Jacques Santini facts for kids
![]() Santini with Saint-Étienne in 1974
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Jacques Jean Claude Santini | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 25 April 1952 | |||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Delle, France | |||||||||||||||
Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
1964–1969 | Fesches | |||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
1969–1981 | Saint-Étienne | 324 | (50) | |||||||||||||
1981–1983 | Montpellier | 43 | (4) | |||||||||||||
1983–1985 | Lisieux (fr) | |||||||||||||||
Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
1983–1985 | Lisieux (fr) | |||||||||||||||
1985–1989 | Toulouse | |||||||||||||||
1989–1992 | Lille | |||||||||||||||
1992–1994 | Saint-Étienne | |||||||||||||||
1994–1995 | Sochaux | |||||||||||||||
2000–2002 | Lyon | |||||||||||||||
2002–2004 | France | |||||||||||||||
2004 | Tottenham Hotspur | |||||||||||||||
2005–2006 | Auxerre | |||||||||||||||
Honours
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Jacques Jean Claude Santini (born 25 April 1952) is a French former professional footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Saint-Étienne in the 1970s. With Saint-Étienne, he reached the final of the European Cup (a big football tournament) in 1976. Later, he became a manager, coaching the French national team and other famous clubs like Lyon.
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Jacques Santini's Coaching Career

Jacques Santini is known as one of France's most successful football managers. He played a key role in making Lyon a top football club in France. From 1997 to 2000, he worked as the Sports Director, helping to build a strong foundation for the team.
Success with Lyon
As the manager of Lyon from 2000 to 2002, Santini led the team to great victories. In 2001, they won the French League Cup. The next year, in 2002, he guided Lyon to win the French Championship. This was a major achievement for the club.
Because of his success, Santini was named "The best French coach" in 2002 by France Football magazine. In 2003, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) also recognized him as the "World's The Best National Coach of the Year."
Managing the French National Team
In 2002, Santini became the manager of the French national team, taking over from Roger Lemerre. Under his leadership, France won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. This was a big international tournament.
However, before the Euro 2004 tournament, Santini announced he would leave his role. At Euro 2004, France surprisingly lost to Greece in the quarter-finals. Greece went on to win the championship.
Time in England and Later Roles
After Euro 2004, Santini moved to England to manage Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. However, he left the club after only 13 games. Officially, he said he left due to personal reasons. But many reports suggested there were disagreements within the club.
In 2005, Santini explained that he felt some agreements with the club were not kept. He also admitted that joining the club before Euro 2004 ended might have been a mistake.
Later, in 2005, he became the head coach of AJ Auxerre in France. He left Auxerre in 2006 due to disagreements with the club's vice-president. In 2008, he was offered a job to manage a Scottish club called Hearts, but he decided not to take it.
Jacques Santini's Coaching Records
Here is a summary of Jacques Santini's coaching record for some of the teams he managed:
Team | Country | From | To | Record | ||||
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Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win % | ||||
Lyon | France | 1 July 2000 | 31 May 2002 | 106 | 55 | 27 | 24 | 51.88 |
France | 21 July 2002 | 1 July 2004 | 28 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 78.57 | |
Tottenham Hotspur | England | 3 June 2004 | 5 November 2004 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 38.46 |
Total | 147 | 82 | 33 | 32 | 55.78 |
Honours and Achievements
Jacques Santini achieved many honours both as a player and as a manager.
As a Player
With Saint-Étienne
- French League (Division 1):
- 1969–70
- 1973–74
- 1974–75
- 1975–76
- 1980–81
- French Cup (Coupe de France):
- 1969–70
- 1973–74
- 1974–75
- 1976–77
As a Manager
With Lyon
- French League (Division 1):
- 2001–02
- French League Cup (Coupe de la Ligue):
- 2000–01
With France National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup:
- 2003
See also
In Spanish: Jacques Santini para niños