Grégory Coupet

Football player infobox
playername = Grégory Coupet

Gregory Coupet

fullname = Grégory Coupet
height = height|m=1.81
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1972|12|31
cityofbirth = Le Puy-en-Velay
countryofbirth = France
currentclub = Atlético Madrid
clubnumber = 1
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs = Olympique Le Puy
years = 1993–1997
1997–2008
2008–
clubs = Saint-Étienne
Olympique Lyonnais
Atletico Madrid
caps(goals) = 088 (0)
357 (0)
003 (0)
nationalyears = 2001–
nationalteam = France
nationalcaps(goals) = 034 (0)
pcupdate = February 20 2008
ntupdate = June 17 2008

Grégory Coupet (born December 31, 1972 in Le Puy-en-Velay) is a French football goalkeeper currently playing for Atletico Madrid in Spain.

Club career

Coupet began his club career with hometown team Club Olympique Le Puy, before going pro with AS Saint-Étienne in 1994. He made his Ligue 1 debut on 26 March 1994 in a 2-0 victory against Angers SCO [ [http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur2614.html L'Equipe - Gregory Coupet profile] ] . After three seasons, he surprisingly moved to league rival Olympique Lyonnais (the two cities are only 80 kilometers apart, and are long-time local and national rivals). His gamble paid off as Lyon have regularly dominated the Le Championnat since 2002 and are also a regular fixture in the UEFA Champions League.

Coupet performed a memorable double save against FC Barcelona during an UEFA Champions League 2001-02 match, when he first acrobatically headed an unintended lob by a defender to his own crossbar, and then immediately parried a close header by the arriving Barcelona striker Rivaldo. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/soccer/longterm/2001/uefa/champleague/firstphase/barcalyon.htm Kluivert Class Earns Barca Win Over Lyon] ] [ [http://www.wldcup.com/news/2001Oct/20011010_10744_world_soccer.html Champions League - FC Barcelona 2 Olympique Lyon 0] ]

He openly wept during the group photo before France faced Turkey in a 2003 Confederations Cup semifinal match, which had taken place just hours after the shocking death of his close friend and former Lyon teammate Marc-Vivien Foé [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/27/1056683905680.html Cameroon player collapses, dies] ] . Coupet credits the aftermath of Foe's death in helping him gain a new perspective on life, in the process settling his differences with Lyon after having been engaged in nasty contract imbroglios for most of the 2002-03 season, which included at one point his vowing never to play for the club again.

In 2005 Coupet was voted for the first time, at age 33, into the top 10 for the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award. He finished with 43 votes, fourth behind winner Petr Čech, Dida, and Gianluigi Buffon, respectively. He has also twice been named Ligue 1 Keeper of the Year, in 2004 and 2005. [ [http://www.iffhs.de/?d847e4a95e99a54384d85fe8f55005fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aeecf8a3c1d The World's best Goalkeeper 2005] ]

On August 2, 2007, Coupet suffered a torn internal medial ligament in his left knee after catching his foot in the net during a training session. He underwent surgery four days later and missed the remainder of 2007, including France's final Euro 2008 qualifiers. He later joked on Lyon's official television network, "The good side...is that [France] have a rugby World Cup coming and I’ll be able to enjoy every bit of it.”" [ [http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2007/8/4/sports/18499286&sec=sports Coupet out for four months] ]

Coupet returned to the squad in the new year making his return in Lyon's 4-0 victory over Ligue 2 side US Créteil in the Coupe de France on January 6, 2008. [ [http://www6.sbs.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=103251 Coupet on track for comeback] ] Since his return, he has played all of Lyon's matches; including the Champions League games against Manchester United.

On Friday, May 23, 2008, Coupet announced that he will play his final game for Lyon in the French Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain. [ [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=776152.html?cid=rssfeed&att= Coupet to leave Lyon after Cup final] ] After several weeks of uncertainity, it was officially confirmed by Atletico Madrid on July 7, 2008, that Coupet will continue his career at the Spanish club, signing a contract for two seasons and signed for 1.5 million. [ [http://www.clubatleticodemadrid.com/en/atleticoaldia/noticias.asp?id=2664 Atlético de Madrid signs Gregory Coupet, French national team starting goalkeeper] ] [ [http://www.clubatleticodemadrid.com/en/atleticoaldia/noticias.asp?id=2669 Gregory Coupet puts on the Club Atlético de Madrid jersey for the first time] ]

International career

Coupet has 27 caps with France. He made his international debut against Australia during France's 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-winning campaign. He was called up for the 2002 FIFA World Cup as the backup to Fabien Barthez, but did not play. The following year, Coupet kept three clean sheets and conceded only three goals in five games as France won the 2003 Confederations Cup, which marked their second victory in the competition in three years.

In February 2006, "France Football" magazine conducted a poll among its readers as to who should be France's first-choice goalie for the World Cup; Coupet received 69 percent of the votes (Barthez received 28 percent). [ [http://www.worldcuplatest.com/france-fans-vote-gregory-coupet-to-succeed-fabien-barthez-as-first-choice-goalkeeper-for-les-bleus.html France Fans Vote Gregory Coupet] ]

Though Coupet started six of 10 games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, coach Raymond Domenech surprisingly elected Barthez as his number one, which would relegate Coupet to the bench once again. Many had expected Coupet to be chosen as the starter due to his excellent performances with Olympique Lyonnais that had contributed greatly to their torrid streak of five Ligue 1 championships. This ultimately led to a row on May 25, 2006 between Coupet and Domenech that resulted in Coupet storming out of the team's training camp in Tignes with his family in tow, but he later returned and made amends with the coach. [ [http://www.rediff.com/sports/2006/may/25coupet.htm Coupet storms out after Barthez dispute] ]

Coupet is now France's number one after Barthez announced his retirement from both club and country football in August 2006. His first regular stint - currently during the Euro 2008 qualifiers - however, has gotten off to a less-than-desired start; France were upset by Scotland 1-0 on October 7, and a hand injury suffered in that match kept him out of France's 5-0 victory over the Faroe Islands four days later.

He was first choice goalkeeper for Euro 2008, conceding six goals in three matches as France were eliminated in the group stage.

Honors

With Lyon:
* Ligue 1 - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Trophée Des Champions - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
* Coupe de la Ligue - 2001
* UEFA Intertoto Cup - 1997
* Peace Cup: 2007
* Coupe de France: 2008

With France:
* FIFA Confederations Cup - 2001, 2003

External links

*FIFA player|182640
* [http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur2614.html Career Statistics]
* [http://www.channel4.com/sport/french_football/interviews/coupet.html Playing the waiting game]
* [http://au.news.yahoo.com/051004/15/p/w7qr.html Ambitious Coupet lays claim to Barthez's goalkeeping spot]
* [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sport24.com%2Ffootball%2Fligue-1%2Factualites%2Fpas-encore-a-100-98856%2F&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8 Not Yet at 100% (translated interview)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri_BmyOUSj0 Grégory Coupet face à Rivaldo en 1999]

References