Yoann Gourcuff facts for kids
Gourcuff with Rennes in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yoann Miguel Gourcuff | ||
| Date of birth | 11 July 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Ploemeur, France | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–2001 | Lorient | ||
| 2001–2003 | Rennes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2006 | Rennes | 66 | (6) |
| 2006–2009 | AC Milan | 36 | (2) |
| 2008–2009 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 37 | (12) |
| 2009–2010 | Bordeaux | 32 | (6) |
| 2010–2015 | Lyon | 90 | (14) |
| 2015–2018 | Rennes | 49 | (7) |
| 2018–2019 | Dijon | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 318 | (47) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | France U19 | 17 | (7) |
| 2006–2008 | France U21 | 18 | (4) |
| 2008–2013 | France | 31 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff (born on July 11, 1986) is a French former professional footballer. He mostly played as an attacking midfielder, a player who helps both defense and attack. He was known for being a "playmaker" and a great passer. Many people thought he was one of the most promising young French talents of his time. His skills and playing style were often compared to the legendary Zinedine Zidane.
Yoann Gourcuff is the son of Christian Gourcuff, who was also a famous football player and manager. In 2001, Yoann joined Rennes, just like his father. He quickly became a favorite among fans. His great performances caught the eye of bigger clubs, and he moved to the Italian club AC Milan.
Even though he didn't always start games at Milan, he helped the team win many important titles. Later, he was loaned to the French club Bordeaux. He had a fantastic season there, helping Bordeaux win both the league and the league cup. He also won several individual awards, like the Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2009.
In August 2010, he joined Lyon. His time at Lyon was often affected by injuries. In 2015, he returned to his old club Rennes. He played there for three seasons before joining Dijon, which was the last club of his career. He left Dijon in January 2019, and his father confirmed his retirement from football in October 2020.
Gourcuff also played for the French national team, earning 31 caps (appearances). Before playing for the senior team, he was part of the under-19 team that won the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He made his debut for the senior national team in August 2008 and scored his first international goal two months later against Romania. He played in his first major tournament for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Yoann's Early Life and Family
Yoann Gourcuff was born in Ploemeur, a town in Brittany, France. His parents are Dr. Marine Thalouarn and Christian Gourcuff. Both of his parents are from Brittany. Yoann comes from a very athletic family. His mother was a basketball player, and his older brother, Erwan, is a competitive swimmer and cyclist. His father, Christian, was a professional footballer who played for several clubs in France, Switzerland, and Canada. Christian Gourcuff later became a well-known football manager.
When Yoann was young, he was very good at both football and tennis. He was even the top tennis player for his age group (12 years old). However, he decided to focus on football. As he started his football career, Gourcuff looked up to the Brazilian national team from the 1970s. He watched old tapes with his father and tried to play like the famous Brazilian legend Pelé.
Yoann's Club Football Journey
Starting at Rennes
Gourcuff began his football journey in 1992 at Lorient, where his father, Christian, was the manager. During this time, he also trained at a special regional academy called PEF Ploufragan.
In 2001, he followed his father to Stade Rennais and joined their youth academy. He spent two years there and helped the club's under-19 team win the Coupe Gambardella in 2003. This is a big youth cup in France. Gourcuff even scored the first goal in the final match, where Rennes beat Strasbourg 4–1. Future teammates Jimmy Briand and Sylvain Marveaux were also on that winning team.
For the 2003–04 season, Gourcuff moved up to the club's reserve team. He played 15 matches and scored two goals. In November 2003, he signed his first professional contract and joined the senior team. He made his professional debut on January 25, 2004, in a Coupe de France match. His first league game was on February 7.
In the 2005–06 season, Gourcuff was given the number 10 shirt and became a regular starter. He played in 42 matches and scored six goals. He also made his European debut in the UEFA Cup. On September 18, he scored his first professional goal against Monaco. He continued to score important goals throughout the season, helping Rennes finish 7th in the league. He ended his first period at Rennes with 80 appearances, six goals, and nine assists.
