Patrice Evra

At 42 years old, Patrice Evra has this physical status:

Patrice Latyr Evra (born 15 May 1981) is a French football coach and former professional player. He started as a forward but mainly played as a left-back. Evra formerly captained both Manchester United and the France national team. Sir Alex Ferguson lauded Evra for his leadership while also describing him as one of Europe's top left-backs.

Evra, the son of a diplomat, was born in Senegal and arrived in Europe as a child. Evra's career began with the Italian team Marsala. He joined Monza in the first season, but he returned to France a year later to play for Nice, where he was converted into a full-back. In 2002, he joined Monaco and was part of the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final in Monaco. Evra's fortuitive performances culminated in his move to Manchester United in January 2006, where he went on to win a series of trophies, including five Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League. In 2014, he joined Roma's Juventus before moving to Marseille in January 2017; however, he was banned from UEFA football for seven months after kicking a fan before a UEFA Europa League match in November 2017. Evra resigned from professional football in July 2019 after a short-term deal with West Ham United in February 2018.

Evra is also a France national. He appeared in five major international tournaments for France: the 2008, 2012, and 2016 UEFA European Championships, winning a runners-up medal at Euro 2016; and both the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. Evra was named captain of the national team by manager Raymond Domenech ahead of the 2010 World Cup. He appeared in two group matches at the tournament, but France had a poor showing after the players went on strike following a first-round exit. Evra, who was in charge of his position as captain, was banned from national team service for five matches as a result of the incident. He returned to the squad and enjoyed a fruitful 2014 World Cup in Brazil under Didier Deschamps as France progressed to the quarterfinals.

On three occasions, as well as the FIFPro World XI and the Year's Best of the Year, Evra was selected to the PFA Team of the Year and the UEFA Team of the Year. He was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year in France and he was selected in the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and selected in the Year's Ligue 1 team. Evra returned to his former club Manchester United as a trainee coach at the club's academy in September 2019, after completing his vocational coaching qualifications.

Family and personal life

Evra was born in Dakar, Senegal's capital city, to a father of Guinean descent and Juliette, a Cape Verdean mother. He is one of a total of 24 children, although two of them have died. Mamadou, one of his brothers, changed his name to Claude in order to find a job in France. Evra was raised in Catholicism and has expressed the belief that his father held anti-Muslim views.

When Evra was a year old, she and his father moved to Brussels, Belgium, to work at the Senegalese embassy. The family moved to France and settled in Les Ulis, a commune south of Paris, after more than two years living in Belgium, when Evra was three years old. The family first settled in the local Bergeries neighborhood before moving to the Hautes Plaines quarter a few weeks later. Evra was raised on Senegalese culture and values that have subsequently became "Westernized." For a short time, he returned to Senegal for a short period, chiefly because he returned to the country to undergo circumcision. As of 2011, he had not returned to the country. Evra revealed that he had been abused by supporters of Senegal's national team for selecting France over his country of origins ahead of his 2010 World Cup debut.

Evra obtained good marks in school. He is married to Sandra, and Lenny and Maona have a son, Lenny, as well as a daughter, Maona. As of 2020, Evra and his wife are divorced, and he is engaged to Danish model Margaux Alexandra.

Evra is fluent in five languages: his mother tongue, French, English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is allergic to eggs, a condition he didn't know until Juventus' examination. He participated in the Shoot for Love Challenge, which was launched by the Guus Hiddink Foundation, raising vital funds for children suffering from cancer.

Evra denied making homophobic remarks against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2019. He spoke about homosexuality in football in January 2022, where he said that many teammates, who had debunked the prospect of having a gay teammate, distanced themselves from him due to his position of accepting gay players. Evra said he had friendships with players who were gay but was afraid of coming out publicly, but not in a public setting.

On ITV for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Evra was a pundit. He returned to Manchester United as a trainee coach in September 2019, after completing his teaching certificates. For a time, he worked with the Academy of the club for a brief period.

In 2021, Evra's autobiography, I Love This Game, was announced. He alleged that he was sexually assaulted by a tutor when he was 13 years old in October 2021. He said he was interviewed by police at the age of 24, but denied it, but denied it.

