Mickaël Landreau
Encyclopedia
Mickaël Vincent André-Marie Landreau (born May 14, 1979 in Machecoul
) is a French
professional football goalkeeper, who currently plays for French Ligue 1
side Lille OSC
. He has 11 caps
for the French national team
.
in 1996. Since 1996, he remained a mainstay in the Nantes starting line-up, and consistently produced excellent performances. He was selected to represent the France youth national team at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Having won two consecutive French Cup
trophies in 1999 and 2000, Landreau and Nantes were crowned 2001 Ligue 1 champions. In the semi-final of the 2004 French Cup, Landreau produced several saves, but to no avail as the team could not score and were eliminated from the competition. At the end of the 2005–06 Ligue 1 season, Landreau's contract with Nantes was set to expire. He gave a press conference and announced that after thirteen years, he would leave FC Nantes to meet new challenges in a more important team. He then joined Paris Saint-Germain
on a free transfer, signing a four-years contract on 15 May 2006. Five days after signing for Lille, he suffered a massive blow by damaging cruciate ligaments during a training session which will keep him out of action for around six-months.
by French national team manager Raymond Domenech
. He wore the number 1 shirt for France at the tournament, despite being third-choice keeper behind Fabien Barthez
and Grégory Coupet
. Landreau later became the second choice behind Coupet even though Barthez, who had retired after the World Cup, returned to professional football in December 2006. Landreau was surprisingly not named to the French squad for Euro 2008, with Steve Mandanda
and Sébastien Frey
being named ahead of him. Hugo Lloris
has since emerged as the country's first-choice goaltender.
Paris Saint-Germain
Lille
Machecoul
Machecoul is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.Its 5,732 inhabitants are called Machecoulais.-Geography:The commune of Machecoul is surrounded by the following communes:...
) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
professional football goalkeeper, who currently plays for French Ligue 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....
side Lille OSC
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
. He has 11 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the French national team
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...
.
Club career
Landreau graduated from the Nantes Atlantique "Centre of Excellence" in La Jonelière. His first professional match for Nantes was a 0–0 draw against BastiaSC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
in 1996. Since 1996, he remained a mainstay in the Nantes starting line-up, and consistently produced excellent performances. He was selected to represent the France youth national team at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Having won two consecutive French Cup
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...
trophies in 1999 and 2000, Landreau and Nantes were crowned 2001 Ligue 1 champions. In the semi-final of the 2004 French Cup, Landreau produced several saves, but to no avail as the team could not score and were eliminated from the competition. At the end of the 2005–06 Ligue 1 season, Landreau's contract with Nantes was set to expire. He gave a press conference and announced that after thirteen years, he would leave FC Nantes to meet new challenges in a more important team. He then joined Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club , also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG , is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. The club was founded on 12 August 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain...
on a free transfer, signing a four-years contract on 15 May 2006. Five days after signing for Lille, he suffered a massive blow by damaging cruciate ligaments during a training session which will keep him out of action for around six-months.
International career
Landreau was called up to the French squad for the 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
by French national team manager Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
. He wore the number 1 shirt for France at the tournament, despite being third-choice keeper behind Fabien Barthez
Fabien Barthez
Fabien Alain Barthez is a former French footballer goalkeeper who won honours with Manchester United and the French national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets...
and Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet is a retired French association football goalkeeper who last played for Paris Saint-Germain. He has played for clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid. He has also played for the France national team....
. Landreau later became the second choice behind Coupet even though Barthez, who had retired after the World Cup, returned to professional football in December 2006. Landreau was surprisingly not named to the French squad for Euro 2008, with Steve Mandanda
Steve Mandanda
Steve Mandanda is a French international footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1. He currently serves as first-choice captain of Marseille...
and Sébastien Frey
Sébastien Frey
Sébastien Frey is a French footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Genoa.-Club career:Frey began his career with French side AS Cannes in 1997, at the age of 17...
being named ahead of him. Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris is a French international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He is also a French international and is currently the first-choice goalkeeper and vice-captain for both club and country...
has since emerged as the country's first-choice goaltender.
Club
Nantes- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 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....
: 2001 - Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe 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...
: 1999, 2000 - Trophée Des ChampionsTrophée des championsThe Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
: 1999, 2001
Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
: 2008
Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
- Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe 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...
: 20112011 Coupe de France FinalThe 2011 Coupe de France Final was the 93rd final of France's most prestigious football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille... - Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 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....
: 20112010–11 Ligue 1The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...