Time at AC Milan
After his successful season, many big European clubs were interested in Gourcuff. He decided to join the Italian club AC Milan in 2006, signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee was about €4.58 million.
He made his debut for Milan on August 9, 2006, in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match. In his next Champions League game, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win against AEK Athens. He made his Serie A (Italian league) debut on September 20. Milan won the Champions League that season, and Gourcuff earned a winner's medal for being part of the team.
In the 2007–08 Serie A season, Gourcuff found it hard to get playing time. He was competing with the famous Brazilian player Kaká. He played in 15 league matches and scored one goal. Milan's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, even questioned Gourcuff's attitude.
After this season, Milan decided to loan Gourcuff to the French club Bordeaux for the 2008–09 season. Later, in 2010, former Milan captain Paolo Maldini said that Gourcuff lacked discipline at the club. However, Gourcuff's father and his club president at Bordeaux defended him, saying he was a team player and worked hard.
Success at Bordeaux
At Bordeaux, Gourcuff quickly became a key player for the 2008–09 season. He scored in his first league game against Caen. He also helped Bordeaux win the 2008 Trophée des Champions title. He scored Bordeaux's fourth goal in their 4–0 win over Vannes in the Coupe de la Ligue final.
He scored two goals in Bordeaux's Champions League games. On January 11, 2009, Gourcuff scored an amazing goal against Paris Saint-Germain that was voted the "goal of the season" by fans. He used incredible skill, including a "Marseille turn" and an "elastico," to get past defenders before scoring.
Gourcuff continued his great form, scoring against Nantes and Lille. He scored his first two goals in one game against his former club Rennes. Bordeaux went on to win the league title, their sixth in club history. They also won the league and league cup double. For his excellent performances, Gourcuff was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year. He was also nominated for the 2009 Ballon d'Or award.
Because of his impressive season, Bordeaux decided to sign Gourcuff permanently from Milan for €13.6 million. He agreed to a four-year deal.
Gourcuff started the 2009–10 season by winning his fourth trophy with Bordeaux, the 2009 Trophée des Champions. He scored two goals in the club's first league match against Lens. He also scored two more goals against Nice.
In the UEFA Champions League, Gourcuff helped Bordeaux finish the group stage without losing a single game. He scored a winning goal against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. In December 2009, he was named the French Player of the Year by France Football magazine.
In February 2010, Gourcuff helped Bordeaux reach the Champions League quarter-finals. However, he suffered a groin injury in April, which made him miss the final five league matches. This meant Bordeaux did not qualify for European competitions the next season.
In August 2010, Gourcuff told Bordeaux that he wanted to join Lyon. He played his final match for Bordeaux as a substitute, helping them score a winning goal.
Moving to Lyon
On August 23, 2010, Lyon announced they had agreed to sign Gourcuff. He signed a five-year contract for €22 million. He made his debut for Lyon on August 28. On October 17, he scored his first goal for Lyon in a 3–1 win over Lille. He also scored in the Champions League against Benfica.
In February 2011, Gourcuff admitted he was "disappointed and frustrated" with his performances at Lyon. He felt he needed to contribute more to the attack. He scored his third goal for Lyon on February 18. His season ended early in May due to an injury. He finished his first season at Lyon with 36 appearances, four goals, and five assists.
Gourcuff continued to struggle with injuries during his time at Lyon. He missed over 90 games because of various injuries while playing for the club.
Back to Rennes
Yoann Gourcuff returned to his former club Rennes in September 2015, signing a one-year deal. His first game back was in January 2016. Unfortunately, he was injured again in that game by one of his own teammates, which kept him out for another month.
He returned in February and started playing more regularly. His manager said he was getting better each week. On March 18, 2016, Gourcuff scored two goals in a 5–2 win against Marseille. These were his first goals for Rennes in exactly ten years! In June 2018, after playing only 10 league matches the season before, Gourcuff left Rennes.
