Robert Pirès
Encyclopedia
Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal
, with whom he won three FA Cup
s and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04. A former France
international, Pirès earned 79 caps between 1996 and 2004 for his country, including winning both the 1998 FIFA World Cup
and UEFA Euro 2000.
Pirès has played the majority of his career as a left winger, but can also play all across the midfield or in a position to support the striker(s).
to a Portuguese
father and Spanish mother. Pirès, the eldest of two boys, spent most of his childhood dressed in two football shirts that reflected his divided loyalty. One was a Portugal
shirt (his father was a Benfica fan) and the other was a Real Madrid
shirt. Pirès confessed he had difficulty in school because his French was not good due to the fact his parents only spoke Spanish and Portuguese
. His passion for football was inherited from his father, António, who played with Les Corpo, a local team, and every Saturday night Pirès would watch him play. At the age of 15, Pirès left school and began his dream of a career in football with a two-year sports degree course in Reims. At the insistence of his mother, Pirès continued with Reims and eventually was called up four years later.
youth academy, making his senior debut in 1993 against Lyon
. During his six seasons there, he scored 43 goals in 162 matches, and won the Coupe de la Ligue
, prompting a £5 million move to Olympique de Marseille
in 1998. At Marseille, Pirès had a mixed two-year stay. His first season saw Marseille miss the French league title by a point and they also lost the 1999 UEFA Cup Final
to Parma. His second season saw him suffer a spate of on- and off-field problems, which led him to boycott the club at the season's end.
for £6 million in 2000, after stiff competition from Real Madrid
and Juventus
, replacing Marc Overmars
, who had left for Barcelona
for a record £25 million. Initially, Pirès' form was indifferent, and some people criticised him after his comments that the English game was too physical. However, he slowly began to regain the form he had shown at Metz, scoring a superb solo goal against Lazio
in the 2000–01 Champions League, and the winner against Tottenham Hotspur
in the FA Cup
semi-finals. However, Arsenal went on to lose the Cup final to Liverpool
2–1.
By 2001–02
, Pirès had fully got to grips with the English game and had one of his best seasons. Pirès scored superb goals against Middlesbrough
and Aston Villa
. Against Aston Villa, Pirès chased after a long ball by Freddie Ljungberg, and lobbed the ball over the pursuing George Boateng
, and finished off the move with a delightful chip over Peter Schmeichel
. He led the Premier League assist charts and was voted both FWA Footballer of the Year and Arsenal's player of the season, as Arsenal won the league title. This was despite not playing the last two months of the season after suffering a cruciate ligament
injury in a FA Cup
match against Newcastle United
. This also ruled him out of playing in the 2002 World Cup with France.
After a lengthy layoff, Pirès made his comeback in November 2002 as a substitute against AJ Auxerre
in the UEFA Champions League
. Although Pirès initially found it tough, he eventually returned to form, scoring 14 Premiership goals in 20 starts that season, including a hat-trick against Southampton
on the penultimate day of the season. Pirès was voted Barclaycard Player of the Month for February 2003. Pirès capped off his season by scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Southampton.
He went on to be a crucial part of Arsenal's quest for the Premier League title in the 2003–04 season, which they achieved, remaining unbeaten and becoming the first English top flight club to do so in 115 years. Pirès and his Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry
were instrumental in that season, scoring a combined 57 goals in all competitions. Pirès made a sluggish start to the campaign, but a wonder-goal against Liverpool
at Anfield
kick-started his season. Pirès showed football fans his sublime technique, skills and finishing, most notably with his goals against Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers
, and Leeds United
. He surprised a lot of people with a world class tackle on Claude Makélélé
and, following that, a run into the penalty box which dragged William Gallas
and John Terry
away, thus making space for Patrick Vieira
to have a one-on-one with the Chelsea
goalkeeper and subsequently scoring. Arsenal won that match 2–1, with Vieira's goal the equaliser. That day of Premier League action proved decisive, as Manchester United
's failure to beat Leeds United during the same day resulted in Arsenal getting a huge lead in the title race. Arsenal never lost 1st place in the table for the rest of the season. More notably, Pirès will always be remembered for a game in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final's 1st leg match against Chelsea, where he managed to beat John Terry to a header, which resulted in the equaliser for Arsenal, after Eiður Guðjohnsen
had given Chelsea the lead. However, Arsenal were eliminated after they lost 1–2 in the return leg, courtesy of a 87th minute Wayne Bridge
goal. Pirès also showed his playmaking
skills in a goal against Tottenham Hotspur
at White Hart Lane
, in which Pirès was the architect in building up the goal, and capped off the move with a goal to score Arsenal's 2nd goal of the game. Tottenham refused to give up, and managed to claw their way back and claimed a 2–2 draw. Despite that, Arsenal won the title after the match. Pirès finished that season with an impressive tally of 14 goals and seven assists in the Premier League. He was Arsenal's second top scorer (behind Thierry Henry) and had the joint amount of assists (along with Dennis Bergkamp
) that season.
