 Girard in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | René Émile Girard | ||
| Date of birth | (1954-04-04)4 April 1954 (age 71) | ||
| Place of birth | Vauvert, Gard, France | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1980 | Nîmes | 202 | (27) |
| 1980–1988 | Bordeaux | 241 | (17) |
| 1988–1991 | Nîmes | 92 | (5) |
| Total | 535 | (49) | |
| International career | |||
| 1981–1982 | France | 7 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1991–1994 | Nîmes | ||
| 1996–1997 | Pau FC | ||
| 1998 | Strasbourg | ||
| 2002–2003 | France U19 | ||
| 2003–2004 | France U16 | ||
| 2004–2008 | France U21 | ||
| 2009–2013 | Montpellier | ||
| 2013–2015 | Lille | ||
| 2016 | Nantes | ||
| 2018 | