AS Monaco is one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won eight league titles, five Coupe de France trophies and one Coupe de la Ligue. The club is among the best in European football and was runners-up in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 2004.
The French club has seen numerous star players among their ranks. The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Thierry Henry and Bernardo Silva have all passed through the club’s doors. Starting their journey at AS Monaco, these players have gone on to become some of the finest players the game has ever seen.
Here are the incredible players who were once a part of the French club AS Monaco.
→ Fabinho
Fábio Henrique Tavares, known as Fabinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team. A versatile player who mainly plays as a defensive midfielder, Fabinho can also be deployed as a right-back or centre-back.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – MARCH 10: Fabinho of Liverpool poses for a photo with his Player of the match award after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Liverpool FC and RB Leipzig at the Puskas Arena on March 10, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. Sporting stadiums around Germany remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Laszlo Szirtesi – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
He spent five years at Monaco, playing 233 games, scoring 31 goals, and winning Ligue 1 in 2016–17. After that, he went to Liverpool and won the Champions League during his debut season. He also won the UEFA Super Cup in 2019 and also played a key role in guiding Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2020, the club’s first league title in 30 years.
→ Youri Tielemans
Youri Tielemans spent just 18 months in Monaco but showed everyone why he is considered one of the best. Tielemans has been tipped for greatness since his days at RSC Anderlecht, where he became the club’s fourth-youngest player ever when he made his debut at just 16 in 2013.
CARDIFF, WALES – JUNE 11: Youri Tielemans of Belgium during the UEFA Nations League League A Group 4 match between Wales and Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium on June 11, 2022 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
The Belgian footballer scored 5 goals in 47 appearances for AS Monaco. The footballer is currently playing for Leicester City.
→ Bernardo Silva
The Portugal midfielder, who was once a part of AS Monaco, has enthralled the audience with his stunning dribbles and free-kicks at his current club Manchester City.
Bernardo Silva was a part of AS Monaco’s “Class of 2017”, who won the Ligue 1 and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League that year.
Monaco’s Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva celebrates after his team scored a goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 football match between Monaco and Manchester City at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on March 15, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Valery HACHE (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
His time at Monaco saw him play a more expansive role, but an equally crucial one on the right wing, progressing the ball in wide areas before supplying the lethal frontmen. He has also established himself as a key player in the national set-up for Portugal, lifting the UEFA Nations League trophy in 2019.
Silva scored 24 goals in 101 appearances during his time at Monaco.
→ Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is one of the most popular footballers who was sold by the French club. The French attacker joined Monaco Youth in 2013 and later played with the Under 19, UEFA Under-19, reserve, and senior teams. During his time at AS Monaco, Kylian Mbappe scored 16 goals in a total of 41 appearances.
Monaco’s French forward Kylian Mbappe smiles after the French L1 football match between Monaco (ASM) and Marseille (OM) on August 27, 2017, at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco. / AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
Mbappe is now plying his trade for his hometown club, Paris Saint-Germain, after joining from AS Monaco in a deal which saw him become the second-most expensive player ever.
→ Thierry Henry
Very few people knew about this. Thierry Henry, France’s talismanic striker, was once a part of AS Monaco.
Henry started his career by playing for the youth side of AS Monaco. Then he played for Monaco B. The all-time great made his debut for the senior squad in 1994 and played until the summer of 1999.
23 Apr 2000: Thierry Henry of Arsenal celebrates during the FA Carling Premiership game between Watford and Arsenal at Vicarage Road in Watford, England. The game finished 2-3 to Arsenal. Mandatory Credit: Gary M Prior/Allsport
During his time at the club, he appeared in 124 football matches scoring 26 goals with 2 assists.
→ Radamel Falcao
Widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, Radamel Falcao controversially signed for newly promoted Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in 2013 for a club record €60 million, despite interest from top European clubs. In the second half of his debut season, an ACL injury ruled him out for six months, and he spent the next two seasons on loan at Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.
Rejoining AS Monaco in the summer of 2016, he regained his best form and led them to their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years.
The striker has scored 65 goals in 108 appearances for the club.
→ James Rodriguez
Did you know the Colombian wonderkid who lit up the 2010 FIFA World Cup with his amazing goals was a part of AS Monaco?
The attacking midfielder was a part of AS Monaco during the 2013-14 season, where he played 38 games and scored 10 goals and 14 assists.
HALEWOOD, ENGLAND – April 21: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) James Rodriguez during the Everton Training Session at USM Finch Farm on April 21 2021 in Halewood, England. (Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)
In 2014, James moved from AS Monaco to Real Madrid for a transfer fee of £63 million, which beat the record set by Radamel Falcao and made him the most expensive Colombian football player and one of the most expensive players at the time.
→ Patrice Evra
Patrice Evra is a French football coach and former professional player. Originally a forward, he primarily played as a left-back.
SWANSEA, WALES – MARCH 03: Patrice Evra of West Ham United arrives prior to the Premier League match between Swansea City and West Ham United at Liberty Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
Vieira, who began his career at Marsala, was once a part of AS Monaco. The former Manchester United captain played for the French team from 2002 to 2006 for a total of 120 games. With his solid defensive skills, the footballer managed to get his team to the 2004 Champions League final.
→ Dimitar Berbatov
Another former Manchester United player makes the list. Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgarian footballer, was also a part of AS Monaco once upon a time.
The athletic attacker played for Monaco during the 2014-15 season, scoring 13 goals in a total of 38 appearances.
→ Yaya Toure
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is an academy coach for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
A dejected Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast is comforted by Yaya Toure after missing his penalty during the 2012 African Cup of Nations Final between Zambia and Ivory Coast at the Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville, Gabon. Photo: Ben Radford/Visionhaus (Photo by Ben Radford/Corbis via Getty Images)
The Ivory Coast midfielder was a part of AS Monaco during the 2006-07 season, playing a total of 27 matches and scoring 5 goals.
Notable Mentions
Some of the notable mentions who were a part of AS Monaco include Emanuel Adebayor, Lilian Thuram, Takumi Minamino, Abdou Diallo, Benjamin Mendy and Ludovic Giuly.
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