In the 2004–05
season, Pirès finished third in the Premiership goalscorers table with 14 goals, behind teammate Thierry Henry and Crystal Palace
's Andrew Johnson. Pirès also picked up a second FA Cup winners' medal after Arsenal beat Manchester United
on penalties
. Pirès was replaced by Edu in the 2nd half of extra time in that match.
During the 2005–06
season, Pirès wrangled with Arsenal over a new contract, in the hope of a new two-year deal. In keeping with the club's policy regarding players over 30, Pirès was only offered a 12-month extension to his contract, which expired in June 2006. Pirès started the season poorly, and players such as Freddie Ljungberg, José Antonio Reyes
and Alexander Hleb were preferred to him on both wings. As the season progressed, though, Pirès's form improved, outscoring his selection rivals overall. Pires was instrumental in Arsenal Quarter Final Champions League first leg against Juventus. He got the better of Vieira with his tackle which was the build up to Arsenal's first goal scored by Fabregas. Arsenal won that leg 2-0. Pirès played his last game for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions league final
against FC Barcelona
, in which he was substituted after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
's sending off during the match.
In May 2006, Pirès agreed to an offer from Villarreal CF
after a month of speculation, during which time he played against Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final. One of the main reasons Pirès gave for leaving Arsenal was that he felt he was no longer a first choice under manager Arsène Wenger
. Pirès was quoted saying: "I have to say I have had some disappointments this season. For instance, I was on the bench very often". Pirès additionally suggested that Wenger's decision to withdraw him in the UEFA Champions League
Final showed he had slipped in the eyes of his French boss. Pirès said that he felt hurt by how Wenger did not trust him anymore, which was a major factor that convinced him that it was time to move on from Arsenal.
Arsenal fans and players alike were saddened by Pirès's departure. His ex-Arsenal teammate Cesc Fàbregas
told the August 2006 edition of the Sky magazine how sad it was to lose him.
On the official Arsenal matchday program for the game against Wigan Athletic
on 11 February 2007, Pirès revealed his heartbreak of being substituted so early on during the Champions League final. Pirès stated: "I was very disappointed. When I saw my number on the fourth official’s board to be substituted, I couldn't believe it. It was my last game after six years at the club, a Champions League Final in front of all my family in Paris where I became World Cup champion and it lasted just 12 minutes. That was very hard to take".
On 11 July 2008, Arsenal fans voted Pirès as the club's sixth greatest player of all time.
. He joined on a free transfer, subject to passing a medical, bringing to an end his six-year career as an Arsenal player. Pirès was officially unveiled as a Villarreal player on 3 July 2006. He scored his first goal for the club in 3–3 pre-season draw with Newcastle United
on 5 August 2006. However, on 18 August 2006, Pirès damaged the cruciate ligament
in his left knee in a friendly match against Cádiz
and required corrective surgery to alleviate the problem, which kept him out of action for seven months in his new club in Spanish top flight.
Pirès finally recovered from knee injury and made his first league appearance for Villarreal as a second-half substitute when he was named in Villarreal's squad to face Real Sociedad
on 17 March 2007. Pirès scored his first league goal on his return from injury in a 3–3 draw away to Real Betis
on 31 March 2007. After three appearances as a substitute, Pirès made his first start for Villarreal on 22 April 2007 against Barcelona
. He opened the scoring for his team to defeat league leaders Barcelona 2–0, avenging his premature departure against Barcelona in the Champions League Final
the previous May. On 13 May 2007, in a thumping 4–1 win at Osasuna
, the former France international midfielder gave the visitors the perfect start with a seventh-minute opener as Villarreal continued their late-season push for a European spot. The run took "The Yellow Submarine", sinking at 11th spot without him in the side, to the brink of a UEFA Cup
place in barely six weeks. Villarreal ended the season in 5th spot wherein Pirès played crucial roles in helping Villarreal with the late charge up winning each of their final eight games and an entry into the UEFA Cup
.
