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Julien Denis

1886 – 1914

French association football player

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About Julien Denis

Lived 1886 – 1914 (aged 28). Julien Denis was a French association football player.

Career Unlike his brother, Denis spent his entire career at RC Calais, a club that only competed in the Maritime Championship, one of the two regional championships in Northern France, the other being the land Championship, with both winners facing each other in a final. Calais therefore usually played against Dunkerque FC and its main rivals Boulogne.

Two months later, on 10 May 1908, Denis earned his second and final caps in a friendly against the Netherlands at Rotterdam, seemingly sustaining an injury in the first half; even though substitutions were allowed at the time, the Dutch captain allowed it, being thus replaced in the 55th minute by his brother Victor, a feat that remained unmatched for over a century, being only repeated in 2022, when Théo Hernandez was replaced by his brother Lucas in a World Cup match against Australia. This unauthorized change caused controversy at the time, with authorities suspecting that Julien had faked it to allow his brother to make his international debut, and likewise, in 1949, over 40 years later, Victor, who had become a renowned sports journalist, admitted that there had indeed been a simulation, doing so on the occasion of another France-Netherlands match, also played in Rotterdam.

In October 1908, the USFSA selected him as a reserve of the France B squad that competed in the football tournament of the 1908 Olympic Games, but he ended up not traveling to London. Three months later, in January 1909, he played in another Nord-Paris match, in which he "was far superior to the others"; the match ended in a draw.

On one occasion, the press described him as being "strong as a Turk, better in defense than in attack", and highlighted his leadership and his ability to galvanize his team. In doing so, he became the very first French international to be killed in the War.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Mort pour la France

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Julien Denis's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Julien Denis?

French association football player (1881-1915)

When was Julien Denis born?

Julien Denis was born on 20 March 1886 in Blennes.

When did Julien Denis die?

Julien Denis died on 15 August 1914 in Souchez.

What was Julien Denis's occupation?

Julien Denis was an association football player.

What nationality was Julien Denis?

Julien Denis was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Julien Denis

· Wikidata: Q3189467

· DBpedia: Julien Denis

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Julien Denis. https://biography.guide/julien-denis/

MLA: "Julien Denis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/julien-denis/.

Chicago: "Julien Denis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/julien-denis/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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