Career
Left-footed, he was considered a skilled midfielder and a dead-ball expert. During a 16-year career he played professionally, other than in his country, in Italy and Germany. Micoud gained nearly 20 caps for, and represented the nation at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2000, winning the latter tournament.
Born in Cannes, Micoud was a youth product of local AS Cannes" youth system, becoming the side"s playmaker after Zinedine Zidane"s departure to Football Club Girondins de.
He helped the club to promotion from the second division in 1993 and qualification to the Union of European Football Associations Cup in the following season. In the 1998-1999 campaign, two years after also signing for, Micoud played a pivotal role as the club were crowned Ligue 1 champions, and helped it to the following season Union of European Football Associations Champions League"s second group stage.
In the 2000 summer he moved abroad, initially joining Parma Air Corps where he stayed for two seasons. Micoud then switched to Germany, signing for SV where he enjoyed a successful four-year stay, the peak of which being a major force in the league and cup double in 2004 as he scored ten goals in the former competition, the highest for a midfielder alongside Bayer 04 Leverkusen"s Bernd Schneider.
However, after two solid campaigns, Laurent Blanc announced on 10 May 2008 that the player"s contract would not be renewed, and he retired from the game.
Despite being selected in the French national team on several occasions throughout his career, Micoud never managed to secure himself a regular starting role, mainly due to the presence of Zidane who occupied the same position. Regardless of his consistently high level of performance at club level, Micoud found himself subsequently marginalised by the following national bosses: Jacques Santini only selected him once, in a friendly against Holland in 2004, and he failed to make the squad for Euro 2004 despite his Bremen performances. Club International.