Philippe Mexès

Philippe Mexès

Mexès playing for France at UEFA Euro 2012.
Personal information
Full name	Philippe Samuel Mexès
Date of birth	(1982-03-30) 30 March 1982 (age 34)
Place of birth	Toulouse, France
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
1987–1990	Toulouse-Mirail
1990–1997	Toulouse
1997–1999	Auxerre
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2004	Auxerre	151	(7)
2004–2011	Roma	267	(17)
2011–2016	Milan	114	(9)
National team
2002–2012	France	29	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 January 2016 (UTC).

Philippe Samuel Mexès (French pronunciation: ​[filip mɛksɛs]; born 30 March 1982) is a French professional footballer who last played for Milan as a centre back. He also formerly played for the French national team.

Mexès began his youth career at Auxerre, at age 12. He began training at Bastille, the youth team, where he quickly became one of the key players for youth squads in which he captained them to many cups. In the senior squad, he won the 2003 Coupe de France.

Mexès was signed to a four-year contract by Roma in June 2004. Roma was later found guilty of misconduct, as AJ Auxerre, his previous club, did not agree to the transfer; it was solely the decision of the player. Mexès was suspended but later the ban was temporarily lifted. Mexès played his first Serie A match on 12 September 2004 against Fiorentina. In February 2005, the appeal on the six-week ban was rejected and Mexès was suspended until April. The saga was eventually settled by Mexès, or Roma would have had to pay Auxerre €7 million.

After a difficult first season with the capitoline club, Mexès began the 2005–06 campaign on the bench. Roma's transfer misconduct in the purchase of Mexès led to the club's being suspended in 2005 from signing players other than free agents, but the ban temporarily lifted in August. As the club did not sign anyone due to the ban, he became a key player for Luciano Spalletti's squad. Mexès played nine out of a possible ten games for Roma in UEFA Cup competition. He also played in the final of Coppa Italia 2005–06. The Giallorossi finished fifth in Serie A, initially qualifying only for the next year's UEFA Cup, but due to the 2006 Italian football scandal, Roma were awarded second, allowing Mexès to play for the first time in the Champions League.