In 2022, Evra appeared on BBC's Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof.

Source

Club career

Evra began playing for hometown club Les Ulis in his youth. He was welcomed to the club by friend Tshymen Buhanga, who advised the club's coach, "I bring you the new Romário." Evra was a player at the club for one year under the tutee of coach Jean-Claude Giordanella, who later became vice president of the club. Giordanella referred to the player as "more quiet, almost shy." He was a good boy." While studying at Les Ulis, Evra played football in the striker position and underwent trials with Rennes and Lens. Following the conclusion of the tests, Evra was largely due to his weight. In 1993, he joined amateur club CSF Brétigny, based in Brétigny-sur-Orge. Evra went on trial with several clubs, most notable Toulouse and Paris Saint-Germain, similar to his time with Les Ulis. He was eventually signed by the former and turned into a winger. Evra was internated at the Camp des Loges for a few months but was later released.

After struggling to convince PSG officials of his potential as a footballer, Evra returned to Brétigny and was invited by a friend to participate in an indoor five-a-side football tournament organized by the Juvisy-sur-Orge sports center. When playing, he was noticed by an Italian scout who gave him the opportunity to attend a trial with Torino's professional team. Evra spent ten days with the club after the trial, and was given a spot on the club's youth team. He was greeted by Serie C1 team Marsala afterwards, whose executives enticed him with the possibility of becoming a professional. Evra chose the latter option and signed his first professional contract at the age of 17. Evra played in 27 total matches and scored six goals in just one season with the club. After reportedly moving to Serie A clubs Roma and Lazio fell-through, he jumped to Serie B to join Monza for a €250,000 transfer fee. In a 2–1 away loss against Alzano on August 29, Evra made his debut in three matches. He left the team after a season as a result of his inability to play.

In Ligue 2, the second division of French football, Evra returned to France with a professional team Nice. He spent the majority of his first season with the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur competition, the fourth level of French football. He played as a midfielder on the team and appeared in 18 games, scoring one goal. He was called by manager Sandro Salvioni midway through the season to join the first team. He was given the number 26 shirt and made his club debut in the team's 7–2 loss to Châteauroux on October 7, 2000, starting in the left winger position. Evra made four appearances during his career, including as a replacement in the team's 3–0 win over Laval and 1–0 loss to Le Havre in the season's final match of the season. In the matches, Evra served mainly as a center forward.

Evra was promoted to the first team on a permanent basis in the 2001–2002 season. He started in the team's first league match of the season against Laval, winning 21-0. Reserve left-back Jean-Charles Cirilli, who was playing in place of the regular starter José Cobos, sustained an injury, requiring him to be substituted near the end of the game. As a result, Evra was brought back to the role and played out the remainder of the game in the position. Following the game, Salvioni informed Evra that he will take over the position due to injuries to both Cobos and Cirilli. Evra made his debut in the team's following league match against Strasbourg, losing 3–0. He appeared on a regular basis in the campaign, and after Cobos' return to action, he was even allowed to play in his preferred left-wing role. With the club in the middle of a promotion battle, Evra scored his first and only goal for Nice in his last match with the club, a 4-3 victory over Laval. Nice finished third in third place, resulting in the club's promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time since 1997. Evra was named to the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 2 Team of the Year in the left-back position for his performances.

Following the season, Evra was recruited by Nice's Derby de la Côte d'Azur rivals Monaco. Despite trying to play as a left winger again, Evra was told by manager Didier Deschamps that he would only play as a left-back; Evra has since praised Deschamps for allowing him to become a better defender after first describing the task as being frustrating. Evra was inserted into a back four made up of center-backs Rafael Márquez and Sébastien Squillaci, as well as right-back Franck Jurietti. In the first match of the 2002–03 season against Troyes, Evra was given the number 3 jersey and made his club debut. He won by a 4–0 margin throughout the match. In a 2–1 victory over Rennes on Sunday, Evra scored his first goal for the club on September 28th, scoring the match-winner. In a 3–0 away victory over Le Havre on March 22, 2003, he scored his second goal of the season. Monaco won, allowing the club to keep its position at the top of the table, despite a three-way match against Lyon and Marseille. Monaco climactically renounced first place to Lyon in May, resulting in Lyon's promotion of the second time in history. Monaco finished the year in second place, which earned the club a spot in the UEFA Champions League. The club was also praised domestically for its success in the Coupe de la Ligue, where it advanced to the final. In the team's 4–1 victory over Sochaux in the tournament, Evra was included. Evra was given his first major award of his career after winning the league cup for the first time in his career.

