Sacha Opinel

Football player infobox
playername = Sacha Opinel


fullname = Sacha Opinel
nickname =
height = height|meters=1.77
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|4|9
cityofbirth = Bourg-Saint-Maurice
countryofbirth = France
currentclub = Ebbsfleet United
clubnumber = 3
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1991-1997
1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001
2001-2002
2003-2005
2005-2006
2006-
clubs = Cannes
Lille 2
Ajaccio
Raith Rovers
Plymouth Argyle
Leyton Orient
Billericay Town
Farnborough Town
Crawley Town
Ebbsfleet United
caps(goals) = 0- (-)
11 (0)
07 (0)
22 (0)
00 (0)
11 (1)
24 (2)
56 (2)
31 (2)
84 (0)
nationalyears =
pcupdate = 18:57, 9 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Sacha Opinel (born 9 April 1977 in Bourg-Saint-Maurice) is a French professional footballer who plays for Ebbsfleet United as a defender. He has made over 200 appearances in the French Lique, the Scottish League, the English Football League and the English Football Conference, and won a FA Trophy winners medal in 2008.

Career

Opinel, who is a relative of Eric Cantona, began his career with French clubs Cannes, Lille and Ajaccio before joining Scottish club Raith Rovers in December 1999, where he made over 20 league and cup appearances.cite news|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=18912|title=Sasha Opinel |work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-06-14] He was released by Rovers in December 2000 by mutual consent after a series of on and off-the-field problems. [cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68204213.html|title=Not got Opinel|date=2000-12-19|publisher=The Mirror|accessdate=2008-06-14] After training with Third Division club, Plymouth Argyle, [cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68309690.html|title=Opinel for Plymouth|date=2000-12-21|publisher=The Mirror|accessdate=2008-06-14] Opinel was given a short-term contract so that manager Paul Sturrock could take a closer look him over the 2000 Christmas and New Year period. [cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68526889.html|title=Pilgrim's Progress|date=2000-12-29|publisher=The Mirror|accessdate=2008-06-14] He made only one appearance for Plymouth in a Football League Trophy tie against Bristol Rovers [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1108386.stm|title=Bristol Rovers 3-0 Plymouth|date=2001-01-09|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-14] and was not offered a contract. After a trial at Bournemouth, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bournemouth/1160224.stm|title=Purches returns for Cherries|date=2001-02-08|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-14] he joined Leyton Orient in February 2001, where he made eleven appearances in the remainder of the 2000–01 season and helped Orient towards the Third Division play-offs in May 2001. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/1352122.stm|title=Blackpool pip Orient to promotion|date=2001-05-26|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-14]

Opinel then dropped into non-league football, joining Billericay Town at the beginning of the 2001–02 season. [cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=1505|title=Foreign influence at Billericay|date=2001-11-29|publisher=Non League Daily|accessdate=2008-06-14] He joined Farnborough Town in July 2003, [cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=11538|title=Taylor add three more to Boro squad|date=2003-07-28|publisher=Non League Daily.|accessdate=2008-06-14] signing a two-year contract in May 2004, [cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=17555|title=Opinel boost for Seare|date=2004-05-14|publisher=Non League Daily|accessdate=2008-06-14] but requested a transfer for personal and professional reasons and joined Crawley Town in January 2005 in a deal that saw Farnborough receive a substantial transfer fee as well as Robert Traynor move from Crawley to Farnborough. [cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=23566|title=Crawley and Farnborough in swop deal|date=2005-01-15|publisher=Non league Daily|accessdate=2008-06-14] Opinel had started over 50 games for Farnborough. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crawley_town/4175725.stm|title=Crawley complete Opinel signing |date=2005-01-14|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-15] Opinel agreed a contract until May 2006 with Crawley and in July 2006, he joined Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United). [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/gravesend_and_northfleet/5144560.stm|title=Frenchman Opinel joins Gravesend |date=2006-07-04|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-15] He signed a new contract in May 2007 and collected a winners medal when Ebbsfleet won the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium in May 2008. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/7382167.stm|title=Ebbsfleet 1-0 Torquay|date=2008-05-10|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-06-15]

Honours

*FA Trophy: 2008

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=18912
* [http://ebbsfleetunited.co.uk/eufc/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=43 Profile on Ebbsfleet United website]