Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet is one of the best French goalkeepers and one of the very best goalkeepers in the history of the French championship, a championship that he largely dominated.
Games
Goals Conceded
Clean Sheets
Trophies
1993/97 Saint-Etienne (FRA) 101 matches
(French Championship: 88 matches)
(French Cup: 8 matches)
(League Cup: 5 matches)
1997/2008 Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) 541 matches
(French Championship: 370 matches)
(French Cup: 55 matches)
(League Cup: 17 matches)
(Trophée des Champions: 5 matches)
(Champions League: 63 matches)
(UEFA Cup: 24 matches)
(Intertoto Cup: 7 matches)
2008/09 Atletico Madrid (ESP) 11 matches
(Spanish Championship: 6 matches)
(Spanish Cup: 3 matches)
(Champions League: 2 matches)
2009/11 Paris SG (FRA) 46 matches
(French Championship: 31 matches)
(Coupe de France: 9 matches)
(Coupe de la ligue: 4 matches)
(Trophée des Champions: 1 match)
(UEFA Cup: 1 match)
With the National Team :
34 selections
(Friendly matches: 16 selections)
(World Cup qualification: 6 selections)
(Euro qualification: 6 selections)
(Euro: 3 selections)
(Confederations Cup: 3 selections)
1st selection: June 1, 2001 against Australia (1-0)
Last selection: June 17, 2008 against Italy (0-2)
A': 2 selections
U23: 3 selections
Grégory Coupet
Born December 31, 1972 in Puy-en-Velay (FRA)
French, goalkeeper, 1m81
Nicknames: Greg, Gregos
ASSE to join the professional world
Grégory Coupet was born on December 31, 1972 in Puy-en-Velay in France. He plays football as a hobby, not being a fan of football, he only watches the matches of the French national team. He started playing club football at the age of 5 at the Club Olympique du Puy.
It was out of curiosity that he discovered the goalkeeper position and enjoyed it. At the age of 12, doctors noticed that the young boy was no longer growing. Despite his exceptional qualities, his coaches no longer wanted to see him in the goalkeeper position. He then set other goals and focused his training on bodybuilding, endurance and footwork.
He passed a trial of AS Saint-Etinne organized by Jean Castaneda, he ended up elected best goalkeeper. It was Gilbert Ravanello (former player of Olympique Lyonnais) who spoke about the young boy to his leaders and that is how the player was recruited by ASSE.
An impressive goalkeeper
He went through the training center and reserve team box at Saint-Etienne. Blocked by Joseph-Antoine Bell and Robin Huc to join the club's first team, it was finally during the 1993/94 season that he was launched as a professional following financial problems of the club which now wanted to launch young players.
In 1997, he left his club to join the great rival, Olympique Lyonnais. He would spend several years there, years of glory. Gifted with extraordinary reflexes, he was excellent on his line, making huge and magnificent dives. He did not hesitate to throw himself head first into the feet of his opponents to counter or block the ball.
Undivided domination
In Lyon, Grégory Coupet became the best goalkeeper in the championship, signing an unchallenged domination. Between 2003 and 2006, he was elected 4 times in a row best goalkeeper in the championship. And with Olympique Lyonnais he achieved a feat, winning the French championship 7 times in a row between 2002 and 2008, signing exceptional individual seasons:
2001/02: 48 matches played, 54 goals conceded, 19 clean sheets.
2002/03: 47 matches played, 54 goals conceded, 13 clean sheets.
2003/04: 48 matches played, 37 goals conceded, 23 clean sheets.
2004/05: 42 matches played, 32 goals conceded, 18 clean sheets.
2005/06: 51 games played, 37 goals conceded, 24 clean sheets.
2006/07: 41 games played, 27 goals conceded, 19 clean sheets.
2007/08: 30 games played, 27 goals conceded, 11 clean sheets.
Trip to Spain and return to France
This domination would only end following the transfer of the player who joined the Atlético Madrid club in the summer of 2008. Arriving at the club at the age of 36, he had come to compete with Leo Franco. Already injured in the intraarticular ligament of the knee during the previous season, he had lost his level and was limited to a substitute role.
He finally returned to France in 2009, to Paris Saint-Germain where he played 2 seasons before finally retiring in 2011, at the age of 39.
On the French team side, the story is less glorious despite still 34 selections and mind-blowing statistics, 19 goals conceded and 20 clean sheets. In the shadow of Fabien Barthez, he did not play in the 2006 World Cup despite being in the selected group. He only played in Euro 2008 which was not a great success.
Trophies :
Finalist World Cup x1
- 2006 (France)
Confederations Cup x2
- 2001 (France)
- 2003 (France)
Intertoto Cup x1
- 1997 (Olympique Lyonnais)
French League x7
- 2002 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2003 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2004 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2005 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2006 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2007 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2008 (Olympique Lyonnais)
Vice-Champion French League x1
- 2001 (Olympique Lyonnais)
French Cup x1
- 2008 (Olympique Lyonnais)
Finalist French Cup x1
- 2011 (PSG)
French League Cup x1
- 2001 (Olympique Lyonnais)
Trophée des Champions x5
- 2003 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2004 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2005 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2006 (Olympique Lyonnais)
- 2008 (Olympique Lyonnais)
Finalist Trophée des Champions x1
- 2011 (PSG)
Individual Trophies :
- UNFP Trophy for the best goalkeeper in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006
- Named in the typical team of the year of the French championship in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006
- Voted best goalkeeper of the Toulon Tournament in 1994