With the ongoing saga between Juan Román Riquelme
and the board of Villarreal, Pirès' leadership qualities the following season helped Villarreal to win six of their opening eight games. Against Barcelona at El Madrigal, Pirès technique earned the Yellow Submarine two penalties which were duly converted by captain Marcos Senna
.
In 2009, Pirès faced former club Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League
, coming on as a 70th minute substitute in the first leg and playing the full 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium
. Villarreal were defeated 4–1 on aggregate, but Pirès received a warm return from the Arsenal supporters, who sang his name throughout both legs.
Pirès was told in May 2010 that his contract would not be extended and he would have to look for a new club during the summer as Villarreal
will be "changing their philosophy".
training ground in order to keep his fitness levels up. Later that month, it was reported that Conference National
club Crawley Town intended to talk to Pirès about joining them for some part of the season, but the player's spokesman said they were "not aware of any interest" from that club.
On 16 November 2010, it was confirmed that Aston Villa
boss Gérard Houllier
had been in talks with representatives of Pirès. On 18 November, the 37-year-old midfielder completed his move to Aston Villa on a six-month contract. He made his Villa début in the Premier League on 21 November as a second-half substitute, although his new club were beaten 2–0 by Blackburn Rovers
. Pirès' arrival at the club was praised by many of Villa's senior players, including Gabriel Agbonlahor
, Stewart Downing
and Shane Lowry
. Pires scored his first goal for Aston Villa in the 3–1 FA Cup win against Blackburn Rovers
on 29 January 2011. His next start was also against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on 26 February. His performance in Villa's 4–1 win was described by Sky Sports
as "his most influential" since joining the club.
In early March, Pirès announced that he would like to remain at Aston Villa for the 2011–12 season. Villa boss Gérard Houllier responded positively to this claim, but admitted that no decision would be made until the Summer of 2011. However, he was released by the club on 27 May 2011 after the 2010–11 season finished.
and Euro 2004. However, a dispute in late 2004 with French national coach Raymond Domenech
put a halt to Pirès' international career. He won 79 caps
for his country and scored 14 goals. He won the Golden Ball (for most outstanding football) and Golden Shoe (for most goals scored) awards at the 2001 Confederations Cup in Korea
/Japan. Pirès notably provided two golden goal assists during his international career, first setting up Laurent Blanc
against Paraguay in the 1998 World Cup round of 16 and providing David Trézéguet with the match-winning ball in the Euro 2000 final. The former was the first Golden Goal ever scored at a FIFA World Cup.
in 1992, he met his future wife, Nathalie. The two were married for six years and divorced in 2003. Pirès told The Daily Mirror that his divorce ruined him and that it affected him professionally. He divulged that he was unable to concentrate or sleep. He also started exhibiting odd behavior such as publicly fighting with French coach Raymond Domenech
in early 2004.
Shortly after the split from Nathalie, Pirès met French model Jessica Lemarie through mutual friends. On 10 August 2005, she gave birth to the couple's first child, Naia. Pirès claims that "[Naia] has allowed me to find calm and be a lot more at ease". Since then, Lemarie and Pirès have married and had a son named Theo, born 11 July 2007.
Pirès uses Twitter
to communicate with fans.
Pirès is good friends with Dennis Bergkamp
, with whom he played at Arsenal.
|1996||3||1
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|1997||4||1
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|1998||14||1
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|1999||9||1
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|2000||10||2
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|2001||13||4
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|2002||1||0
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|2003||12||4
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|2004||13||0
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!Total||79||14
|}
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...
, with whom he won three FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
s and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04. A former France
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...
international, Pirès earned 79 caps between 1996 and 2004 for his country, including winning both 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...
and UEFA Euro 2000.
Pirès has played the majority of his career as a left winger, but can also play all across the midfield or in a position to support the striker(s).
Early years
Pirès was born in ReimsReims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
to a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
father and Spanish mother. Pirès, the eldest of two boys, spent most of his childhood dressed in two football shirts that reflected his divided loyalty. One was a Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
shirt (his father was a Benfica fan) and the other was a Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
shirt. Pirès confessed he had difficulty in school because his French was not good due to the fact his parents only spoke Spanish and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. His passion for football was inherited from his father, António, who played with Les Corpo, a local team, and every Saturday night Pirès would watch him play. At the age of 15, Pirès left school and began his dream of a career in football with a two-year sports degree course in Reims. At the insistence of his mother, Pirès continued with Reims and eventually was called up four years later.
