Florent Malouda is a French footballer born on June 13, 1980 in Cayenne, French Guiana. He plays in the left wing position and occasionally as a second striker.
Florent Malouda was selected for the French national team in 2004, and made his debut for the team against Poland on November 17. He scored his first goal for France in a friendly against Hungary in May 2005. He was a part of the 23- man squad for the 2006 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup held in Germany, and was instrumental in France’s World cup campaign, where it finished as the runners-up. As of August 2008, Florent Malouda has represented the team in 42 matches contributing three goals.
Florent Malouda had a passion for football right from a very young age, and kicked off his football career by joining ASC Remiré as a youth player. He then moved onto Châteauroux in 1996, where his tenure lasted for four years, during which he made 59 appearances, scoring five goals. In 2000 he went onto sign a deal with Guingamp, where his remarkable ability was brought out by his coach, Guy Lacombe. Florent Malouda made 92 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals.
Florent Malouda switched to the French club, Olympique Lyonnais in 2003, and his brilliant performances for the club earned him a place in the national football team. He was a part of the winning team when the club lifted the Trophée des champions in 2004, 2005, and 2006. He also won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, following his contribution of ten goals, which helped Lyon win its sixth consecutive Ligue 1 title during the 2006–07 season.
That season, in the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Champions League clash against Real Madrid, Florent Malouda made his presence felt, and went onto win the man of the match title.
Florent Malouda signed a three-year deal with Chelsea in July 2007 for a fee believed to be around £13,500,000. He won the confidence of the club’s manager, Jose Mourinho, who called Florent Malouda a mature and established player. He made his debut for the club in their friendly match against Club América. Chelsea emerged victorious in the match, through Florent Malouda as he not only equalized the score, but also assisted John Terry in scoring the winner. He made his competitive debut for the team at the 2007 Football Association (FA) Community Shield match against Manchester United held in August. In his first Champions League appearance for Chelsea against Schalke 04, Florent Malouda scored his first goal for the club, by getting the ball through keeper Manuel Neuer's legs. His second Premier League goal for the club came against Newcastle United in May 2008.
Florent Malouda enjoys hiring a big chauffeur-driven car and spending time with his kids in his spare time.
