René Girard (born 4 April 1954) is a French football manager and former player.
 Girard in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 April 1954[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Vauvert, France | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1980 | Nîmes | 202 | (27) |
| 1980–1988 | Bordeaux | 241 | (17) |
| 1988–1991 | Nîmes | 92 | (5) |
| Total | 535 | (49) | |
| International career | |||
| 1981–1982 | France | 7 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1991–1994 | Nîmes | ||
| 1996–1997 | Pau FC | ||
| 1998 | Strasbourg | ||
| 2002–2003 | France U19 | ||
| 2003–2004 | France U16 | ||
| 2004–2008 | France U21 | ||
| 2009–2013 | Montpellier | ||
| 2013–2015 | Lille | ||
| 2016 | Nantes | ||
| 2018 | Wydad AC | ||
| 2020–2021 | Paris FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
editPlaying career
editGirard won seven caps, scoring one goal for France and was a member of the squad that finished fourth at the 1982 World Cup. At club level, while playing for Bordeaux, Girard won three Ligue 1 titles – in 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1986–87, as well as two Coupes de France, over Marseille in the 1986 and 1987 editions.[citation needed]
Coaching career
editGirard managed Nîmes, Strasbourg, Pau FC and multiple France youth teams. He coached the France national under-21 team from 2004 to 2008.[citation needed]
On 3 June 2009, he became the new head coach of Montpellier HSC, replacing Rolland Courbis. In the 2011–12 season, Montpellier shocked the footballing world by winning its first Ligue 1 title, finishing the season with 82 points, three more than runner-up Paris Saint-Germain. He said after his team won it. "I think our triumph is a real shot in the arm for French football.[3][4][5] "It just goes to show that everyone can beat everyone and that money isn't the be-all and end-all. We're a club of mates, a club that brings young players through and gives them a chance. "At the end of the day, it's worked out well for us. We played some great football, with a well-balanced team and I'm overwhelmed."[6][7][8]
He signed for Lille in July 2013, replacing Rudi Garcia who left for Roma.[9][10][11]
On 30 September 2018, he was appointed as the head coach of Moroccan club Wydad AC.[12]
Honours
editPlayer
editBordeaux
- Division 1: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87[2]
- Coupe de France: 1985–86, 1986–87[2]
- Challenge des Champions: 1986[citation needed]
Manager
editMontpellier
References
edit- ^ a b "René Girard". L'Équipe (in French). Paris. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "René Girard". L'Équipe (in French). Paris. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ "Montpellier HSC crowned Champions of France". Frenchfootballweekly.com. 20 May 2012.
- ^ "Ireland are the Montpellier of international football – and other club v country statistics". Thejournal.ie. 23 May 2012.
- ^ "Louis Nicollin: Montpellier here to stay". Sportsmole.co.uk.
- ^ "Rene Girard: 'We deserved it'". Sportsmole.co.uk.
- ^ "Ligue 1: Magnificent Montpellier make history". Thejournal.ie. 21 May 2012.
- ^ "Montpellier Lift Le Championnat With Home Crowd". Frenchfootballweekly.com. 22 May 2012.
- ^ "Lille hires Rene Girard as coach, replacing Garcia". Boston Herald. 15 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ^ "Ligue 1: Lille confirm appointment of Rene Girard as their new coach – TEAMtalk | Football | World | Club News". TEAMtalk. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013.
- ^ "Lille appoint Rene Girard". Sports Mole. 15 June 2013.
- ^ Maroc : René Girard nouvel entraîneur du WAC Archived 2 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, africandailyvoice.com, 1 October 2018
External links
edit
- René Girard at the French Football Federation (in French)
- René Girard – UEFA coaching record (archived)
- Profile at www.pari-et-gagne.com
