Coauthored by Jeremy Roth and David Talpalar
(Courtesy of ESPN)
Lloris, the obvious French starting goalkeeper for Euro 2016, is much more than that for the French squad. Lloris, 29, who was born in Nice to a father of Catalan descent, has been the captain of the French national team since Euro 2012. One of the vocal leaders of the squad, Lloris also leads by example. He will earn his 76th cap for the national team when Euro 2016 kicks off (ESPN).
Lloris is known for his dynamic goalkeeping style, often known as a “sweeper keeper.” His club side, Tottenham, of England, have the best defensive record in the highly competitive English Premier League, and they have Lloris to thank in large part for that feat (ESPN). Despite his diminutive size, Lloris makes up for it by commanding the box well, and his lightning quick reflexes more than cover for his lack of size, as the below video demonstrates. But Lloris is most known, however, for his sweeper-keeper style. In this style of goalkeeping, the back line of defense plays a high line, closer to the halfway line, and the goalie comes off his line quickly in the event that a ball is played behind the defense. Lloris’s success in this system makes him arguably the best goalie at this style of play, and Lloris is undisputably a top 10 goalkeeper in the world–perhaps top 5.
Lloris shows off incredible range in a big moment against Manchester United (YouTube)
How to cite this article: “Projected France Starting XI at Euro 2016” Written by Jeremy Roth and David Talpalar (2016), European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/identity-and-the-french-national-team/notable-players-in-the-projected-french-squad-with-african-heritage/hugo-lloris/ (accessed on (date)).