Márquez and Jurietti left Monaco for Barcelona and Bordeaux respectively, and Gal Givet and Hugo Ibarra were named after the club's loan transfer. Deschamps installed Evra as a vice captain of the 2003-04 league season, and he responded by playing in 33 games and giving four assists. Monaco went from September to March in first place, but as the season progressed, the team lost the top spot to Lyon. Evra made his UEFA Champions League debut against PSV on September 17th, 2003. In a 2–1 win, Evra completed the game. As Monaco finished in first place, he appeared in all six group stage matches. Evra was linked with a move to English club Arsenal, Italian clubs Juventus, and Milan in the first half of the 2003-04 season.

Evra sustained an ankle injury in the club's 4–2 loss to Spanish club Real Madrid in the Champions League's quarterfinals on March 24. Evra did not return for the team's second leg quarter-final match against Madrid, which Monaco beat 3-1. Due to the victory, the club advanced to the Champions League semi-finals on the away goals rule. Monaco defeated Chelsea in the semi-finals. Evra was in both matches as Monaco advanced to the final, defeating the London club 5–3 on aggregate. Monaco was pitted against Porto at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, in the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. Porto beat the club 3–0. Evra completed the 90 minutes. After the season, Evra was named UNFP Young Player of the Year, becoming only the second defender and the first since 1997 (Philippe Christanval) to receive the award. He was also named to the company's Ligue 1 Team of the Year.

Despite losing out on participation in UEFA Euro 2004, Evra's summer was tumultuous, with the player's transfer to Manchester United in England and Internazionale in Italy. Despite many bids, Evra remained in Monaco. He signed a one-year contract extension with the club on September 24, 2004, which was the club's longest-serving player until 2008. As Monaco advanced to the semi-finals in both Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France, Evra was a regular appearing in a career-high 52 games, scoring one goal and giving seven assists. In the team's round of 64 Coupe de France matches against amateur club AC Seyssinet-Pariset, Evra scored his first goal of the season on January 8, 2005. In a 7-0 victory, he scored the opener. Monaco reached the first knockout round of the Champions League, where they lost 0-1 on aggregate to PSV 3–0. In nine of the team's ten matches, Evra appeared in nine of the team's ten matches. Evra, who announced in April 2005 that he was interested in leaving the club, later announced that "I will have a decision to make for the rest of my life." I will consider it seriously if attracted clubs display a clear interest. Despite several clubs' statements of interest in Evra, Deschamps has confirmed he would not be sold. Monaco struggled to 15th place in the first month of play in 2005-06 season. In a 1–0 victory over Lille in the Coupe de la Ligue on December 21, 2005, Evra made his last appearance with the team.

Manchester United's executive announced on December 27 that it was interested in signing Evra. Despite rumors that Monaco signed a trade agreement with Internazionale on January 3, 2006, Evra said he preferred to move to England to join Manchester United. Manchester United officially announced a transfer bid for the player the following day. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reported that a deal for Evra was signed on January 6th. The transfer was completed four days later when Evra joined the club for a transfer fee of around £5.5 million and agreed to a three-and-a-half-year deal. Ferguson's arrival indicated that Evra's arrival signaled his intention to support the club's defense, which had suffered since Gabriel Heinze's sidelining. Since joining the club, Evra said that Manchester was his only future destination: "I was not keen to move forward in the talks with Arsenal, Liverpool, or Real Madrid." In the previous two years, they all talked to my agent. But to me, it was over. "I only wanted to hear about Manchester," I said to the Monaco authorities.

