Olivier Tébily facts for kids
In Birmingham City colours, 2005
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Olivier Tébily | ||
| Date of birth | 19 December 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.85 metres (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1998 | Niort | 91 | (5) |
| 1998–1999 | Châteauroux | 23 | (1) |
| 1999 | Sheffield United | 8 | (0) |
| 1999–2002 | Celtic | 38 | (0) |
| 2002–2008 | Birmingham City | 83 | (0) |
| 2008 | Toronto FC | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 247 | (6) | |
| National team | |||
| 1999–2004 | Ivory Coast | 18 | (0) |
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Olivier Tébily (born 19 December 1975) is a former professional footballer from the Ivory Coast. He played as a defender. Olivier also has French citizenship. He played 18 games for his home country, the Ivory Coast national team. He played in the top football leagues in four different countries. These included France, Scotland, England, and Canada.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Olivier Tébily was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He grew up in France and became a French citizen. As a child, he was a big fan of the English football club Arsenal.
He started his football journey as a young player at Niort. This club played in Division 2, which is the second-highest league in France. He spent several years there, learning and improving his skills.
Professional Career Highlights
In January 1998, Olivier moved to Châteauroux. This team had just been promoted to Division 1, the top league in France. Even though his team was relegated (moved down a league), his good play caught the eye of others.
The next year, in March 1999, Steve Bruce signed him for the English club Sheffield United. They paid £200,000 for him. His time at Sheffield United was short, but important.
Playing for Celtic
After only seven games for Sheffield United, Kenny Dalglish saw him play. Dalglish soon became the Director of Football at Celtic in Scotland. In June 1999, he quickly brought Tébily to Celtic for £1.25 million. He was the third player signed by manager John Barnes.
Olivier's first game for Celtic was a friendly match against Leeds United. He accidentally scored an own goal in that game. This showed that his performances could sometimes be a bit unpredictable. Because of this, Celtic fans sometimes called him "Bombscare." However, in the very next game against Newcastle United, he scored for his own team and played great defense against star player Alan Shearer.
He played regularly until Christmas. Then, he joined the Ivory Coast national team for the 2000 African Cup of Nations. After the tournament, his return to Celtic was delayed. The team was held in a camp in the Ivory Coast. Authorities said this was to keep the players safe because people were upset they didn't reach the next stage of the competition. FIFA president Sepp Blatter helped them return home.
His next game for Celtic was a big surprise. They lost a Scottish Cup game at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. This loss led to the famous newspaper headline "Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious" and the manager, John Barnes, was fired.
In the 2000–01 season, the new manager Martin O'Neill didn't play him much. But in the next season, he started well. He lost his regular spot when Bobo Baldé became fit again. Still, he played enough games to earn a medal when Celtic won the SPL. He even got a nomination for the 2001 African Footballer of the Year award, which was quite unexpected.
Olivier wanted to play more often. So, on March 22, 2002, he moved to Birmingham City for £700,000. He was reunited with manager Steve Bruce.
Time at Birmingham City
When Olivier joined Birmingham City, they were in the Championship league. Manager Steve Bruce was building a strong team to try and get promoted to the Premier League. Bruce liked Olivier's size, strength, and speed. Olivier also showed great dedication to his team.
A great example of his commitment was in a play-off semifinal game against Millwall. He played in a new position, central midfield. He closely guarded Tim Cahill, a famous player, and helped his team win. He even made a strong tackle after losing his boot! In that season, Olivier's teams (Celtic and Birmingham) never lost a game he played in.
Olivier played regularly in Birmingham's first season in the Premier League. But on December 21, he injured his knee ligaments. He bravely finished the game, but the injury was serious. It kept him out for the rest of the season.
When he returned for the 2003–04 Premier League season, he wasn't always a first-choice player. However, he was very useful because he could play in different defensive positions. This made him a good substitute. His coaches noted that he sometimes struggled with staying focused. To help with this, he even asked the coaches to keep shouting instructions to him during games! He also had laser eye surgery to help with vision problems he had while playing.
In September 2005, he signed a new three-year contract. This showed how valuable he was to the team, even if he wasn't always starting. He helped his team a lot in their fight against relegation (moving down a league). He played his last game for Birmingham in October 2006. His contract ended in January 2008, and he became a free agent.
Short Spell at Toronto FC
After leaving Birmingham, Olivier trained with Major League Soccer team Toronto FC in Canada. He signed with them on April 24, 2008. The coach, John Carver, liked that Olivier could play in different positions in defense.
He played four matches for Toronto FC. But an ankle injury caused problems, and he left the club on July 31, 2008. He wanted to be closer to his family in France.
International Football
Olivier Tébily played for the France national under-21 football team in the 1997 Mediterranean Games. He was sent off in a game against Greece. Later, he played 18 international games for the senior Ivory Coast national team.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Olivier Tébily decided to follow a different dream. He wanted to become the first African wine grower. He now produces his own cognac called Source deux vie. This is a special tribute to his home country.
See also
In Spanish: Olivier Tébily para niños
