 Houllier in 2009 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gérard Paul Francis Houllier[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1947-09-03)3 September 1947[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Thérouanne,[2] France | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 14 December 2020(2020-12-14) (aged 73) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Boulogne-Billancourt, France | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1959–1968 | Hucqueliers | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1968–1969 | Alsop | ||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1971 | Hucqueliers | ||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1980 | Le Touquet | ||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1976 | Le Touquet | ||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1982 | Nœux-les-Mines | ||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1985 | Lens | ||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1988 | Paris Saint-Germain | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | France | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | France U18 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | France U20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2004 | Liverpool | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Lyon | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Aston Villa | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Gérard Paul Francis Houllier (French pronunciation:[ʒeʁaʁulje]; 3 September 1947 – 14 December 2020) was a French professionalfootball manager and player.[3] Clubs he managed includeParis Saint-Germain,Lens andLiverpool, where he won theFA Cup,League Cup,FA Charity Shield,UEFA Cup andUEFA Super Cup in 2001. He then guidedLyon to two French titles, before announcing his resignation on 25 May 2007. He became manager ofAston Villa in September 2010. He also coached theFrance national team between 1992 and 1993. He assistedAimé Jacquet in the1998 FIFA World Cup, was part ofUEFA's andFIFA's Technical Committee in the2002 and2006 FIFA World Cup finals, and technical director for theFrench Football Federation during the2010 finals. In June 2011, he stepped down from club coaching, leaving his managerial role at Aston Villa, following frequent hospitalisation over heart problems.
From July 2012 until his death, Houllier had been head of global football forRed Bull. He was responsible for Austrian sideRed Bull Salzburg, Germany'sRB Leipzig and American clubNew York Red Bulls,Red Bull Brasil, as well as the now dissolvedRed Bull Ghana academies. He became the technical director ofwomen's football clubsLyon Féminin andOL Reign in November 2020.[4]
Born inThérouanne, Houllier enteredLille University to pursue a degree in English, but in the first year his father's serious illness forced him to drop out of full-time study and start work, eventually as a school teacher, while he completed his degree part-time. As part of his degree, he elected to spend a year in 1969–1970 in the city ofLiverpool as an assistant atAlsop Comprehensive School, and while there he attended his firstLiverpool F.C. match on 16 September 1969, a 10–0 thrashing of Irish clubDundalk. He also played for an amateur local side, Alsop. He was an enthusiastic footballer, but never threatened the professional ranks as a player. He was deputy headmaster of the École Normale d'Arras until reaching age 26 in 1973, when he began his full-time managerial career as player-manager of Le Touquet.[5]
Between 1976 and 1982, Houllier was head coach of French amateur clubNœux-les-Mines.[5] Despite limited resources, the team achieved promotion during his tenure, rising to theDivision 2.[6] He then moved toLens in 1982, coaching them to promotion to the top division and qualification for theUEFA Cup, before moving toParis Saint-Germain in 1985, where PSG won the French title the following year. In 1988, Houllier was appointed technical director and assistant to theFrance national team, under managerMichel Platini. Houllier became manager in 1992, but resigned in November 1993 after France failed to qualify for the1994 FIFA World Cup finals.[7]
In the 2011 bookSecrets de coachs, Houllier singled out wingerDavid Ginola for blame in a crucial defeat toBulgaria during the qualification campaign. Ginola filed a lawsuit against Houllier for defamation, but this was dismissed by a French court in 2012.[8] Houllier remained as technical director for the national team until 1998, a role which included the coaching of France's junior sides. In 1996, Houllier's under-18 side won theEuropean Under-18 Championship, and several members of his youth teams, such asDavid Trezeguet andThierry Henry went on to form part of France's victorious team in the1998 FIFA World Cup.[9]
In July 1998, Houllier was invited to become joint team manager ofLiverpool, together withRoy Evans. The arrangement did not work out and Evans resigned in November after losing toTottenham Hotspur 3–1 at home in theLeague Cup on 10 November 1998. Prior to the defeat, Liverpool were eliminated from theUEFA Cup by Spanish sideCelta de Vigo. The departure of Evans left Houllier in sole charge of the team.[10]
Houllier began what he described as a five-year programme to rebuild the team, and restore discipline to a squad that had been labelled widely as "Spice Boys", as well as begin a continental approach, both tactically and in terms of personnel, to the game starting in 1999.[11] That summer,Paul Ince,David James,Jason McAteer,Rob Jones,Tony Warner andSteve Harkness were all sold, whileSteve McManaman left on a free transfer. Simultaneously, eight new players were signed:Sami Hyypiä,Dietmar Hamann,Stéphane Henchoz,Vladimír Šmicer,Sander Westerveld,Titi Camara,Eric Meijer andDjimi Traoré. The club's youth players such asJamie Carragher,Michael Owen andSteven Gerrard also became a cornerstone of the team. Liverpool's training facilities atMelwood were thoroughly overhauled.[11]
"When you play in a European final, you are looking for immortality. These boys have produced a game which will be remembered for a long time".