Final Club: Dijon
In July 2018, Gourcuff signed a one-year contract with Dijon. He made his debut for the club on August 11, 2018. However, he only made eight appearances for Dijon. On January 23, 2019, his contract was ended by agreement after he suffered another muscle injury.
In October 2020, Yoann's father, Christian, confirmed that Yoann had officially retired from playing professional football.
Playing for France
Youth National Teams
Gourcuff played for France at different youth levels. He first played for the under-17 team in September 2002. He scored his first goal for them in February 2003.
He then played for the under-19 team and was part of the team that won the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He scored goals in the qualifying rounds and even scored three goals in one game against Norway during the tournament. He also helped set up two goals in the semi-final against Germany. France won the final match against England 3–1, giving Gourcuff his first international title. He played 17 matches and scored seven goals for the under-19 team.
Gourcuff made his debut for the under-21 team in May 2006. He was the youngest player on the team for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played in all four matches as France reached the semi-finals. He scored his first under-21 goal in September 2006. He even captained the under-21 team once. His under-21 career ended when France failed to qualify for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Senior National Team
Gourcuff was first called up to the senior French national team on August 11, 2008. He made his debut on August 20 in a friendly match against Sweden. He scored his first goal for France on October 11, 2008, against Romania in a World Cup qualifying match. It was a fantastic shot from almost 30 yards away that tied the game 2–2.
After this, manager Raymond Domenech often played Gourcuff as an attacking midfielder, a role that had been open since Zinedine Zidane retired in 2006.
Gourcuff was part of France's team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut on June 11, 2010, in the team's first group stage match against Uruguay. The game ended 0–0. In France's final group stage match against South Africa, Gourcuff was sent off (given a red card) in the first half. France lost the match 2–1 and was eliminated from the competition.
Because of his red card, Gourcuff missed some national team games. In October 2010, he was called back to the team by his former Bordeaux manager, Laurent Blanc. He scored a goal against Romania and another against Luxembourg in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches.
Gourcuff was not chosen for France's squad for UEFA Euro 2012. He was recalled to the national team in November 2012 by new coach Didier Deschamps for a friendly match against Italy.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rennes | 2003–04 | Ligue 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 47 | 6 | ||
| Total | 66 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 6 | ||
| AC Milan | 2006–07 | Serie A | 21 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | — | 34 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | Serie A | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 3 | |||
| Bordeaux (loan) | 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 15 |
| Bordeaux | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 9 |
| 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 32 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 9 | ||
| Lyon | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 33 | 4 | |
| 2011–12 | Ligue 1 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Ligue 1 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 4 | |
| 2013–14 | Ligue 1 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | 30 | 6 | ||
| 2014–15 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 3 | ||
| Total | 90 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 128 | 19 | ||
| Rennes | 2015–16 | Ligue 1 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 4 | |||
| 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 49 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 7 | ||
| Dijon | 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 318 | 47 | 23 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 55 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 427 | 59 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2008 | 6 | 1 |
| 2009 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gourcuff goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 2008 | Stadionul Farul, Constanța, Romania |  Romania |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 9 October 2010 | Stade de France, Paris, France | Romania |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 3 | 12 October 2010 | Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz, France |  Luxembourg |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 4 | 25 March 2011 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
Awards and Achievements
AC Milan
- UEFA Champions League: 2006–07 (Europe's top club competition)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2007 (World club championship)
Bordeaux
- Ligue 1: 2008–09 (French league champions)
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2008–09 (French League Cup)
- Trophée des Champions: 2008, 2009 (French Super Cup)
Lyon
- Coupe de France: 2011–12 (French Cup)
- Trophée des Champions: 2012
France U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2005 (European youth championship)
Individual Awards
- Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2006, April 2009
- Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2008–09 (Best player in the French league)
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2008–09, 2009–10 (Chosen as one of the best players in the league)
- Ligue 1 Goal of the Year: 2008–09 (Best goal scored in the French league)
- French Player of the Year: 2009 (Best French player)
See also
In Spanish: Yoann Gourcuff para niños