Evra had trouble adjusting to the English game at first. In a 3–1 away loss to Manchester City in the Premier League on January 14, he made his club debut on January 14th. After struggling to make a difference, he was sent to halftime. Ferguson said, "Maybe playing Evra was a bit of a gamble," after the match concluded, although Evra himself admitted that "playing for Manchester United was something I wasn't ready for." Despite the initial set-back, Evra got off to a 1–0 win in the team's ensuing match against Liverpool and was lauded for his teammate Rio Ferdinand's work. Evra came as a substitute in United's 4–0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the 2006 League Cup final on Friday, February 26th. It was announced that Liverpool defender Steve Finnan had racially insulted Evra in the match on March 2nd. Two deaf television viewers who had filed a police complaint launched the assault allegations. During the televised match, the viewers appeared to have lip-read Finnan insulting Evra. Finnan denied the allegations, but the Football Association (FA) decided against charging him. From the bench to the starting 11 to close the season, Evra alternated between the bench and the starting 11 often. He made 14 appearances for his new team this season.

He struggled to be a starter early on in Evra's first full season as a starter, while Ferguson preferred Evra's compatriot Mikal Silvestre. Evra made his European debut for the club in its 3–0 group stage victory over Copenhagen on October 17, 2006, after being an unutilizable substitute in United's first two Champions League matches. In the team's 2–1 victory over Sheffield United on November 18, he was responsible for the game-winning goal, scored by Wayne Rooney. In a 3–0 league victory over Everton, Evra scored his first goal for the club, as well as contributing an assist. Evra had been playing as a regular in the starting 11 by December. Evra began nine matches consecutively after starting in United's 3–1 Champions League triumph over Benfica on December 6th. In two of the games, Evra contributed to two of the games; a Rooney goal in a 2–1 loss to Arsenal; and another in a 2–0 win over Charlton Athletic. In a 7–1 victory over Roma in the second leg of the 2006–07 Champions League, Evra scored the final goal in a 7–1 victory. The goal was his first-ever appearance in the Champions League, and he helped Manchester United advance to the semi-finals, where the club lost to eventual champions Milan after losing 2-0 to them. Despite playing in 24 league matches, Evra was named to the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Team of the Year after the league season, which Manchester United won by a six-point margin.

Evra was the first-choice left-back during the 2007–08 season. He began his campaign by shooting out in United's 3–0 penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in the 2007 FA Community Shield. Evra appeared in the club's first 12 matches in competitive matches. After suffering a calf injury during warm-ups, he missed his first match of the season against Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League. Evra returned to the team just a few days later for the team's league match against Arsenal. Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in the 82nd minute gave United a 2–1 lead. William Gallas, a France teammate, was later equalized for Arsenal, causing the game to be drawn 2–2. Evra was the catalyst for one of the goals in a 4–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League's return match against Dynamo Kyiv. Despite being a member of 48 different leagues, Evra failed to score a single goal. On the final day, Manchester United clinched their second straight Premier League title, defeating Chelsea by two points. In the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, the club later scored on penalties after losing on penalties. Evra made ten appearances in the competition, as well as playing the entire 120 minutes in the final. On June 12, he agreed a four-year contract extension with Manchester United, a deal that was supposed to keep him at Old Trafford until 2012.

Evra was charged with four separate charges of improper conduct by the FA prior to the 2008–09 season on July 18, 2008. Following a match on April 26, Evra had an altercation with a Chelsea groundsman during a warm-down. The defender denied the charges and was supported by many members of the club's staff, who said that the player was verbally assaulted by the groundsman before the confrontation. Despite the charges being lodged in July 2008, Evra was free to play for United up to the time of the hearing. Following Manchester United's 3–0 victory over Portsmouth on penalties, he began the campaign in a similar fashion to the previous season. In Manchester United's first 22 competitive games of the season, starting 19 of them, Evra was ever-present. Evra was found guilty of improper behaviour and fined a four-match suspension, which would begin on December 22, 2008, as well as a £15,000 fine.

