Lucien Gamblin

1906/07 US Saint-Mandé (FRA)

1907/17 Red Star (FRA)

1917/18 Club Français (FRA)

1918/23 Red Star (FRA)

With the National Team :

17 caps

(Friendly matches: 17 caps)

1st cap: April 23, 1911 against Switzerland (2-5)

Last cap: May 10, 1923 against England (1-4)

Lucien Victor Gamblin

Born July 22, 1890 in Ivry-sur-Seine (FRA)

Died August 30, 1972 in Paris (FRA)

French, Left-Back, Center-Back, 1m72

Nickname: "Lulu la Matraque"

Lucien Gamblin was born on July 22, 1890 in Ivry-sur-Seine in France. He began his football career at US Saint-Mandé before joining Red Star in 1907 where he remained until 1917. His career was interrupted by the First World War. He then went for a season to the Club Français before returning to Red Star for 5 more years.

Gamblin was a defender with a strong character, left side/center-back, he was known for having a big heart. A true leader on the field, he had exemplary courage and behavior. Very strong physically, he had both the speed and vertical jump of great players. Very aggressive in his way of defending, he was considered by the French newspaper "L'Auto" as "the most typical and the most picturesque" of the captains of the French team.

Giving shoulder blows and not letting himself be beaten in a duel, he was one if not the best defender in the country. Very gifted, he was called up for the first time to the French team in 1911, for a match against Switzerland on April 23, a 5-2 defeat. At the time, the French National Team was mediocre, it had just suffered 13 defeats in 14 matches.

Gamblin returned to the French National Team two years later, the team was then a little better and signed a few victories. With its legendary goalkeeper, Pierre Chayriguès, France had better defensive solidity and the arrival in the starting role of Lucien Gamblin would help the team a little more. Despite everything, the French team lost 4-1 against the Three Lions on February 27, 1913.

But Gamblin earned his place and had his first victory in the French team, an 8-0 victory against Luxembourg for his third selection. A record for this team at the time, and a record that would stand for 82 years. This match also marked the beginning of a magnificent duo that he formed with Gabriel Hanot.

With his two new defenders, France won a match against Belgium 4-3 and drew 2-2 against Switzerland before losing 2-0 against Italy in 1914. Things were improving. His international and club career came to a halt when the First World War broke out, he was mobilized on the front and distinguished himself in combat and received 9 citations as well as a captaincy.

At the end of the war, he returned to the world of football and returned to the French national team alongside Gabriel Hanot. In June 1919, he took part in the Interallied Games, which were reserved for soldiers who had participated in the conflict. For the football tournament, which brought together 8 teams, Gamblin, who was captain of the team, performed brilliantly. During the first three matches, France won each time, and did not concede a single goal. Unfortunately, France lost in the final against Czechoslovakia following Chayriguès' injury.

With the appearance of the Coupe de France, French football became structured and the French Football Association Federation was created. The Coupe de France was then the most precious trophy in the country. A trophy that brought together all the French teams and was therefore extremely difficult to win.

During the year 1921, Lucien Gamblin experienced both a complicated season with the French team and two exploits in club and national selection. Of France's 5 matches, 4 ended in defeats, but France would achieve a feat, defeating the Three Lions on May 5.

However, this day will remain a bad memory for the defender who asked the coach of the time not to start him because of back pain. The coach did not listen to him and forced him onto the field. Gamblin was broken in two by the pain, at half-time he was writhing in pain, at the end of the match, he was taken straight to the hospital, it was a torn lumbar region. France won the match 2-1 despite the deplorable and valiant state of its captain.

A few days later, he won the Coupe de France with Red Star against Olympique de Paris in the final, final score 2-1. Like Luis Suarez, he made a saving gesture during this final: he stopped the ball with both hands on the goal line, thus conceding a penalty likely to put Olympique back on level terms. But the Red Star captain tried to distract Devaquez and his shot was easily stopped by Chayriguès.

Gamblin ended his adventure with the French national team in 1923, with first of all a trip to Spain in January, where 7 Red Star players were in the French XI, unfortunately, Spain which was then one of the best European nations would crush France 3-0. Gamblin would have completely missed his match due to lack of vivacity.

His last selection with France would come in May, when he played against England and lost "only" 4-1, thanks to a spectacular match by goalkeeper Chayriguès who stopped many shots. At the end of the match, the goalkeeper would be carried in triumph by the public. Gamblin decided on the contrary, to retire from international football as well as from his club.

The last match of his career would be the final of the Coupe de France 1923, which he won, a competition that he won 3 times in a row and established himself as one of the greatest legends of French football at the time.

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