated in the Shoot for Love Challenge raising vital funds for children suffering from cancer, organised by theGuus Hiddink Foundation.[243] In March 2019, Evra denied makinghomophobic comments against Paris Saint-Germain.[244] In January 2022, he spoke abouthomosexuality in football, where he said that many teammates, who rejected the idea of having a gay teammate, distanced themselves from him, due to his position of accepting gay players. Evra concluded, saying that he had friendships with players who were gay but that were afraid of coming out publicly.[245] Evra was a pundit on ITV for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[246][247] In September 2019, he returned to Manchester United as a trainee coach while completing his professional coaching badges. He spent time with the club's Academy coaching staff for a period.[248] Evra announced his autobiography,I Love This Game, in 2021.[249] In October 2021, he alleged that he was sexually abused by a teacher when he was 13.[250] He said that he was interviewed by police at the age of 24 in regards to the abuse, however, he denied it.[251] Evra was a participant on the BBC'sFreeze the Fear with Wim Hof in 2022.[252] In February 2023, Evra was convicted, fined and ordered to pay compensation to two anti-hate campaigns by a Parisian court, for the homophobic remarks he made in the video from 2019. In May 2023, Evra was part of the MYFC consortium that bought Portuguese clubEstrela da Amadora.[253] The team won promotion to thePrimeira Liga via the playoffs days later.[254]
In July 2024, Evra has been found guilty by a French court of abandoning his wife and their two children and handed a suspended 12-month prison sentence. He also owes over £800k in unpaid alimony.[255]
In April 2025, it was announced that Evra had signed a contract with theProfessional Fighters League to compete in an amateur mixed martial arts bout. He was expected to make his debut atPFL Europe 2 on May 23, 2025, against ato be announced opponent.[256] However, in early May, it was announced that this event had been cancelled.[257]
^Nice matches in which both starting left-back José Cobos and Evra appear in the starting line-up are tallied in the attached sources.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]
^The six UEFA Champions League group stage matches Evra appeared in are tallied in the attached sources.[44][45][46][47][48][49]
^Monaco league matches Evra missed due to the injury suffered in the Real Madrid quarter-final first leg, which equated to two weeks, are tallied in the attached sources.[54][55]
^"Cannes v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 28 October 2000.Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Nancy v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 9 December 2000.Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Nice v. Laval Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 21 December 2000.Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Le Havre v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 18 May 2001.Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^abcdef"Patrice Evra".lequipe.fr (in French). L'Equipe.Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^ab"Nice v. Laval Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 28 July 2001.Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Strasbourg v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 4 August 2001.Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Le Mans v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 12 October 2001.Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Martigues v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 28 November 2001.Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Grenoble v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 16 February 2002.Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Ajaccio v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 6 March 2002.Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Gueugnon v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 23 March 2002.Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Nice v. Amiens Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 26 March 2002.Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Nice v. Martigues Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 13 April 2002.Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Laval v. Nice Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 3 May 2002.Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Troyes v. Monaco Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 3 August 2002.Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Monaco v. Rennes Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 28 September 2002.Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^abc"Historique".asm-fc.com (in French). AS Monaco FC. Archived fromthe original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Sochaux v. Monaco Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 17 May 2003.Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Sept Bleuets prennent la reléve" [Seven young French players step up to take over].lequipe.fr (in French). L'Equipe. 17 August 2004. Archived fromthe original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Le Mans v. Monaco Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 27 March 2004.Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^"Monaco v. Ajaccio Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 2 April 2004.Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved1 June 2011.
^ab"Premier entraînement pour les Bleus" [First training session for Les Bleus].fff.fr (in French). French Football Federation. 19 May 2004.Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^"Evra eyes big move".Sky Sports. BSkyB. 15 April 2005.Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Monaco v. Lille Match Report".LFP.fr (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 21 December 2005.Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^"Man Utd 1–0 Liverpool".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 January 2006.Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved16 May 2008.
^McNulty, Phil (29 November 2006)."Man Utd 3–0 Everton".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 18 September 2013. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^Hughes, Ian (10 February 2007)."Man Utd 2–0 Charlton".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 18 September 2013. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^Murray, Scott (3 November 2007)."Arsenal 2–2 Manchester United".theguardian.com. London: Guardian News and Media.Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^McNulty, Phil (11 May 2008)."Wigan 0–2 Man Utd".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^"Man Utd 0–0 Tottenham (aet)".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 March 2009.Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^Cheese, Caroline (9 August 2009)."Community Shield as it happened".BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved2 June 2011.
^"Wolfsburg 1 United 3".Manchester Evening News. MEN Media. 8 December 2009.Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved2 June 2011.
^"Team of the Year 2009".UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 18 January 2010.Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^Hassan, Nabil (20 November 2010)."Man Utd 2–0 Wigan".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved12 January 2011.
^Gracey, Jim (26 January 2011)."Manchester United in Evra stand-off".Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Belfast Telegraph.Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved21 February 2011.
^Bevan, Chris (7 August 2011)."Man City 2–3 Man Utd".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved7 August 2011.
^Ornstein, David (24 November 2013)."Cardiff 2–2 Man Utd".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved18 November 2013.
^Chowdhury, Saj (26 December 2012)."Man Utd 4–3 Newcastle".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved19 December 2013.
^Lewis, Aimee (18 December 2013)."Stoke 0–2 Man Utd".BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved19 December 2013.
^"Patrice Evra: "Le plus dur commence"" [Patrice Evra: "The hardest part begins"].fff.fr (in French). French Football Federation. 12 August 2004.Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^"France v. Israel Match Report".FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 September 2004. Archived fromthe original on 5 September 2011. Retrieved6 June 2011.
^"France v. Greece Match Report".fff.fr (in French). French Football Federation. 15 November 2006.Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^"Evra: "Quel gâchis!"" [Evra: "What a waste!"].lequipe.fr (in French). L'Equipe. 18 June 2008. Archived fromthe original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^"Austria v. France Match Report".fff.fr (in French). French Football Federation. 6 September 2008.Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved8 April 2011.
^"EVRA Patrice".fff.fr. French Football Federation. Archived fromthe original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved7 April 2011.
^Castles, Duncan (19 October 2008)."Best of the left".The Observer. London: Guardian News and Media.Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved12 January 2011.
^"Stars out for the World XI".FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 21 December 2009. Archived fromthe original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved26 August 2014.
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