Despite the suspension, Evra was still playing for Manchester United in December as the club competed in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. He appeared in both matches as United emerged champions after defeating Ecuadorian club LDU Quito in the final. Evra was admitted to the team in New York on January 11, 2009, assisting the second goal in a 3–0 win. He was eventually forced to leave the game due to a foot injury that was later discovered to be serious. In a 3–0 win over Fulham on February 15, Evra returned to the line-up after missing a month and regained control. After beating Barcelona 4–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, Evra then appeared in every remaining competitive match for United, excluding a match against Sunderland in April. Following the second leg's victory over Arsenal, Evra was asked his opinion of the team's 3–1 victory and announced, "It was 11 guys against 11 babies." We never doubted ourselves." Manchester United lost 2–0 to Barcelona in Evra's third appearance in Champions League finals. For the second time, Evra was included in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of the year.

Evra appeared in all 38 league games in the 2009–10 season for the first time in his career. In the team's penalty shoot-out loss to Chelsea in the 2009 FA Community Shield, he got off to a rocky start after he fired a soft penalty shot, which some in the media referred to as "awful." He captained the team in multiple games during the season, including injuries to Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, and Ryan Giggs, who played for the first time in his Manchester United career, defeating VfL Wolfsburg in the team's 3–1 Champions League victory. Before being named to the UEFA Team of the Year in January 2010, Evra was one of three Manchester United players voted to the FIFPro World XI for the 2009 calendar year. Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 in the 2010 League Cup final on February 28, 2010. The league cup was Evra's fourth overall and first as a captain. After Eric Cantona's departure as the second Frenchman to captain a Manchester United squad to triumph in a major tournament, he became the second Frenchman since winning. Manchester United struggled to win their fourth straight league title, losing the trophy to Chelsea. The club also failed to qualify for their third straight final appearance, losing to German champions Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

Evra was plagued early on during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, both the French media and the French government, as well as the French government, who were hampered by persistent questions about what happened at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Evra's deal with Manchester United had been up at the end of the 2011–12 season, resulting in the player's release and a move to Real Madrid. The team's first 3–0 league victory over Newcastle United was held in Paris, where he was based. In the match, Evra played over 85 minutes. In a 2–0 win over Wigan Athletic on Thursday, Evra scored his second Premier League goal in his second appearance in the Premier League. Evra agreed a new deal with Manchester United that will keep him with the club until at least the end of the 2013–14 season. Evra was involved in United's 0–0 draw with Marseille in the first leg of the team's first knockout round tie in the Champions League, just two days after signing his contract extension. The match, played at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, was Evra's first match played in France since the 2010 World Cup debacle. As a result, he was always subjected to a barrage of jeering and boos whenever he touched the ball.

Evra was a member of the 2011 Community Shield team, a football team that began in the 2011-12 season, defeating Manchester City on August 7th. Despite being caught out in the first half by a header from Joleon Lescott and a long-range Edin Deko strike that put City up a 2–0 lead, United rallied in the second half and took the Shield by 3–2. Evra captained Manchester United in the club's 1–1 draw away from Liverpool on October 15th. Following the match, Evra said in an interview with French television station Canal+ that Liverpool player Luis Suárez had racially insulted him several times during the game. He also confirmed that he had warned referee Andre Marriner of the incident at the conclusion of the game. The FA announced the investigation the next day, and Suárez would be charged with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or conduct contrary to FA rules," including "a reference to Patrice Evra's ethnic origin, color,/or race."

Despite being only 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) tall, Evra developed a reputation as an attacking threat at corners during the 2012-2013 season, scoring three headed goals from corners against Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Swansea City. He continued his campaign into the 2013-14 season by going home against Cardiff City on November 24. In addition to the headers, Evra has scored twice from open play since the 2012-13 season, the first a low drive against Newcastle on Boxing Day 2012, and the second a curling, right-footed effort against Stoke City in the fifth round of the League Cup almost a year ago. Evra's one-year contract extension signed on May 23, 2014, keeping him at Manchester United until at least the summer of 2015.

Evra joined Juventus in Italy on a two-year deal on July 21, 2014. After Juventus qualified for the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League, the fee increased to £1.5 million, which was £1.2 million. He scored his first goal for the club on December 14, 2014, opening the scoring of a 1–1 home draw to Sampdoria. Evra got off for Juventus in the 2015 UEFA Champions League final after Juventus lost 3–1 by Barcelona at Berlin's Olympiastadion. It was his fifth Champions League final in which he had appeared, and his loss made him the first player to lose four Champions League finals.