France
Pirès is a graduate of the FC MetzFC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
youth academy, making his senior debut in 1993 against Lyon
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...
. During his six seasons there, he scored 43 goals in 162 matches, and won the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The 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...
, prompting a £5 million move to Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
in 1998. At Marseille, Pirès had a mixed two-year stay. His first season saw Marseille miss the French league title by a point and they also lost the 1999 UEFA Cup Final
1999 UEFA Cup Final
The 1999 UEFA Cup Final a football match that took place at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, on 12 May 1999 between Parma A.C. of Italy and Olympique de Marseille of France. Parma won the match 3–0...
to Parma. His second season saw him suffer a spate of on- and off-field problems, which led him to boycott the club at the season's end.
Arsenal
Pirès was signed by ArsenalArsenal 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...
for £6 million in 2000, after stiff competition from Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, replacing Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars is a retired Dutch footballer. He is best known as a right-footed left winger, although he is able to use both his feet with equal precision and power...
, who had left for Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
for a record £25 million. Initially, Pirès' form was indifferent, and some people criticised him after his comments that the English game was too physical. However, he slowly began to regain the form he had shown at Metz, scoring a superb solo goal against Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
in the 2000–01 Champions League, and the winner against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-finals. However, Arsenal went on to lose the Cup final to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
2–1.
By 2001–02
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
, Pirès had fully got to grips with the English game and had one of his best seasons. Pirès scored superb goals against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and 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...
. Against Aston Villa, Pirès chased after a long ball by Freddie Ljungberg, and lobbed the ball over the pursuing George Boateng
George Boateng
George Boateng is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest in The Championship.-Club career:...
, and finished off the move with a delightful chip over Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
. He led the Premier League assist charts and was voted both FWA Footballer of the Year and Arsenal's player of the season, as Arsenal won the league title. This was despite not playing the last two months of the season after suffering a cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
injury in a FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match 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...
. This also ruled him out of playing in the 2002 World Cup with France.
After a lengthy layoff, Pirès made his comeback in November 2002 as a substitute against AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Although Pirès initially found it tough, he eventually returned to form, scoring 14 Premiership goals in 20 starts that season, including a hat-trick against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on the penultimate day of the season. Pirès was voted Barclaycard Player of the Month for February 2003. Pirès capped off his season by scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Southampton.
He went on to be a crucial part of Arsenal's quest for the Premier League title in the 2003–04 season, which they achieved, remaining unbeaten and becoming the first English top flight club to do so in 115 years. Pirès and his Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
were instrumental in that season, scoring a combined 57 goals in all competitions. Pirès made a sluggish start to the campaign, but a wonder-goal against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
kick-started his season. Pirès showed football fans his sublime technique, skills and finishing, most notably with his goals against Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, and Leeds United
Leeds 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...
. He surprised a lot of people with a world class tackle on Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélelé Sinda is a retired football player who used to play as a defensive midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea...
and, following that, a run into the penalty box which dragged William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
and John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
away, thus making space for Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
to have a one-on-one with the 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...
goalkeeper and subsequently scoring. Arsenal won that match 2–1, with Vieira's goal the equaliser. That day of Premier League action proved decisive, as Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's failure to beat Leeds United during the same day resulted in Arsenal getting a huge lead in the title race. Arsenal never lost 1st place in the table for the rest of the season. More notably, Pirès will always be remembered for a game in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final's 1st leg match against Chelsea, where he managed to beat John Terry to a header, which resulted in the equaliser for Arsenal, after Eiður Guðjohnsen
Eiður Guðjohnsen
Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen is an Icelandic footballer who currently plays for AEK Athens F.C. in the Superleague Greece. He has previously played for Premier League club Chelsea and FC Barcelona of Spain, having made his name with Bolton Wanderers. He was the captain of the Iceland national team until...
had given Chelsea the lead. However, Arsenal were eliminated after they lost 1–2 in the return leg, courtesy of a 87th minute Wayne Bridge
Wayne Bridge
Wayne Michael Bridge is an English footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City.A graduate of the Southampton Academy where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea and Fulham during his Premiership career....
goal. Pirès also showed his playmaking
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
skills in a goal against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, in which Pirès was the architect in building up the goal, and capped off the move with a goal to score Arsenal's 2nd goal of the game. Tottenham refused to give up, and managed to claw their way back and claimed a 2–2 draw. Despite that, Arsenal won the title after the match. Pirès finished that season with an impressive tally of 14 goals and seven assists in the Premier League. He was Arsenal's second top scorer (behind Thierry Henry) and had the joint amount of assists (along with Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
) that season.