The rebuilding continued in 2000 with the signings ofMarkus Babbel,Nicky Barmby,Pegguy Arphexad,Grégory Vignal,Emile Heskey,Gary McAllister,Igor Bišćan andChristian Ziege, as well as the departures ofDavid Thompson,Phil Babb,Dominic Matteo,Steve Staunton,Brad Friedel andStig Inge Bjørnebye. The efforts yielded a result in the successful2000–01 season, when Liverpool won acup treble of theLeague Cup, theFA Cup and theUEFA Cup and finished third in thePremier League, hence qualifying for Champions League. In August 2001, Liverpool won theCharity Shield againstManchester United andUEFA Super Cup againstBayern Munich.[13]
In October 2001, after falling ill at half-time at Liverpool'sPremier League match withLeeds United, Houllier was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation due to the discovery of a heart condition, anaortic dissection.[14] With the help of caretaker managerPhil Thompson, he guided Liverpool to a second-place finish in the2001–02 FA Premier League season, at the time their best record in the Premiership. Houllier returned to active management of the club after five months, although significantly weakened by the heart condition.[15]
In the 2002—03 season, Liverpool finished in the fifth place in the Premier League, failing to qualify for the following season's UEFA Champions League after a final-day defeat to Chelsea.[16] Critics blamed Houllier's unsuccessful summer signings in 2002, namelyEl Hadji Diouf (Lens, £10 million),[17]Salif Diao (Sedan, £5 million)[18] andBruno Cheyrou (Lille, £4 million),[19] and his failure to makeNicolas Anelka's loan move permanent in favour of signing the ineffective Diouf. Houllier's failure to replace creative talents such asGary McAllister andJari Litmanen was also criticised.[20][21] In March 2003, Liverpool defeated Manchester United 2–0 in theLeague Cup Final.[22] In October 2003, Houllier appointed Steven Gerrard club captain.[23] With Liverpool failing to mount a title challenge in his last two seasons despite substantial investment in players with what was perceived as negative one-dimensional tactics and unattractive football, a poor youth policy, his constant mention of "turning corners"[24] and a lack of support from fans,[25] these factors led to Houllier's departure from Liverpool on 24 May 2004.[26] Having qualified the club for thefollowing season's Champions League, Houllier left Liverpool by mutual consent, after reluctantly agreeing to a board request that he leave the club.[27] He was replaced byValencia coachRafael Benítez.[28]
On 29 May 2005, it was announced that Houllier had signed a two-year contract as manager of the champions ofLigue 1, succeedingPaul Le Guen.Lyon had just won their previous fourth successive championship and Houllier was hired to convert this domestic dominance to the European stage. Despite continuing this dominance of Ligue 1, Lyon lost toMilan in the quarter-finals of the2005–06 Champions League while they crashed out to the inexperiencedRoma in the first knockout round of the2006–07 Champions League. Houllier also suffered a cup final defeat (Coupe de la Ligue) toBordeaux. However, in April 2007, Houllier won his second-straight (Lyon's sixth-straight) Ligue 1 title afterToulouse's loss toRennes. The 2006–07 season proved to be his last with the club: on 25 May 2007, he stepped down due to a fractious relationship with outspoken chairmanJean-Michel Aulas, who was frustrated at the club's inability to convert domestic dominance into European success.[29][30][31] An official statement on Lyon's website stated that Houllier asked to be released from the last season of his contract and that request was granted by the president. Houllier also said that he needed a break after experiencing two seasons with Lyon.[32]
Houllier was reappointed to the role of technical director for the France national team in September 2007, replacing interim-incumbentJean-Pierre Morlans.[33] Despite the team's poor performance duringUEFA Euro 2008, Houllier advisedFrench Football Federation presidentJean-Pierre Escalettes to keep faith with managerRaymond Domenech. This decision attracted criticism as France went on to be eliminated in the first round of the2010 FIFA World Cup.[34] Escalettes resigned from his post after the tournament, but Houllier chose not to step down. In an interview withStéphane Mandard ofLe Monde, he denied responsibility for the failed campaign, stating that his responsibilities did not extend to the first team and that he was not Domenech's line manager.[35]
On 8 September 2010, it was announced that English Premier League clubAston Villa had appointed Houllier as their new full-time manager, following the resignation of previous bossMartin O'Neill the month before.[36] In his first press conference at the club, it was revealed Houllier had not yet signed a contract and would not take charge of the club until a later date due to commitments with the French Football Federation.[37]
