Olivier Tébily
Encyclopedia
Olivier Tébily is a footballer who plays as a defender
. He is a free agent, having been released by Toronto FC
. He is a French
citizen, but has won 18 full international caps
for his native Côte d'Ivoire national football team
. He has played in the top level league in four countries, for Châteauroux
in Ligue 1
, for Celtic
in the Scottish Premier League
, for Birmingham City
in the Premier League, and for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer
.
, Côte d'Ivoire
, Tébily was raised in France, and as a child was an Arsenal
fan. He became a naturalised French citizen,
and began his career as a junior at Ligue 2
Niort, where he spent several years. In January 1998 he moved to Châteauroux
, promoted that season to Ligue 1
. While his contribution failed to prevent their relegation, it clearly attracted favourable attention, for the following March Sheffield United
manager Steve Bruce
brought him to England where he signed for a fee of £200,000.
His Sheffield United career proved brief. His seventh game for the club was watched by Kenny Dalglish
, and on Dalglish's appointment as Director of Football
at Celtic
in June 1999, he was quick to bring Tébily to the club for a fee of £1.25 million. On 8 July, he became manager John Barnes
' third signing.
, by scoring an own goal
,
an early indication of the sometimes erratic nature of his performances which earned him the nickname "Bombscare" from the Celtic fans.
The next pre-season game, this time against Newcastle United
, saw him redeem himself by scoring at the right end, and also by a good defensive performance against Alan Shearer
.
He held down a regular starting spot until Christmas, when he joined up with the Côte d'Ivoire national team
for the 2000 African Cup of Nations
. His return from his country's unsuccessful campaign was delayed when the squad was detained in a military camp in Côte d'Ivoire, described by the authorities as a necessary move to ensure the players' safety in light of the public reaction to their failure to reach the knockout stage of the competition.
Tébily and the remainder of the squad were able to make their way home following intervention from FIFA
president Sepp Blatter
.
His next appearance for Celtic was in the shock Scottish Cup
defeat at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle
which provoked the "Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious" headline in The Scottish Sun and resulted in the sacking of John Barnes. Dalglish took over as manager until the end of the season, during which time Tébily appeared irregularly.
In 2000–01
, new manager Martin O'Neill
gave him only three first-team starts. He began the next season
in the first team and playing well, but lost his place once Bobo Baldé
regained fitness.
He still made enough appearances to qualify for an SPL
winners' medal and received an unlikely nomination for the 2001 African Footballer of the Year
award.
Tébily wanted to play regularly, which was not going to happen at Celtic, so it was considered best for all parties if he was made available for transfer. On 22 March 2002, he resumed his association with manager Steve Bruce when he moved to Birmingham City
, then playing in the Championship
, for a fee of £700,000. Celtic clearly thought he had potential for improvement, as they had a sell-on clause
included in the deal. He scored twice during his spell at Celtic, once in a UEFA Cup
tie with Cwmbran Town and another in the 8-0 thrashing of Stirling Albion
in the League Cup
.
. He saw Tébily's major attributes as his size, strength and pace; a quality which soon became apparent was his whole-hearted commitment to the cause, as exemplified by his performance in the playoff semifinal against Millwall
. Playing in an unaccustomed central midfield position, he man-marked Tim Cahill
, later of Everton
and Australia, out of the game, and won the ball from Stuart Nethercott
with a full-blooded tackle having earlier lost his boot.
In that season, Tébily never finished on the losing side at club level, either for Celtic or for Birmingham.
Tébily played regularly in Birmingham's first Premier League season until 21 December, when he damaged his medial knee ligament
s in the first 20 minutes of the match against Charlton Athletic
. In keeping with his "hard-man" image, he finished the game,
but the injury proved serious enough to keep him out for the rest of the season.
Returning fit at the start of the 2003–04
season, Tébily found himself no longer first choice, though his versatility made him the manager's preferred defensive substitute.
For the next couple of years, he was used irregularly. Coach Mark Bowen cited a lack of confidence, and a long-standing problem with concentration, as leading to inconsistency of performance; though the player's own determination to combat the problem led him to encourage the coaching staff to keep shouting at him during the game to maintain his concentration levels.
In addition, he underwent laser eye surgery
to deal with the problems caused by wearing contact lens
es for football.
