Florent Johan Malouda (born 13 June 1980) is a French football coach and former professional player who played as a left winger.

Malouda represented the France national football team on 80 occasions from 2004 to 2012, including in two FIFA World Cups and two European Championships.

[citation needed] Malouda was then signed by top division side Guingamp following Châteauroux's inability to secure a Ligue 1 berth.

Under the tutelage of coach Guy Lacombe, Malouda demonstrated his ability and formed a combination with Didier Drogba, whom he would also accompany later in his career at Chelsea.

He also won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year that season, edging teammate Juninho, Lille's Kader Keïta, Toulouse's Johan Elmander and Lens' Seydou Keita to the accolade.

[5] Malouda made public his wish to leave Lyon at the end of the 2006–07 season, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid showing interest in the winger.

[15] Malouda scored against Schalke 04 in his first Champions League match for Chelsea, squeezing the ball through keeper Manuel Neuer's legs after turning his marker Rafinha.

On 23 January, Malouda set up Joe Cole with a long pass to score against Everton in the League Cup; Chelsea won the tie 3–1 on aggregate.

On 5 May 2008, Malouda scored his second Premier League goal in the penultimate game of the season against Newcastle United, converting a Frank Lampard through-ball.

[citation needed] In the 2009 FA Cup Final against Everton, he played a pivotal role in Chelsea's 2–1 win setting up Didier Drogba's equaliser but was then later denied a goal when his 36-yard strike hit the underside of the crossbar, despite replays showing it crossed the line.

[20] In Chelsea's most important fixture of the 2009–10 Premier League campaign against title rivals Manchester United, Malouda played a pivotal role in setting up the first goal of the match.

By evading Antonio Valencia and Darren Fletcher en route to the penalty area, Malouda was able to deliver a low cross to Joe Cole, who redirected the ball with his back heel past goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

[22] During the summer of 2011, following Chelsea's signing of Spanish World Cup-winning winger Juan Mata, Italian Serie A giants Juventus's general director expressed interest in a bid for Malouda.

[23] Speaking ahead of France's European Championship qualifier against Albania, Malouda insisted that he wanted to stay at Stamford Bridge until the next World Cup at least.

[29] The game was decided by spot kicks as Chelsea ran out 4–3 winners, with Malouda helping them become the first London club to win the European Cup/Champions League trophy.

A number of teams in Brazil, as well as his former club Lyon, all showed an interest while the window was open, but Malouda refused to take a significant wage drop from his £80,000 a week.

[citation needed] On 29 January 2016, Malouda joined Egyptian Premier League side Wadi Degla on a six-month loan deal,[41] allowing him to continue to play and remain fit during the Indian off-season.

[citation needed] On 25 January 2018, after being without a club for almost half a year, Malouda signed a contract with Luxembourg National Division team FC Differdange 03 until the end of the season.

[citation needed] After playing almost throughout France's qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Malouda earned a call up to the final squad.

[46] On international duty in February 2012, Malouda netted his side's second goal of a 2–1 defeat of Germany, latching on to a cross from fellow substitute Morgan Amalfitano.

[47] After being included in France's 23-man squad for the Euro 2012 final stages in Poland and Ukraine,[48] Malouda scored his ninth international goal in a 2–0 friendly defeat of Serbia on 31 May, netting from the edge of the area to double their advantage.

In June 2017, he was named to the preliminary French Guiana squad for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup[50] and made his debut against Barbados in a friendly.

[52] Despite this, on 11 July 2017, Malouda was selected to start French Guiana's Gold Cup match against Honduras, resulting in a forfeit after what was originally a 0–0 draw.