Patrice Evra career playing for various clubs in the Île-de-France region such as hometown club CO Les Ulis and CSF Brétigny. In 1997, he had a stint at professional club Paris Saint-Germain. A year later, Evra seized his first footballing opportunity in neighbouring Italy when he signed his first professional contract with Marsala in Sicily. He made his professional debut with the club and, in the ensuing season, joined Monza. After a year playing with Monza, Evra returned to France to play for Nice. Originally a midfielder, while playing at Nice, he was converted into a full-back. In 2002, Evra joined Monaco
Arsenal F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry with younger talent. The 2005 Cup win was their last piece of silverware until 2014. Though the rivalry cooled, the two clubs were still involved in engrossing battles; "The Guardian"'s Jamie Jackson wrote after a November 2007 fixture: "For once here was enough spectacle to meet the pre-match hype and convince the millions watching around the world that the Premier League may just have the best footballers who can play the very best stuff." In 2009, the teams met in the semi-finals of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, which United won 4–1 on aggregate. United defender Patrice Evra was blunt