In a 1–0 home victory over Manchester City on November 25, 2015, Evra became the second French player to do so after Thierry Henry. For the fifth time since the 2011–12 season, Evra scored a goal in the last game of the 2015–16 Serie A season, beating Sampdoria 5–0. Evra signed a one-year contract extension with Juventus on June 6, 2016; the contract included an option for a new extension of one year.

Evra joined Marseille on a free transfer, completing an 18-month deal with the club. In a 2–1 victory over Marseille on May 7, 2017, he scored his only goal for the club Nice, which was his first goal for him.

Evra was suspended in the warm-ups leading up to a Europa League match on November 2nd, 2017, who was apparently "ridiculing" him as he trained. Rudi Garcia, the Marseille coach, was chastised for the fans' reaction but Evra was also chastised for responding to the eviction. After being barred from playing indefinitely by Marseille on the day after Evra's altercation with a fan, he was suspended from playing indefinitely by Marseille on November 3rd, the day after the player's deposition and further inquiry were made before any other punishments were levied against him. Marseille released a statement describing the incident, condemning Evra's conduct. As a result, UEFA has charged him with violent conduct. Evra was also banned from participating in any UEFA competitions until June 2018. Evra's deal was subsequently terminated with immediate effect by Marseille.

West Ham United signed Evra on a free transfer on February 7, 2018. He has been working until the end of June 2018. On February 24, he made his Liverpool debut against Liverpool. Evra left West Ham United before his contract came to an end at the end of the season, after making five appearances for the club. Evra played for a year before finally announcing his release from professional football in July 2019.

In an effort to improve fitness ahead of Soccer Aid 2020, Evra made a one-off appearance for Middlesex County League team Brentham in a 3–2 friendly loss to North Greenford United on Friday.

International career

Evra is a former French youth international who has competed for the under-21 team. He refused to receive call-ups for teams below the age of 21 in Italy during his growth years. Evra received his first call-up to the under-21 team under new coach Raymond Domenech on October 3 and Malta for matches against Slovenia and Malta. As France cruised to a 1–0 victory, he made his under-21 debut in the match against Slovenia. Following an injury in the victory over Slovenia, Evra was forced to postpone the match against Malta. The defender played for the team from 2002-2004 as France continued to qualify for both the 2004 European Under-21 Football Championship and the football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics. France failed to qualify for both events, resulting in the cancellation of Evra's youth career.

After coach Jacques Santini named him to the 31-man preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2004, Evra earned his first call-up to the senior national team in May 2004. Following the squad's downsizing of 23 players, Evra was not included in the squad and later missed out on the tournament. Evra was called up to the senior team for the friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 18, 2004 following the European Championship, with former Under-21 coach Domenech now coaching the team. The defender said he was "very proud" to have been called up to the squad. In the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Evra made his international debut. He started on the left wing before being replaced in Robert Pires' 75th minute. The match came to a 1-1 draw. Evra supplanted him and appeared in France's first two 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches due to a starting injury to starter Eric Abidal. After being called up for the team's friendly against Switzerland in March 2005, Evra was forced to withdraw from the team due to injuries. William Gallas was inserted into the role as a makeshift left-back as a result. Following Abidal's return from injury, Evra went without a call-up for almost two years and, as a result, skipped the 2006 World Cup. The defender told L'Équipe in October that the World Cup "gave me my determination."

In November 2006, Evra returned to the team for the team's friendly match against Greece against Greece. When France defeated Abidal 1–0, he appeared as a halftime replacement for Abidal. After going another year without representing France, Evra started appearing as a regular under Domenech in 2007. He was called into the squad for UEFA Euro 2008 on May 28th. He was initially drafted into the team to play as back-up to Abidal, but the French media had requested Domenech to call Evra into the starting lineup at the behest of Abidal. In the team's next match against the Netherlands, Domenech relented and started Evra, which resulted in a 4–1 loss. Evra was playing his second straight match against Italy in the must-win final group stage match against Italy, but France lost 2–0 and was barred from the tournament in the first round. Following the match, Evra and teammates Patrick Vieira and Abidal were caught in an altercation in the tunnel. After breaking into an altercation with a group of French supporters, Vieira later said that the video was shot. Evra expressed his indignation to L'Équipe the day after the team's dismissal, saying, "I am someone who does not like losing but I am not going to make excuses." We had three games in this Euro, but we didn't win one. It's also impossible to believe that it's over now, but it's still hard to believe.

