Last update 29 December, 2023 por Alberto Llopis
Philippe Christanval It was one of those rare signings that Barcelona insisted on making and where they squandered the money. 10.000 million that the culé club had earned after Real Madrid paid the Portuguese's clause in the summer of 2000. The French, is on its own merits on the list of worst signings in the history of Barca. It seemed that Barcelona had passed the signings of Bogarde, Reiziguer and a few others. Until in the 2001, the Barcelona of Joan Gaspart, decided to sign this French defender.
Philippe Christanval grew up with Barça and the Spanish League
Coinciding with one of the best generations in the history of Monaco, this French born 31 of August of 1978, It was supposed quality with the ball and a defensive safety beyond doubt. Fact that made Barça notice him. The Catalan club without going further, he invested 3000 millions of the old pesetas for him. Even Catalan sports newspapers even talked about 'The new Blanc'. So in this way, arrived Christanval al Barcelona.
Uno de los One Club Man in Barça history as Charly Rexach, it said in his presentation that ; “It will be a spectacle to see him play”. If by spectacle he meant Dantesque, he was not wrong.
John Gaspart In his second year as president of Barça he had a tough role after the disastrous previous season. Touched since Figo left Real Madrid as soon as he began his mandate, It was already finished off by the failed signings in the previous season in which the Portuguese's money had been invested..
The then culé president, French defender said during his presentation: "Here we have a moral obligation to win everything and for that we signed the best players in the world". We assume that we would be talking about something else, because the poor Christanval, He was far and much of that level.
He left after barely playing in 2 seasons and after having cost 3000 millions
He spent two seasons at Barcelona, where in his second season only played 5 parties, It was a fiasco in the making. Then he went to France where he again failed, to England where not that much and stand out 2008, con 30 years, He retired from football with more pain than glory.
What was Christanval?
After his premature retirement, He dedicated himself to a somewhat strange business for a former footballer. She opened a jewelry business in Paris to pursue one of her passions.. Let's hope that with more success than during his time as a Barça footballer