René Girard (footballer)

René Girard
Personal information
Full name René Girard
Date of birth (1954-04-04) 4 April 1954
Place of birth Vauvert, France
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position 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)
National team
1981–1982 France 7 (1)
Teams managed
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

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


René Girard (born 4 April 1954 in Vauvert, Gard) is a French football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Nantes, replacing the departing Michel Der Zakarian.

Career

Girard won seven caps, scoring one goal for France and was a member of the squad that finished fourth at the 1982 World Cup. 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.

Coaching career

Girard has managed Nîmes, Strasbourg, Pau FC and multiple France youth teams. He coached the France national under-21 football team from 2004–08. On 3 June 2009, he became the new head coach of Montpellier, 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.[1][2][3] "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."[4][5][6] He signed for Lille in July 2013, replacing Rudi Garcia who left for Roma.[7][8][9]

Honours

Player

Bordeaux

Manager

Montpellier

References

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