 Keller in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marc Albert Joseph Keller[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1968-01-14)14 January 1968 (age 57)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Colmar,[2] Haut-Rhin, France | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Fessenheim | |||
| SR Colmar | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1991 | Mulhouse | 118 | (15) |
| 1991–1996 | Strasbourg | 149 | (35) |
| 1996–1998 | Karlsruher SC | 61 | (13) |
| 1998–2001 | West Ham United | 44 | (5) |
| 2000–2001 | →Portsmouth (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 377 | (68) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1998 | France | 6 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marc Albert Joseph Keller (born 14 January 1968) is a French former professionalfootballer and current executive who has been president ofRC Strasbourg Alsace since 2012. He played primarily as amidfielder,[3][4] for clubs in France, Germany and England. He played six games for thenational side, scoring one goal againstBrazil.
Keller began his executive career at Strasbourg from 2001 to 2006, followed by a tenure atMonaco from 2006 to 2011. In June 2012, he led a consortium that bought Strasbourg, taking them from the fourth tier to Ligue 1. He sold the club toBlueCo in 2023 while remaining president.
Keller began his career in France playing forMulhouse. In 1991 he moved toStrasbourg whom he helped win the1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring a hat-trick in the second leg of the final againstFC Tirol Innsbruck.[5] In 1996 he moved to Germany to play forKarlsruher SC.
Keller was signed by West Ham in July 1998 on a free transfer by managerHarry Redknapp. He made his debut on 12 September in a 2–1 home win againstLiverpool as an 86th-minute substitute forJohn Hartson, and scored his first goal on 22 November in a 2–0 away win againstDerby County.[6] He played 22 games in his first season in all competitions scoring five goals as West Ham finished in fifth place in thePremier League to qualify for theIntertoto Cup.[6]
The following season, Keller played four games in the tournament including the second leg of the final away againstMetz. West Ham won the game 3–1 to win the trophy 3–2 on aggregate,[7][8][9] this being the second time Keller had won the tournament having also won it four years previously at Strasbourg. West Ham therefore qualified for theUEFA Cup as one of the three winners of the competition for that season.[6][10] Keller played in three of West Ham's four games in the UEFA Cup and 34 games with one goal in all competitions during the2000–01 season.[6] However, in the2001–02 season he played just a single game, againstWalsall in theLeague Cup. In September 2000, Keller was sent on loan toPortsmouth ofDivision One.[11] He played three games before returning to West Ham.[12]
In January 2001, Keller was allowed to leave on a free transfer toBlackburn Rovers,[6] as part of a deal which sawChristian Dailly move to West Ham for £1.7 million.[13] Keller played only five games for Blackburn, two in the league and three in theFA Cup, all as substitute appearances.[12] His last game came on 7 March 2001, a 3–0 home win againstBolton Wanderers, when he was a 73rd-minute substitute forDamien Duff.[12] It was his last game in professional football.
Keller made his debut forFrance on 15 November 1995 in aUEFA Euro 1996qualifier at home toIsrael inCaen, as a last-minute substitute forChristian Karembeu.[14] He played six times for France, scoring once. On 3 June 1997 in a match inLe Tournoi, Keller scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw withBrazil, whereRoberto Carlos had previously scored his iconic free kick.[15] His last game was on 25 March 1998, from the bench in a 1–0 friendly loss away toRussia.[16]
Keller was hired as director of football and then chief executive at Strasbourg in 2001, with the club inLigue 2. In June 2006, following their relegation back, he left forMonaco in Ligue 1.[17] He had two spells with theprincipality club, with a brief intermission between 2008 and 2009, and left following their relegation in June 2011.[18]
In June 2012, Keller led a local consortium that bought Strasbourg from Frédéric Sitterlé, paying a euro each for the corporate and branding rights of the club.[19] Having taken the team from the fourth tier to being established in Ligue 1, he sold the club in June 2023 toBlueCo, owners ofChelsea, while remaining club president.[20]
Keller's wife Sabryna is the founder of Femmes de Foot, an association representing women in football.[21] His younger brotherFrançois played Strasbourg andFulham and was later hired by the former as the academy director; Marc Keller's son Mehdi joined as his assistant in June 2022.[22]
In April 2019, Keller received theBretzel d'or [fr] (GoldenPretzel), a cultural award in Alsace.[23]
Orders
