Joël Bats

1974/80 FC Sochaux (FRA) 72 matches

(French Championship: 66 matches)

(French Cup: 4 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 2 matches)

1980/85 AJ Auxerre (FRA) 195 matches

(French Championship: 184 matches)

(French Cup: 9 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 2 matches)

1985/92 Paris SG (FRA) 285 matches

(French Championship: 254 matches)

(French Cup: 25 matches)

(European Champion Clubs' Cup: 2 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 4 matches)

With the National Team :

50 caps

(Friendly matches: 16 caps)

(World Cup qualifiers: 16 caps)

(World Cup: 6 caps)

(Euro qualifiers: 7 caps)

(Euro: 5 caps)

1st cap: September 7, 1983 against Denmark (1-3)

Last cap: November 18, 1989 against Cyprus (2-0)

U23: 7 caps

Joël Bats

Born January 4, 1957 in Mont-de-Marsan (FRA)

French, goalkeeper, 1m78

Nickname: Batsman

Joël Bats, born on January 4, 1957 in Mont-de-Marsan in France, when he was young he played many sports and excelled in several of them, he became Aquitaine champion of javelin in the youth category, he played rugby during the week and football on weekends, he was then a left winger.

It was following the injury of the starting goalkeeper of his local club that he played for the first time in his life as a goalkeeper, the beginning of a great adventure. He was first selected with the cadets of the South-West of France with players like Félix Lacuesta and Jean-François Larios.

Having had a trial at Saint-Etienne, he was ultimately not retained by the club and he decided to go to the FC Sochaux training center, there, he was trained by Pierre Tournier and became a professional in 1976. He made his debut in the French first division that same year, in September against ASSE.

In competition with Albert Rust, he was selected for the French B team in February 1977. His rise was rapid and linear. In 1980, he left his first club to join AJ Auxerre, a great adventure, 195 matches played for 236 goals conceded and 59 clean sheets in a club that originally played in the middle/bottom of the championship table but which would reach the Europa League with Bats.

At 28, he finally joined PSG, then coached by Gérard Houllier. There, he will have one of his best seasons during his first, that of 1985/86, 46 matches played, 17 clean sheets and 38 goals conceded, which will allow the capital club to win the French championship.

He will remain a regular at PSG until the end of his career, in 1992, at the age of 35. At Paris Saint-Germain he is a true legend and a source of satisfaction, in 285 matches, he concedes 281 goals and achieves 112 clean sheets, enough to give him a place among the best goalkeepers in the history of the championship.

His adventure with the French national team is legendary, a leading figure in French football, he becomes the best French goalkeeper during his time at Auxerre and wins his first selection against Denmark, a 3-1 defeat but France keeps its new goalkeeper for 6 years.

With him in the goal, a new French era began, he greatly contributed to France's European success at Euro 1984, the first major title for the French football team. Two years later, he had a sensational 1986 World Cup, knocking out Brazil on penalties, stopping those of Zico and Sócrates, with him, France finished in a historic 3rd place.

- So Foot magazine ranks him in the top 1000 best players in the French championship in 92nd place in 2022

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