Aimé Jacquet
Encyclopedia
Aimé Étienne Jacquet is a French football coach and former player, and manager of the France national football team
when they won the 1998 FIFA World Cup
.
, Loire. He began his career as an amateur player for his local club, US Couzan, while working in a factory. Scouted by Saint-Étienne
, he joined Les Verts in 1959 and signed his first professional contract in 1961. One of the most successful soccer clubs of the time, Saint-Étienne, won an impressive 5 league titles
and 3 French Cups
in his 11 years with the club. He also played for the national side, but his international career failed to take off because Les Bleus performed poorly during his years on the team.
In 1973, he left Saint-Étienne for bitter regional rivals Olympique Lyonnais
, where he ended his career as a player.
during the 1980s, leading them to 3 league titles, 2 French Cups, 2 European semi-finals and 1 quarter-final. Dismissed by President Claude Bez, he left Bordeaux to hone his managerial skills with more modest teams like Montpellier
and Nancy
.
In 1991, he accepted a position with the National Technical Training Centre (Direction Technique Nationale).
In 1992, he was appointed the assistant to then national team manager Gérard Houllier
.
After the French national team was knocked out of the running for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
by Israel
and Bulgaria
, Aimé Jacquet was made the manager of the national team, but only provisionally. After a promising series of friendly matches (notably a victory over Italy in Naples
in February 1994), his provisional status was upgraded to permanent.
Jacquet initially selected Eric Cantona
as captain and made him the team's playmaker. Cantona had successfully restarted his career in the FA Premier League
and was playing some of the best football of his career, but he kicked a Crystal Palace fan in January 1995, which earned him a year-long suspension from all international matches.
As Cantona was the key playmaker, Jacquet was forced to make major changes to the team in the wake of his suspension. Jacquet revamped the squad with some new blood and built it around Zinedine Zidane
and other younger players, while dropping Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin
, and David Ginola
. Jacquet's choice of players for the tournament caused some fans to grit their teeth but he succeeded in helping France qualify for the Euro 96.
Making it all the way to the semi-finals, Les Bleus managed to show they could survive without veterans such as Jean-Pierre Papin
, Eric Cantona
, or David Ginola
. Jacquet himself stated that the team had done well without Cantona, and that he wanted to keep faith with the players who had taken them so far. The team's good showing in Euro 96 meant that Jacquet stayed in the media's good graces, for the time-being.
. Jacquet, taciturn by nature, did not rise to the baiting, preferring to concentrate on helping his team rather than playing the media game.
In June 1997 at Le Tournoi, cries of "Resign!" could be heard from the stadium as the French team finished third behind Brazil
, England
and only beat Italy
by goal difference. The press continued to label Jacquet incompetent.
The media's distrust of Jacquet reached fever pitch in May 1998 when, instead of a list of 22 players meant to play in the World Cup, Jacquet gave a list of 28 players, causing the sports daily L'Équipe
to write an editorial arguing that Jacquet was not the right man to lead the French team to victory.
However, all that changed when the team began to play in the qualifying rounds for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. It was clear that though Jacquet's team was far from being the most flamboyant in French history, it was a perfectly well-oiled machine that neither injury, nor expulsions, nor suspensions, managed to stop. On July 12, 1998, France soundly beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup Final. Key to the victory was when Jacquet pointed out to his players that Brazilian marking at set-pieces was somewhat suspect, and Zidane headed two goals in from corner kicks http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/pwc/ph/1998.html?i=11&d=1.
The evening of the victory, Jacquet announced that he was leaving his position as manager of the French first team. He instead became technical director of French football, a position which he held until his retirement in 2006. The position was until recently held by Gerard Houllier
, before he took the Managerial position at Premier League club Aston Villa
.
|1960/61||rowspan="13"|Saint-Étienne
||rowspan="2"|Division 1
||2||0||||||||||||
|-
|1961/62||0||0||||||||||||
|-
|1962/63||Division 2
||2||1||||||||||||
|-
|1963/64||rowspan="10"|Division 1
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|-
|1964/65||3||0||||||||||||
|-
|1965/66||27||2||||||||||||
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|1966/67||36||5||||||||||||
|-
|1967/68||35||3||||||||||||
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|1968/69||31||3||||||||||||
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|1969/70||23||4||||||||||||
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|1970/71||0||0||||||||||||
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|1971/72||2||1||||||||||||
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|1972/73||29||3||||||||||||
|-
|1973/74||rowspan="2"|Olympique Lyonnais
||rowspan="2"|Division 1
||15||2||||||||||||
|-
|1974/75||7||0||||||||||||
214||24||||||||||||
214||24||||||||||||
|}
|-
|1968||2||0
|-
!Total||2||0
|}
in 1998 and was promoted to Officier (Officer) in 2007
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
when they won the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
.
Biography
Aimé Jacquet was born in Sail-sous-CouzanSail-sous-Couzan
Sail-sous-Couzan is a commune in the Loire department in central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire department...
, Loire. He began his career as an amateur player for his local club, US Couzan, while working in a factory. Scouted by Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
, he joined Les Verts in 1959 and signed his first professional contract in 1961. One of the most successful soccer clubs of the time, Saint-Étienne, won an impressive 5 league titles
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
and 3 French Cups
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
in his 11 years with the club. He also played for the national side, but his international career failed to take off because Les Bleus performed poorly during his years on the team.