In the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season, Pirès finished third in the Premiership goalscorers table with 14 goals, behind teammate Thierry Henry and Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
's Andrew Johnson. Pirès also picked up a second FA Cup winners' medal after Arsenal beat Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
. Pirès was replaced by Edu in the 2nd half of extra time in that match.
During the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, Pirès wrangled with Arsenal over a new contract, in the hope of a new two-year deal. In keeping with the club's policy regarding players over 30, Pirès was only offered a 12-month extension to his contract, which expired in June 2006. Pirès started the season poorly, and players such as Freddie Ljungberg, José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...
and Alexander Hleb were preferred to him on both wings. As the season progressed, though, Pirès's form improved, outscoring his selection rivals overall. Pires was instrumental in Arsenal Quarter Final Champions League first leg against Juventus. He got the better of Vieira with his tackle which was the build up to Arsenal's first goal scored by Fabregas. Arsenal won that leg 2-0. Pirès played his last game for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions league final
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, in which he was substituted after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
's sending off during the match.
In May 2006, Pirès agreed to an offer from Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
after a month of speculation, during which time he played against Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final. One of the main reasons Pirès gave for leaving Arsenal was that he felt he was no longer a first choice under manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
. Pirès was quoted saying: "I have to say I have had some disappointments this season. For instance, I was on the bench very often". Pirès additionally suggested that Wenger's decision to withdraw him in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
Final showed he had slipped in the eyes of his French boss. Pirès said that he felt hurt by how Wenger did not trust him anymore, which was a major factor that convinced him that it was time to move on from Arsenal.
Arsenal fans and players alike were saddened by Pirès's departure. His ex-Arsenal teammate Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
told the August 2006 edition of the Sky magazine how sad it was to lose him.
On the official Arsenal matchday program for the game against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 11 February 2007, Pirès revealed his heartbreak of being substituted so early on during the Champions League final. Pirès stated: "I was very disappointed. When I saw my number on the fourth official’s board to be substituted, I couldn't believe it. It was my last game after six years at the club, a Champions League Final in front of all my family in Paris where I became World Cup champion and it lasted just 12 minutes. That was very hard to take".
On 11 July 2008, Arsenal fans voted Pirès as the club's sixth greatest player of all time.
Villarreal
In May 2006, Pirès agreed to join Spanish side VillarrealVillarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
. He joined on a free transfer, subject to passing a medical, bringing to an end his six-year career as an Arsenal player. Pirès was officially unveiled as a Villarreal player on 3 July 2006. He scored his first goal for the club in 3–3 pre-season draw with 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...
on 5 August 2006. However, on 18 August 2006, Pirès damaged the cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
in his left knee in a friendly match against Cádiz
Cádiz CF
Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1910, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home games at Estadio Ramón de Carranza, with a 22,000-seat capacity.Salvadoran legend Mágico González, who...
and required corrective surgery to alleviate the problem, which kept him out of action for seven months in his new club in Spanish top flight.
Pirès finally recovered from knee injury and made his first league appearance for Villarreal as a second-half substitute when he was named in Villarreal's squad to face Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
on 17 March 2007. Pirès scored his first league goal on his return from injury in a 3–3 draw away to Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
on 31 March 2007. After three appearances as a substitute, Pirès made his first start for Villarreal on 22 April 2007 against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. He opened the scoring for his team to defeat league leaders Barcelona 2–0, avenging his premature departure against Barcelona in the Champions League Final
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
the previous May. On 13 May 2007, in a thumping 4–1 win at Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
, the former France international midfielder gave the visitors the perfect start with a seventh-minute opener as Villarreal continued their late-season push for a European spot. The run took "The Yellow Submarine", sinking at 11th spot without him in the side, to the brink of 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...
place in barely six weeks. Villarreal ended the season in 5th spot wherein Pirès played crucial roles in helping Villarreal with the late charge up winning each of their final eight games and an entry into the 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...