He has sometimes struggled badly against quick, tricky players,
but has always given of his best when given an opportunity.
In September 2005 he signed a new three-year contract, reflecting his value to the squad despite not having been a first-choice player at any time since his injury in 2002.
Restored to the starting lineup as a replacement for Mario Melchiot
, his determination and enthusiasm. typified in a man of the match
performance against Chelsea
,
did much to lift the team and supporters during their ultimately unsuccessful fight against relegation.
He began the 2006–07
season in the starting eleven, but Radhi Jaïdi
, Bruno N'Gotty
, Martin Taylor and Stephen Kelly were all preferred, and Tébily made his last first team appearance for Birmingham in October 2006. On 14 January 2008, his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the 2007–08
season, was paid up and he became a free agent
after nearly six years at the club.
team Toronto FC
on 24 April 2008. Head coach John Carver
believed his team would be improved by the player's versatility, as shown by his ability to play both in the centre of defence and on the right. He played four matches for the club, but an ankle injury disrupted his career, and on 31 July 2008 he was released because he wanted to be closer to his family in France.
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He is a free agent, having been released by Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
. He 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...
citizen, but has won 18 full international 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 his native Côte d'Ivoire national football team
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. He has played in the top level league in four countries, for Châteauroux
LB Châteauroux
La Berrichonne de Châteauroux is a French association football club based in Châteauroux. The football team is a part of a sports club that consists of several other sports and was founded in 1883. The team currently plays in Ligue 2, the second division of French football, having finished 16th in...
in 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....
, for Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in the Premier League, and for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Early life and career
Though born in AbidjanAbidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, Tébily was raised in France, and as a child was an Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
fan. He became a naturalised French citizen,
and began his career as a junior at Ligue 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...
Niort, where he spent several years. In January 1998 he moved to Châteauroux
LB Châteauroux
La Berrichonne de Châteauroux is a French association football club based in Châteauroux. The football team is a part of a sports club that consists of several other sports and was founded in 1883. The team currently plays in Ligue 2, the second division of French football, having finished 16th in...
, promoted that season to 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....
. While his contribution failed to prevent their relegation, it clearly attracted favourable attention, for the following March Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
manager Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
brought him to England where he signed for a fee of £200,000.
His Sheffield United career proved brief. His seventh game for the club was watched by Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
, and on Dalglish's appointment as Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in June 1999, he was quick to bring Tébily to the club for a fee of £1.25 million. On 8 July, he became manager John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
' third signing.
Celtic
Tébily marked his first Celtic appearance, in a pre-season game against Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, by scoring an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
,
an early indication of the sometimes erratic nature of his performances which earned him the nickname "Bombscare" from the Celtic fans.
The next pre-season game, this time against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, saw him redeem himself by scoring at the right end, and also by a good defensive performance against Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
.
He held down a regular starting spot until Christmas, when he joined up with the Côte d'Ivoire national team
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
for the 2000 African Cup of Nations
2000 African Cup of Nations
The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
. His return from his country's unsuccessful campaign was delayed when the squad was detained in a military camp in Côte d'Ivoire, described by the authorities as a necessary move to ensure the players' safety in light of the public reaction to their failure to reach the knockout stage of the competition.
Tébily and the remainder of the squad were able to make their way home following intervention from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
president Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
.
His next appearance for Celtic was in the shock Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
defeat at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
which provoked the "Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious" headline in The Scottish Sun and resulted in the sacking of John Barnes. Dalglish took over as manager until the end of the season, during which time Tébily appeared irregularly.
In 2000–01
2000-01 in Scottish football
The 2000–01 season was the 104th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, 15 points clear of Rangers who finished second. Both teams earned a place in the UEFA Champions League. Hibernian and Kilmarnock...
, new manager Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
gave him only three first-team starts. He began the next season
2001-02 in Scottish football
The 2001–02 season was the 105th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Key events:Celtic, domestic treble winners a year earlier, retain their Premier League title....
in the first team and playing well, but lost his place once Bobo Baldé
Bobo Balde
Dianbobo "Bobo" Baldé is a Guinean footballer who currently plays for AC Arles-Avignon. He has previously played for Mulhouse, AS Cannes, Toulouse, Celtic and Valenciennes...
regained fitness.
