Grégory Coupet

Grégory Coupet is a Football or French born the December 31st 1972 with the Puy-en-Velay which evolves/moves at the station of goalkeeper.

Biography

Formed with the ACE Saint-Etienne, it quickly begins the season 1995-96 like third guard then évince Robin Huc and Gilbert Ceccarelli. Its club being in quasi-bankruptcy, it is sold with the Olympique Lyonese at the time of the Mercato of winter 1996-97 against the defender Jean-Luc Sassus and a certain amount of money.

Holder as of his arrival with the Olympic Lyonese, Grégory Coupet grows with his club and progresses in the course of the years thanks to the international ex-guard Joel Bats and to his drives specific to the goalkeepers.

He becomes thus champion of France in 2002 after having known 3 successive podiums (3° in 1999 and 2000,2° in 2001) and makes his beginnings in the League of the Champions, most prestigious of the cuts of Europe of the clubs. Connecting the good services within the OL, it becomes logically international in team of France in 2001, before returning there regularly as from 2002, but as a third guard, after the titular guard Fabien Barthez, untouchable with this station, and Ulrich Ramé.

But the hierarchy of the guards in team of France east called into in February 2005 question with the not very glorious business of the " crachat" of Fabien Barthez (at the time of a match " amical" Wydad-OM, in Morocco, Barthez spit on the referee of the meeting). Suspended six months of all competitions, Barthez leaves the free track to Grégory Coupet which achieves more and more the unanimity with its club. Champion of France fourth once of row at the end of season 2004/2005, Coupet takes over temporarily the duties.

Grégory starts season 2005/2006 on the same bases, it offers to the observers of many exceptional stops, impresses the journalists, reaching the statute of " guard of world class, one of the very best gatekeepers of Europe and Monde". The suspension of fascinating Barthez end, the delicate question of the hierarchy of the goalkeepers in team of France is raised. Through the media, Coupet requires of the selector Raymond Domenech to reconsider it and affirms its desire for passing from the statute of n°2 (or n°1 (a) as it will be often seen written, titular temporary during the suspension of its partner) to that of n°1. Begin a media campaign then dividing France, seeing each one deciding in favor of Barthez or Coupet for the World cup 2006 in Germany. In the magazine televised Téléfoot, he will announce that " the hiérachie is made to be boulversée."

Domenech prefers not to decide during the season, alternating establishments between the two gatekeepers, and waits May 2006, that is to say one month before the beginning of the world cup, to announce its decision: Barthez will be titular in Germany, in spite of the media countryside pro Coupet. Grégory will have had the bad luck to belong to the same generation as Barthez, one of the best guards of the history of French football. Meanwhile, Coupet gained a 5°Championnat France, and is elected for the nth time goalkeeper of the standard team of the season at the time of the trophies UNFP.

Coupet will react rather badly to this not-establishment, and will live a painful personal capacity World cup, as he will tell it thereafter with " the Magazine" Team;. Indeed, at the time of the training course with Tignes with the team of France to prepare the world appointment, Coupet cracks and leaves before returning a few hours later. Reason of this stroke: new a " passes-droit" for its direct competitor in the station, Barthez seeing itself offering the right not to take part in the rise of a collar, obligatory for all the other players. The feeling of injustice invades Grégory but it charms and will live finally the World cup since the bench of the substitutes.

It obtains a sixth championship of France with Lyon, at the time of season 2006/2007, while the team is eliminated in league from the champions by the ACE Roma, without to have reached the quarterfinals. Now that the way is free (Barthez having announced its retirement on October 5th, 2006), Coupet hopes well to be affirmed as a n°1 in team of France. Against Georgia (3-0) and Italy (3-1), in eliminating heat of the Euro 2008, it is titular. In December 2006, Barthez announces its return, with the FC Nantes Atlantique. The journalists footballistic trépignent then with the idea of a new competition in team of France between two gatekeepers of world class.

Coupet signs a prolongation of contract with the OL in June 2007, which binds it from now on to the club until 2010. August 2nd, 2007, it is wounded with the ligaments crossed with the drive. He is then declared far away from the grounds for at least 4 months. It is Rémy Vercoutre which replaces it in the Lyons cages. (See: League 1 - Coupet, the hard blow). In team of France it is Landreau which takes its place temporarily.

Since November 22nd, 2007, Grégory Coupet with taken again the collective drive and hopes to integrate the group which will go in displacement to Glasgow; December 12th, 2007, at the time of the last day of League of the Champions. But its participation remains very dubious.

Statistics

Prize list

In Team of France: (27 selections)

* World cup: 6 matches of qualif.

* Finalist of the Football world cup 2006

* Cut of Europe: 3 matches of qualif.
* Cut of the Confederations: 3 matches of qualif.

*Vainquor of the Cut of the Confederations: 2001 and 2003 (France).

* Friendly matches: 9 matches of qualif

In club:

* Champion of France: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 ().

*Vainquor of the Cut of the League: 2001 ().

*Vainquor of the Trophy of the Champions: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 ().

*Meillor guard of the championship of France: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 ().