Olivier Dacourt facts for kids
Dacourt in 2005
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Olivier Yohan Dacourt | ||
| Date of birth | 25 September 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Montreuil, France | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1991 | Aulnay-sous-Bois | ||
| 1991–1992 | Strasbourg | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1998 | Strasbourg | 127 | (4) |
| 1998–1999 | Everton | 30 | (2) |
| 1999–2000 | Lens | 26 | (1) |
| 2000–2003 | Leeds United | 57 | (3) |
| 2003 | → Roma (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2003–2006 | Roma | 76 | (2) |
| 2006–2009 | Inter Milan | 34 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Fulham (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Standard Liège | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 385 | (12) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001–2004 | France | 21 | (1) |
|
|||
Olivier Yohan Dacourt (born 25 September 1974) is a French former professional football player. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both defend and attack. Olivier also played for the French national team. He is most famous for his time playing for English club Leeds United and Italian clubs Roma and Inter Milan.
Contents
Club Career: Olivier Dacourt's Football Journey
Starting Out: Early Club Days
Olivier Dacourt was born in Montreuil, France. He started his professional football career with Strasbourg. His first game in France's top league, then called Division 1 (now Ligue 1), was on 20 March 1993. Strasbourg lost that game 2–0. He scored his first goal for Strasbourg in May 1997.
In 1998, Olivier moved to England to play for Everton. His first game in the Premier League was a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa. He scored his first goal for Everton in a League Cup match in September 1998. Fans at Everton really liked him. However, after one season, he decided he wanted to leave the club.
After leaving Everton, Dacourt went back to France to play for RC Lens. He played very well there, which led to a big move back to England.
Playing for Leeds United: A Key Player
In 2000, Olivier Dacourt joined Leeds United for a large transfer fee. He quickly became a fan favorite because of his tough and skillful way of playing. During his time at Leeds, the team did very well. They reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, which is a huge competition for European clubs. They also finished in the top four of the Premier League.
Olivier was a regular player in the middle of the field for Leeds. He often played alongside David Batty. His great performances at Leeds also helped him become a regular player for the French national team.
However, things changed when the manager, David O'Leary, was replaced by Terry Venables. The new manager did not play Dacourt as much. Olivier and Venables had a public disagreement. Because Leeds United was having financial problems, Dacourt was loaned out to Roma in Italy. Even though Venables was later replaced by Peter Reid, Dacourt's loan move to Roma became permanent. Olivier once said he would like to return to Leeds in the future.
Time in Italy: Roma and Inter Milan
Olivier Dacourt first joined Roma on a loan deal in 2003. Later that year, Roma decided to buy him permanently. He signed a three-year contract with the club. In 2006, Roma lost the Coppa Italia final to Inter Milan. After this, Dacourt moved to Inter Milan on a two-year contract.
At Inter Milan, Olivier was first signed as a backup player. But he became a very important player for the team, especially when other players like Patrick Vieira got injured. He helped Inter Milan win the league title.
In December 2007, Olivier suffered a serious injury to his left knee. He tore a ligament and damaged two others. This meant he was out for most of the 2007–08 season. After recovering from his injury, he did not play as often for Inter Milan. The new manager, José Mourinho, did not include him in his main plans.
Final Clubs: Fulham and Standard Liège
In February 2009, Olivier Dacourt joined English club Fulham on loan. He was signed by manager Roy Hodgson. However, he mostly came on as a substitute because Fulham's midfield was playing very well. He also had some small injuries. His move to Fulham was not made permanent, and he returned to Inter Milan briefly before his contract ended.
On 23 September 2009, Dacourt signed a one-year contract with Standard Liège in Belgium. He was brought in to help the team because another key player, Steven Defour, was injured. In February 2010, Standard Liège ended his contract.
International Career: Playing for France
Olivier Dacourt played for the French national team. He represented France at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
After playing well for Leeds United, he made his first appearance for the senior national team in 2001. This was against South Korea in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. France won that game 5–0 and went on to win the whole tournament. He was also part of the French team that won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and played in the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament.
International Goals: Olivier Dacourt for France
Olivier Dacourt scored one goal for the French national team:
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2003 | Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia |  Slovenia |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
Personal Life: Beyond the Pitch
Olivier Dacourt is related to another football player, Norman Sylla. Norman Sylla is his brother-in-law.
Images for kids
-
Dacourt in 2005
