#10 – Billy Ketkeophomphone :
The one and only Laotian to have played in Ligue 1 to date, the striker made his mark in Angers during the 2015-2016 season, scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists. Billy didn't have the easiest name to pronounce. Far from it. Try repeating Ketkeophomphone five times in a row quickly, and you will understand. A telephone operator name that can already compete with its competitors' ads.
#9 – Kylian Mbappé
Even though he's already clarified the pronunciation of his name, no one seems to care. It's a bit like the pain au chocolat or chocolatine debate: we all know the answer, but we prefer not to hear it. « Em-bappé »so it is false. The one who was absolutely not born in Bondy revealed that the M was almost silent, and that the name was in two syllables: « Mbap » et « late. ». Clearer than his explanation of his nickname « Look ».
#8 – Vagiz Khidiyatullin
Passed by Toulouse between 1988 and 1990, Vagiz Khidiyatullin is the very first Soviet in the history of the French championship. Suffice to say that at the time of the fall of the wall, these sounds were truly exotic for Westerners. To help with pronunciation, the name of the 1988 European vice-champion has been adapted to French spelling: Vaguiz Khidiatouline, it's immediately easier to read! What is certain is that we would have loved to hear his ex-teammate Omar da Fonseca shout his name on television.
#7 – Oldrich Nývlt
This one, you have to go get it. Oldřich Nývlt is a Czechoslovakian striker who spent two seasons at Nîmes between 1933 and 1935. According to Transfermarkt, he scored 10 goals in 24 matches. We don't have much else on him. And if there's one thing we don't know, it's saying your name out loud. Do not reproduce at home, as this presents a risk of excessive spittle.
#6 – Timothée Kolodziejczak
Timothée Kolodziejczak was born in Avion, and he wears his birthplace well. During his career, the defender passed through nine clubs between France, Spain, Germany and Mexico, before settling at Paris FC. With so much travel, it was necessary to agree on a universal nickname. It is « Wheel » which was retained, and it's for the best when you hear the way Brazilians pronounce his last name.
-
#5 – Stéphane Raheriharimanana
He is one of 22 Malagasy players who played in the French championship, including Jérémy Morel. And inevitably, the island is a huge provider of long-term surnames. Stéphane Raheriharimanana was no exception to the rule, he who was recruited by OGC Nice at just 16 years old. He too was quickly given his nickname to avoid any mispronunciation. « Dada » – yes because a D was missing in the middle of all these consonants – won the 2012 Gambardella Cup and joined the first team during the 2015-2016 season. The defensive midfielder played four matches, including two against PSG, during which he remained on the pitch for a total of 8 minutes. Which doesn't even leave time to get to the end of his name, if we articulate it well.
#4 – Pierre Pchenitchny
Correction: There was indeed another Soviet to play in the French elite. He was born in 1928 in Gamovka (USSR, Ukrainian side) and died 65 years later in Marseille. Time to keep the OM cages once during the 1951-1952 season. Suffice it to say that the Vélodrome has not had time to clarify this mystery: what sound is produced when a P, a C and an H follow each other?
#3 – Kim Källström
Having played for Rennes and Olympique Lyonnais, Kim Källström can legitimately be considered a legend of our championship. Pillar of the Lyon team, champions of France in 2007 and 2008, he won everything in France. If the umlauts can be even more frightening than its strikes, it is actually the pronunciation of the K that causes confusion. Yeah, throughout his career in France, Källström saw his name being tarnished without anyone trying to change that. Källström actually speaks « chell-strom. » You will sleep less stupid.
#2 – Théodore Szkudlapski
Hey, another native of Avion with a Polish name that even the Poles struggle to pronounce (yes, it can happen). Which did not prevent Théodore Szkudlapski from having a great time in Monaco in the 1960s. The only problem: his supporters couldn't pronounce his name. A solution was found to honor the playmaker: everyone called him « Theo ». Practical, if not original, for the 215e best player in the history of the championship.
#1 – Lefter Küçükandonyadis
« Umlaut. nm: Orthographic sign consisting of two juxtaposed points that are placed on the vowels e and i (as well as o and u in some foreign words) to indicate that the preceding vowel has an independent pronunciation. » Even the definition of Larousse is difficult to understand. So imagine the hell it must have been to pronounce the name of Küçükandonyadis, a Turkish striker who played for OGC Nice between 1952 and 1953. After having done a little smallhe returned to Türkiye just after his time in the south of France and marked the history of Fenerbahçe. At the same time, it is difficult for him to make a name for himself outside his country.
Only one Parisian in the typical Champions League team of the week