Lilian Thuram, the team's defensive stalwart, was fired from the team after Euro 2008; Domenech moved Abidal into the center-back role, allowing Evra to take over as starting left-back. In France's first competitive match since Euro 2008, against Austria, Evra scored the points for France's only goal scored by Sidney Govou in a surprising 3–1 loss. Evra was involved in ten of the team's 12 games during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, which also included both legs in the team's playoff round victory over the Republic of Ireland. For the first time in a friendly match against Costa Rica on May 26, Evra captained the national team; France defeated Costa Rica 21-01. He was then named captain of the 2010 World Cup ahead of Thierry Henry, who was recalled to the bench for the tournament. In the team's first two matches, including a 0–0 draw with Uruguay and a 2–0 loss to Mexico, Evra wore the armband.

Nicolas Anelka was fired from the team after reportedly having a dispute in which obscenities were allegedly exchanged, along with Domenech during halftime of the team's loss to Mexico on June 19th. The result of the breakdown over Anelka's exclusion from the players, the coaching staff, and France Football Federation (FFF) officials resulted in Evra leading a player protest against the decision, which had to be postponed, which caused Evra to lead a player protest against the decision on June 20th. Evra had engage in a verbal brawl with national team fitness coach Robert Duverne prior to leading the revolt. Both the FFF and French government officials condemned the attack. The athletes returned to training the next day without incident. Evra was deprived of captaincy and benched for the team's final group stage match against South Africa due to the mutiny. France lost 2–1 and was barred from the tournament.

Following the tournament, former national team captain Lilian Thuram said that Evra should be barred permanently from participating for the national team permanently. His words were later echoed by Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno, who said, "I have nothing against Evra," but, as a France player and especially captain, he did not promote the values of sport that are not shared by the Republic. I'm sure there are other writers who haven't sullied France and are eager to write new history. On August 6, Evra was one of five players summoned to attend a meeting held by the FFF's Disciplinary Committee in response to the team's World Cup strike. He received a five-match international ban for his role in the September 17th.

Evra bore the brunt of the critique as a result of being captain. Despite widespread shaming of his public image, Evra maintained his optimism about his future with the national team, saying, "I can't see my future without the France team." For the first time since the 2010 World Cup, Laurent Blanc, the young manager, called him up to the national team on March 17th. Since serving his five-match suspension, he had been eligible to return to the team, but the coach did not call him up by Blanc, citing "sports reasons" as the reason. In the team's Euro 2012 qualifier versus Luxembourg, Evra returned to the team on March 25th. In a 2–0 victory, he began the game and played the full 90 minutes. In his first match against Croatia since the World Cup, Evra appeared on the bench four days later. He had been named in the 23-man squad for the finals of the season after being regular in qualifying for Euro 2012, on May 29, 2012. Following a 2–0 loss to eventual champions Spain, France was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-finals by Germany's eventual champions, Evra appeared in four of France's five matches at the 2014 World Cup, losing in four of their matches.

Evra was selected in Didier Deschamps' 23-man France squad for Euro 2016, to be played on home soil in May 2016. He was later included in the starting lineup for France's first match against Romania, where he played the entire 90 minutes of the game. With France leading 1–0, Evra fouled Nicușor Stanciu in the penalty box, and Bogdan Stancu scored the resulting penalty in the 65th minute. The hosts eventually won the match 2–1, but Evra was later chastised for his appearance. Evra drew laud in the semi-finals against Germany on July 7th as he helped win a penalty for his squad and put on a solid defensive effort to help France maintain a clean-sheet and beat the reigning world champions 2–0 in the tournament. Following the triumph, he was also praised for his leadership and his part in uniting the team. France lost by 1–0 extra time to Portugal in the final.

Career statistics

Appearances and targets of the national team and year-year have been published.

Source