Houllier's first match in charge was theLeague Cup match againstBlackburn Rovers on 22 September. Villa won the match 3–1, coming back from a goal down to progress to the next round of the competition.[38] It was announced on 18 September 2010 thatGary McAllister had agreed to become his assistant manager, withGordon Cowans also taking a role in Houllier's backroom staff.[39] Two days after the Blackburn match, he signed a three-year contract.[40] However, Houllier's start at the club proved to be difficult. The side was hit with injuries to key playersGabriel Agbonlahor,Stiliyan Petrov,Nigel Reo-Coker andEmile Heskey, and managed just one win in ten Premier League matches.[41] In November 2010, Houllier signed 37-year-old formerArsenal midfielderRobert Pires on a free transfer in an attempt to aid the club during its injury crisis.[42] By January 2011, Villa had picked up just 21 points from 20 Premier League matches. The club had also been knocked out of the League Cup the previous month bylocal rivalsBirmingham City. On 5 January, Villa were beaten 1–0 at home bySunderland; this loss left Villa in 18th position in the league table, the first time they had been in the relegation zone since 2003.[43] During the match, a selection of the home crowd targeted Houllier with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" to vent their frustration at the club's poor run of form.[44] Despite this, Villa directors acted quickly to insist that Houllier's job as manager was safe.[45]
In theJanuary transfer Window, Houllier signedKyle Walker on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to improve Villa's struggling defence.[46] This signing was followed by the arrival ofJean Makoun from Houllier's former club Lyon,[47] before Sunderland'sDarren Bent was brought to Villa Park in a deal that broke the club's transfer record.[48] Villa's January transfer window was rounded off with the loan signing of American international midfielderMichael Bradley fromBorussia Mönchengladbach. In February 2011, Houllier criticised the commitment of Villa defendersHabib Beye andStephen Warnock. The pair were forced to train with the club'sreserve side and were not selected by the Frenchman, even when the club faced even more injury concerns.[49] After the defeat to Sunderland, Villa underwent a revival, winning five and drawing three of their next nine matches in the league and FA Cup, including defeatingManchester City 1–0 in a run which saw the team climb to 12th.[50][51]
However, Villa were eliminated from theFA Cup by Manchester City via a 3–0 away loss in early March 2011. Houllier chose to rest a number of key first-team players, a move that was criticised by fans and the media alike.[52] The club's league form also failed to improve. During a team-bonding exercise at a health spa inLeicestershire, Villa defendersJames Collins andRichard Dunne were involved in a confrontation with club staff. The players were each fined two weeks' wages. However, Houllier said the incident did not affect team morale.[53][54] On 19 March, Villa faced local rivalsWolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League at Villa Park. Prior to the match, a banner reading, "Had enough, Houllier out" was unveiled by some supporters in the stadium's Holte End stand.[55] However, this was quickly removed by the club's stewarding staff. The away side won 1–0 thanks to a goal fromMatt Jarvis, claiming their first win against Aston Villa in 31 years. Towards the end of the match, the home fans once again verbally attacked Houllier with chants of "we want Houllier out" and "you don't know what you're doing", before giving a chorus of boos at the final whistle.[56]
On 20 April 2011, Houllier was admitted to hospital after falling ill during the night. His condition was said to be stable, but he was not able to be at Aston Villa's training session the following day, and was not able to attend their match againstStoke City on 23 April, or any subsequent matches of the 2010–11 season. Gary McAllister took charge of all first team affairs in his stead.[57][58] On 1 June 2011, Houllier stepped down as manager of Aston Villa by mutual consent.[59][60] In Houllier's only season, Villa finished ninth.[61]
Houllier died on 14 December 2020, aged 73, inParis, after a heart operation. Former Liverpool captainSteven Gerrard paid tribute to Houllier, saying, "He was more than just a manager" and that he shaped him into "a better player, a better person, a better leader".[62][63][64][65]
| Team | From | To | Record | Refs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| 123 | 55 | 34 | 34 | 044.7 | [66][nb 1] |
| France | 1 July 1992 | 25 November 1993 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 058.3 | [68] |
| Liverpool (withRoy Evans) | 1 July 1998 | 12 November 1998 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 038.9 | [69][70] |
| Liverpool | 12 November 1998 | 24 May 2004 | 307 | 158 | 75 | 74 | 051.5 | [69] |
| Lyon | 2 June 2005 | 1 June 2007 | 108 | 69 | 25 | 14 | 063.9 | [69] |
| Aston Villa | 21 September 2010 | 1 June 2011 | 39 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 035.9 | [69] |
| Total | 607 | 310 | 152 | 145 | 051.1 | |||
.jpg)
Nœux-les-Mines
Paris Saint-Germain
Liverpool
Lyon
France U18
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
