Wednesday October 12, 2005 Franck Jurietti makes his first cape with the French team. Until then, nothing out of the ordinary, except for the duration of this event. Spoiler alert: forget the minutes, it is calculated in seconds.
There are courses in France’s team that are extraordinary. So of course you immediately think of Michel Platini and his free kicks, Zizou’s roulette or even JPP’s papinades. But at the FFL, we have a very different view of the history of the Blues. For us, Schumacher’s exit, David Ginola’s Lost Ball or even Zidane’s headbutt are part of our heritage. So what about Franck Jurietti’s legendary entry on a certain Wednesday, October 12, 2005.
Jurietti, the slapbox of our Liguain
Franck Jurietti is one of those Ligue 1 players who made the beauty of this championship. Some do not hesitate to qualify it as the most beautiful in the world. Okay, maybe we’re the only ones on this one. In the mid-2000s, the Liguain offered us an exciting weekly show; closed games, poor technique, a top scorer with 15 goals and great tackles galore. And in this last category, one player in particular stands out: Franck Jurietti.
Whoever has played more than 500 matches with the pros has a very surprising career. And not to mention his pronounced appetite for rusk. With over 100 yellow cards and 10 red cards in his career, Jurietti validates a double-double FFL. His favorite weapon? The blow. We knew that from Roger Federer in tennis, switching on his forehand. Franck’s cleats have nothing to envy him.
His career path is also atypical. Starting with his time at Olympique de Marseille during the 2002-2003 season, and his 20 games played. A passage that the Marseille supporters themselves must have forgotten. But rest assured, Jurietti is above all the Girondins de Bordeaux. Arriving in 2003 in Girdonde, Francky made a strong impression. So much so that he was called to the French team by Raymond Domenech. The start of a crazy experience.
5 seconds for eternity
It is October 12, 2005. France receives Cyprus as part of the qualifications for the World Cup Germany 2006. The Blues easily punish the Cypriots and lead 4-0 in the 91st minute. Moment chosen by Raymond Domenech to bring in a defender rather than an attacker, just to keep the result. You never know against the Cypriot giant. As you will have understood, it is Franck Jurietti who is chosen. And it’s not just a replacement. The 30-year-old will have his first-ever roster with the Blues. In other words, a moment that will be etched in a man’s memory forever.
And luck is on Franck’s side. Indeed, he will not have to remember many images in his head. Sidney Govou runs towards him to give up his seat. Franck takes ten steps to position himself. Grégory Coupet can finally make his clearance, and although the ball is still not down and still floating in the air, Referee M. Stark whistles the end of the match. Exactly 5 seconds elapsed between Jurietti’s emergence and the end of the match. Franck didn’t even hear the ball bounce on the lawn.
Franck Jurietti played just 5 seconds for the French team in his career.
There they are pic.twitter.com/1RxXZCyn1x— Vibrons Foot (@VibronsFoot) January 9, 2022
Jurietti, often quoted, never equaled
To measure the magnitude of this achievement, it is the time it takes to solve a Rubik’s Cube.
“At least it will be a nice memory for Franck Jurietti” T. Gilardi
Or see the art of the glass half one thousandth full.
“I can be proud to be international, even if it was super short” F. Jurietti
Franck will of course never again have the chance to step onto a lawn wearing the Blues jersey. A pubic illness contracted four months before the 2006 World Cup prevented him from taking part in the competition. That night, the Stade de France simply witnessed the shortest international football career in history. This is how we cover the endless two minutes of Bernard Boissier in 1975. The chance for us to remind Franck of this feat of arms on each of his birthdays.
We have 1 minute left, exactly 12 times his playing time in the French team, to wish Franck Jurietti an excellent birthday.
– Fed 🇫🇷 of the losses (@FFLose) March 30, 2021
Retired a year late
With this micro-entry, Jurietti’s career was a model of all kinds. Indeed, the right side was a three-time vice-champion of France until 2009 (in 2003 with Monaco, in 2006 and 2008 with Bordeaux). But like many athletes before him, Franck will play “one season too many”. Jurietti won the French Championship with Bordeaux in 2009 and ruined 16 years of work to escape the title of champion.
Which will remain the only blemish in his fantastic career.