In 1973, he left Saint-Étienne for bitter regional rivals Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
, where he ended his career as a player.
A "provisional" manager
Jacquet worked as a manager for clubs around France and gained an impressive list of accolades for BordeauxFC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
during the 1980s, leading them to 3 league titles, 2 French Cups, 2 European semi-finals and 1 quarter-final. Dismissed by President Claude Bez, he left Bordeaux to hone his managerial skills with more modest teams like Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
and Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
.
In 1991, he accepted a position with the National Technical Training Centre (Direction Technique Nationale).
In 1992, he was appointed the assistant to then national team manager Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
.
After the French national team was knocked out of the running for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
by Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
, Aimé Jacquet was made the manager of the national team, but only provisionally. After a promising series of friendly matches (notably a victory over Italy in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in February 1994), his provisional status was upgraded to permanent.
Jacquet initially selected Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
as captain and made him the team's playmaker. Cantona had successfully restarted his career in the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
and was playing some of the best football of his career, but he kicked a Crystal Palace fan in January 1995, which earned him a year-long suspension from all international matches.
As Cantona was the key playmaker, Jacquet was forced to make major changes to the team in the wake of his suspension. Jacquet revamped the squad with some new blood and built it around Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
and other younger players, while dropping Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992...
, and David Ginola
David Ginola
David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...
. Jacquet's choice of players for the tournament caused some fans to grit their teeth but he succeeded in helping France qualify for the Euro 96.
Making it all the way to the semi-finals, Les Bleus managed to show they could survive without veterans such as Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992...
, Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
, or David Ginola
David Ginola
David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...
. Jacquet himself stated that the team had done well without Cantona, and that he wanted to keep faith with the players who had taken them so far. The team's good showing in Euro 96 meant that Jacquet stayed in the media's good graces, for the time-being.
From doubt to victory
In the months that followed the Euro 96, Jacquet honed his team's skills in a series of friendly matches. He adopted a very defensive strategy and made fans anxious because his team never seemed to develop a definitive offensive tactic. The press began to attack the team manager, calling his methods "paleolithic" and claiming that the team had no hope for the World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. Jacquet, taciturn by nature, did not rise to the baiting, preferring to concentrate on helping his team rather than playing the media game.
In June 1997 at Le Tournoi, cries of "Resign!" could be heard from the stadium as the French team finished third behind Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and only beat Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
by goal difference. The press continued to label Jacquet incompetent.
The media's distrust of Jacquet reached fever pitch in May 1998 when, instead of a list of 22 players meant to play in the World Cup, Jacquet gave a list of 28 players, causing the sports daily L'Équipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
to write an editorial arguing that Jacquet was not the right man to lead the French team to victory.
However, all that changed when the team began to play in the qualifying rounds for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. It was clear that though Jacquet's team was far from being the most flamboyant in French history, it was a perfectly well-oiled machine that neither injury, nor expulsions, nor suspensions, managed to stop. On July 12, 1998, France soundly beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup Final. Key to the victory was when Jacquet pointed out to his players that Brazilian marking at set-pieces was somewhat suspect, and Zidane headed two goals in from corner kicks http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/pwc/ph/1998.html?i=11&d=1.
The evening of the victory, Jacquet announced that he was leaving his position as manager of the French first team. He instead became technical director of French football, a position which he held until his retirement in 2006. The position was until recently held by Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
, before he took the Managerial position at Premier League club Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
Statistics
|-|1960/61||rowspan="13"|Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
||rowspan="2"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||2||0||||||||||||
|-
|1961/62||0||0||||||||||||
|-
|1962/63||Division 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
||2||1||||||||||||
|-
|1963/64||rowspan="10"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||2||0||||||||||||
|-
|1964/65||3||0||||||||||||
|-
|1965/66||27||2||||||||||||
|-
|1966/67||36||5||||||||||||
|-
|1967/68||35||3||||||||||||
|-
|1968/69||31||3||||||||||||
|-
|1969/70||23||4||||||||||||
|-
|1970/71||0||0||||||||||||
|-
|1971/72||2||1||||||||||||
|-
|1972/73||29||3||||||||||||
|-
|1973/74||rowspan="2"|Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
||rowspan="2"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||15||2||||||||||||
|-
|1974/75||7||0||||||||||||
214||24||||||||||||
214||24||||||||||||
|}
|-
|1968||2||0
|-
!Total||2||0
|}
Honours
- French League Champion in 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970
- French Cup Champion in 1962, 1968, 1970
- Two international appearances in 1968
Teams
- Olympique LyonnaisOlympique LyonnaisOlympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
: 1976 to 1980 - Girondins de Bordeaux: 1980 to 1989
- Montpellier HSCMontpellier HSCMontpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
: 1989-1990 - AS Nancy-Lorraine: 1990-1991
- France: 1993 to 1998
Titles
- French League Champion in 1984, 1985, 1987
- French Cup Champion in 1986 and 1987
- World Champion in 1998
Awards
Aimé Jacquet was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1998 and was promoted to Officier (Officer) in 2007