Grégory Coupet facts for kids
Coupet in 2007
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 31 December 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Le Puy-en-Velay, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Bordeaux (goalkeeping coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympique Le Puy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | Saint-Étienne | 88 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2008 | Lyon | 370 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Atlético Madrid | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Paris Saint-Germain | 31 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 495 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2008 | France | 34 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Lyon B (goalkeeping coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Lyon (goalkeeping coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Dijon (goalkeeping coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Bordeaux (goalkeeping coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Grégory Coupet, born on December 31, 1972, is a famous French former football player. He was a talented goalkeeper. Grégory is best known for playing many years with the Lyon team. With Lyon, he helped them win seven Ligue 1 titles. He also played for other big clubs like Saint-Étienne, Atlético Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain. Grégory also proudly represented the French national team.
Contents
Grégory Coupet's Club Football Journey
Grégory Coupet started his football career with his local team, Club Olympique Le Puy. He became a professional player with Saint-Étienne in 1994. His first game in Ligue 1 was on March 26, 1994, where his team won 2–0 against Angers.
After three seasons, he made a big move to Lyon in January 1997. This was a surprise because Saint-Étienne and Lyon are big rivals. This move turned out to be a great decision for him. Lyon became a very strong team, winning the French league, Le Championnat, many times since 2002. They also played regularly in the UEFA Champions League.
Amazing Saves and Emotional Moments
Grégory Coupet was known for his incredible saves. One of his most famous moments was a double save against Barcelona in a 2001–02 UEFA Champions League match. First, he used his head to acrobatically stop a ball from his own teammate, sending it onto the crossbar. Then, he quickly blocked a close shot from a Barcelona striker.
In 2003, during a 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final match, Grégory became very emotional. This game happened just hours after his close friend and former Lyon teammate, Marc-Vivien Foé, sadly passed away. Grégory has said that this sad event helped him see life differently. It also helped him sort out disagreements he had with Lyon about his contract.
In 2005, at 33 years old, Grégory was voted among the top 10 goalkeepers in the world. He finished fourth in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award. He was also named the best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 twice, in 2004 and 2005.
Injuries and New Teams
On August 2, 2007, Grégory Coupet got a serious knee injury during a training session. He had surgery and missed the rest of 2007. This included important games for France to qualify for Euro 2008. He returned to play in January 2008.
On July 18, 2008, Grégory moved to Atlético Madrid in Spain. In 2009, he joined Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he finished his playing career in 2011. In his last big game, the 2011 Coupe de France Final against Lille OSC, he saved a penalty. However, his team still lost the match 1–0.
Grégory Coupet's International Career with France
Grégory Coupet played 34 games for the French national team. He made his first international appearance against Australia in 2001. This was during France's winning campaign in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.
He was part of the French squad for the 2002 World Cup, but he was a backup player and did not get to play. The next year, in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Grégory played very well. He did not let in many goals, helping France win the competition for the second time.
World Cup Decisions and Euro 2008
Before the 2006 World Cup, many people thought Grégory should be France's main goalkeeper. He had been playing amazingly for Lyon. However, the coach, Raymond Domenech, chose another goalkeeper, Fabien Barthez, as the starter. This decision caused some disagreement between Grégory and the coach. Even though he left the training camp for a short time, he later returned and made up with the coach.
After Fabien Barthez retired in August 2006, Grégory Coupet became France's number one goalkeeper. He played in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2008. He was the main goalkeeper for the Euro 2008 tournament itself. However, France was eliminated in the group stage.
For the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, younger goalkeepers like Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda were chosen more often. Grégory was not selected for the final 2010 World Cup squad.
On July 1, 2010, Grégory Coupet announced he was retiring from international football. He felt it was time for younger players to take over.
Coaching Career After Playing
After retiring from playing football in 2011, Grégory Coupet worked as a sports expert for radio and TV channels. In July 2016, he returned to Lyon as a goalkeeper coach for their B-team. Later, in November 2017, he became the goalkeeping coach for Lyon's main team.
In May 2020, Grégory left Lyon and joined Dijon FCO as their goalkeeping coach. Then, on January 17, 2022, he moved to FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he continues to work as a goalkeeping coach.
Honours and Achievements
Grégory Coupet won many awards and titles during his career.
With Lyon
- Division/Ligue 1: Seven times (2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08)
- Coupe de France: 2007–08
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2000–01
- Trophée des Champions: Five times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1997
With Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de France: 2009–10
With France National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001, 2003
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2006 (France finished second)
Individual Awards
- Toulon Tournament Best Goalkeeper: 1994
- Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year: Four times (2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06)
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: Four times (2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06)
- ESM Team of the Year: 2006–07
See also
In Spanish: Grégory Coupet para niños