.
With the ongoing saga between Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme is an Argentine footballer who plays for Boca Juniors. A longtime Argentine international, Riquelme is best known for his spells with Boca Juniors and Villarreal...
and the board of Villarreal, Pirès' leadership qualities the following season helped Villarreal to win six of their opening eight games. Against Barcelona at El Madrigal, Pirès technique earned the Yellow Submarine two penalties which were duly converted by captain Marcos Senna
Marcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
.
In 2009, Pirès faced former club Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, coming on as a 70th minute substitute in the first leg and playing the full 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
. Villarreal were defeated 4–1 on aggregate, but Pirès received a warm return from the Arsenal supporters, who sang his name throughout both legs.
Pirès was told in May 2010 that his contract would not be extended and he would have to look for a new club during the summer as Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
will be "changing their philosophy".
Aston Villa
Pirès returned to England, where he trained during October at former club Arsenal's London ColneyLondon Colney
London Colney is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, at Junction 22 of the M25 motorway....
training ground in order to keep his fitness levels up. Later that month, it was reported that Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
club Crawley Town intended to talk to Pirès about joining them for some part of the season, but the player's spokesman said they were "not aware of any interest" from that club.
On 16 November 2010, it was confirmed that 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...
boss 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....
had been in talks with representatives of Pirès. On 18 November, the 37-year-old midfielder completed his move to Aston Villa on a six-month contract. He made his Villa début in the Premier League on 21 November as a second-half substitute, although his new club were beaten 2–0 by Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. Pirès' arrival at the club was praised by many of Villa's senior players, including Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aston Villa. Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy and has earned three caps for the English national team. He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, joining as a youth player in...
, Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Primarily a winger, Downing has previously played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.-Middlesbrough:...
and Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry (footballer)
Shane Thomas Lowry is an Irish-Australian professional football player who currently plays as a centre defender or left fullback for the Australia national football team and Millwall, on loan from Aston Villa...
. Pires scored his first goal for Aston Villa in the 3–1 FA Cup win against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on 29 January 2011. His next start was also against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on 26 February. His performance in Villa's 4–1 win was described by Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
as "his most influential" since joining the club.
In early March, Pirès announced that he would like to remain at Aston Villa for the 2011–12 season. Villa boss Gérard Houllier responded positively to this claim, but admitted that no decision would be made until the Summer of 2011. However, he was released by the club on 27 May 2011 after the 2010–11 season finished.
International career
Pirès was part of France's 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning squads, but had to miss the 2002 World Cup due to an injury he sustained playing for Arsenal. He also played in 1996 Olympic Games1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and Euro 2004. However, a dispute in late 2004 with French national coach 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...
put a halt to Pirès' international career. He won 79 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 country and scored 14 goals. He won the Golden Ball (for most outstanding football) and Golden Shoe (for most goals scored) awards at the 2001 Confederations Cup in Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
/Japan. Pirès notably provided two golden goal assists during his international career, first setting up Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
against Paraguay in the 1998 World Cup round of 16 and providing David Trézéguet with the match-winning ball in the Euro 2000 final. The former was the first Golden Goal ever scored at a FIFA World Cup.
Personal life
When Pirès made his professional debut for FC MetzFC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
in 1992, he met his future wife, Nathalie. The two were married for six years and divorced in 2003. Pirès told The Daily Mirror that his divorce ruined him and that it affected him professionally. He divulged that he was unable to concentrate or sleep. He also started exhibiting odd behavior such as publicly fighting with French coach 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...
in early 2004.
Shortly after the split from Nathalie, Pirès met French model Jessica Lemarie through mutual friends. On 10 August 2005, she gave birth to the couple's first child, Naia. Pirès claims that "[Naia] has allowed me to find calm and be a lot more at ease". Since then, Lemarie and Pirès have married and had a son named Theo, born 11 July 2007.
Pirès uses Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to communicate with fans.