He still made enough appearances to qualify for an SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
winners' medal and received an unlikely nomination for the 2001 African Footballer of the Year
African Footballer of the Year
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
award.
Tébily wanted to play regularly, which was not going to happen at Celtic, so it was considered best for all parties if he was made available for transfer. On 22 March 2002, he resumed his association with manager Steve Bruce when he moved to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, then playing in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, for a fee of £700,000. Celtic clearly thought he had potential for improvement, as they had a sell-on clause
Transfer (football)
In professional association football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between professional clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one professional association football club to another. In general, the players can only be...
included in the deal. He scored twice during his spell at Celtic, once in a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie with Cwmbran Town and another in the 8-0 thrashing of Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion F.C.
Stirling Albion F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. The club are nicknamed The Binos . They play at Doubletree Dunblane Stadium in Stirling, on the outskirts of the city near the River Forth...
in the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
.
Birmingham City
Bruce had taken over at Birmingham some three months previously and was in the process of rebuilding the team with a view to reaching the playoffsFootball League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
. He saw Tébily's major attributes as his size, strength and pace; a quality which soon became apparent was his whole-hearted commitment to the cause, as exemplified by his performance in the playoff semifinal against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
. Playing in an unaccustomed central midfield position, he man-marked Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill
Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...
, later of Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Australia, out of the game, and won the ball from Stuart Nethercott
Stuart Nethercott
Stuart Nethercott is a former English professional football player currently manager of Ware F.C.Nethercott grew up through the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur and made his debut on 20 March 1993 in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea....
with a full-blooded tackle having earlier lost his boot.
In that season, Tébily never finished on the losing side at club level, either for Celtic or for Birmingham.
Tébily played regularly in Birmingham's first Premier League season until 21 December, when he damaged his medial knee ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
s in the first 20 minutes of the match against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. In keeping with his "hard-man" image, he finished the game,
but the injury proved serious enough to keep him out for the rest of the season.
Returning fit at the start of the 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season, Tébily found himself no longer first choice, though his versatility made him the manager's preferred defensive substitute.
For the next couple of years, he was used irregularly. Coach Mark Bowen cited a lack of confidence, and a long-standing problem with concentration, as leading to inconsistency of performance; though the player's own determination to combat the problem led him to encourage the coaching staff to keep shouting at him during the game to maintain his concentration levels.
In addition, he underwent laser eye surgery
Refractive surgery
Refractive eye surgery is any eye surgery used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea or cataract surgery. The most common methods today use excimer lasers to...
to deal with the problems caused by wearing contact lens
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
es for football.
He has sometimes struggled badly against quick, tricky players,
but has always given of his best when given an opportunity.
In September 2005 he signed a new three-year contract, reflecting his value to the squad despite not having been a first-choice player at any time since his injury in 2002.
Restored to the starting lineup as a replacement for Mario Melchiot
Mario Melchiot
Mario Deno Patrik Melchiot is a Dutch football defender who currently plays for Qatari Stars League club Umm Salal. He can play as either a right-back or a central defender, and has also occasionally played in midfield....
, his determination and enthusiasm. typified in a man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
performance against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
,
did much to lift the team and supporters during their ultimately unsuccessful fight against relegation.
He began the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season in the starting eleven, but Radhi Jaïdi
Radhi Jaïdi
Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi is a Tunisian footballer who joined Npower Championship club Southampton in September 2009. He plays as a centre back.-Club career:...
, Bruno N'Gotty
Bruno N'Gotty
Bruno N'Gotty is a French football player of Cameroonian ancestry who last played for English club Leicester City. Initially a player at his home team Olympique Lyonnais, he later played for Paris Saint-Germain, A.C...
, Martin Taylor and Stephen Kelly were all preferred, and Tébily made his last first team appearance for Birmingham in October 2006. On 14 January 2008, his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season, was paid up and he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after nearly six years at the club.
Toronto FC
After a period spent training with them, Tébily signed for Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
on 24 April 2008. Head coach John Carver
John Carver (footballer)
John William Carver is a former English footballer and current assistant manager of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
believed his team would be improved by the player's versatility, as shown by his ability to play both in the centre of defence and on the right. He played four matches for the club, but an ankle injury disrupted his career, and on 31 July 2008 he was released because he wanted to be closer to his family in France.