Biography

January 1, 1972 · Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France

Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien

1.85 m

World Champion and European Champion honours with France in July 1998 and July 2000. He also played for France in the 2002 World Cup.

Began his soccer career with Monegasque club AS Monaco FC, in 1991 and stayed there until 1996. He played for Italian club Parma A.C. 1996-2001. He joined Italian club Juventus in 2001 or '02 and he's still with the club as of 2005.

Has two sons, Marcus (b. August 1997) and Kephreen (b. January 2001).

First wanted to be a parish priest.

Engaged to Karine Lemarchand, a French TV channel journalist.

To be a father is not simply to bring a child into this world. It is to take care of that child and to give him direction and guidance. It's my mother who always did this for me. I'm surprised that today, because of the World Cup and because the cameras are on my father, that he puts on that jersey and speaks of his son. It's not going to change things because of a World Cup.

Footballers can be like artists when the mind and body are working as one. It is what Miles Davis does when he plays free jazz - everything pulls together into one intense moment that is beautiful.

When I came to Barcelona, I really liked in the dressing room that I found balanced, normal people: [Victor] Valdes, [Carles] Puyol, [Andrés] Iniesta. They don't think they are the center of the world for being football players.