Pirès is good friends with Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
, with whom he played at Arsenal.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Metz FC Metz Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its... |
1992–93 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993–94 | 24 | 1 | ? | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| 1994–95 | 35 | 9 | ? | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 9 | |
| 1995–96 | 38 | 11 | ? | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 13 | |
| 1996–97 | 32 | 11 | ? | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 41 | 12 | |
| 1997–98 | 31 | 11 | ? | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 13 | |
| Total | 162 | 43 | ? | 23 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 198 | 48 | |
| Marseille | 1998–99 | 34 | 6 | ? | 2 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 47 | 9 |
| 1999–2000 | 32 | 2 | ? | 3 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 46 | 13 | |
| Total | 66 | 8 | ? | 5 | 1 | 22 | 5 | 93 | 14 | |
| 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... |
2000–01 | 33 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 51 | 8 |
| 2001–02 | 28 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 45 | 13 | |
| 2002–03 | 26 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 9 | ||||
| 42 | 16 | |||||||||
| 2003–04 | 36 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 51 | 19 | |
| 2004–05 | 33 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 47 | 17 | |
| 2005–06 | 33 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 48 | 11 | |
| Total | 189 | 62 | 43 | 31 | 11 | 63 | 11 | 284 | 84 | |
| Villarreal Villarreal CF Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community... |
2006–07 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 |
| 2007–08 | 32 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
| 2008–09 | 32 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 40 | 4 | |
| 2009–10 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 7 | |
| Total | 103 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 129 | 18 | |
| 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... |
2010–11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Career Total | 523 | 126 | 57 | 66 | 19 | 117 | 19 | 708 | 164 | |
National team statistics
|-|1996||3||1
|-
|1997||4||1
|-
|1998||14||1
|-
|1999||9||1
|-
|2000||10||2
|-
|2001||13||4
|-
|2002||1||0
|-
|2003||12||4
|-
|2004||13||0
|-
!Total||79||14
|}
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 October 1996 | Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris, France |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 2. | 26 February 1997 | Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... , Paris, France |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 3. | 10 October 1998 | Luzhniki Stadium Luzhniki Stadium The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. Its total seating capacity is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, previously called the Central Lenin Stadium... , Moscow, Russia |
UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | |||
| 4. | 13 November 1999 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 5. | 28 May 2000 | Maksimir Stadium Maksimir Stadium Maksimir Stadium is a stadium in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football team in the country. It is also home to Dinamo Zagreb's farm team NK Lokomotiva.... , Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... , Croatia |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 6. | 16 August 2000 | Stade Vélodrome Stade Vélodrome The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,... , Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... , France |
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... XI |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
||
| 7. | 3 June 2001 | Munsu Cup Stadium Munsu Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, nicknamed Big Crown Stadium, is a stadium in Ulsan in South Korea. It is home to the Ulsan Hyundai FC.The stadium was built from 18 December 1998 to 28 April 2001 and its total cost was 151.4 billion won .Located in a major industrial city, the Ulsan Munsu football... , Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... , South Korea |
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
|||
| 8. | 7 June 2001 | Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... , Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... , South Korea |
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
|||
| 9. | 15 August 2001 | Stade de la Beaujoire Stade de la Beaujoire The Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, or "Stade de la Beaujoire", is a stadium in Nantes, France. It is the home of the FC Nantes football club.... , Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... , France |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 10. | 6 October 2001 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 11. | 30 April 2003 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 12. | 20 June 2003 | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the 1984 European Football Championship, the Football World Cup 1998 and the Confederations Cup 2003. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at... , Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon... , France |
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
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| 13. | 22 June 2003 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
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| 14. | 26 June 2003 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Club
Metz- 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...
: 1996
Arsenal
- FA Premier LeagueFA Premier LeagueThe 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...
: 2001–02, 2003–04 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 20022002 FA Cup FinalThe 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 FA Cup competition. It was an all-London affair between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on 4 May 2002...
, 2003, 2005 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20022002 FA Community ShieldThe 2002 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 11 August 2002 between 2001-02 Double winners Arsenal and 2001-02 Premier League runners-up Liverpool. Arsenal won the game 1–0 in normal time. Gilberto Silva scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute...
, 20042004 FA Community ShieldThe 2004 FA Community Shield was the 82nd FA Community Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions... - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
Runner Up: 20062006 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
International
France- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe 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...
: 1998 - UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 2000 - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
: 20012001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
, 20032003 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
Individual
- 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....
Young Player of the Year: 1995–96 - Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe 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...
, France's highest decoration 1998 - Football Writers' AssociationFootball Writers' AssociationThe Football Writers' Association is an association of England football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1947....
's Footballer of the Year: 2001–02 (with ArsenalArsenal 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...
) - PFA Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04 - FA Premier League Player of the Month: February 2003
- 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
: Player of the Tournament - 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
: Top scorer - FIFA 100FIFA 100The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...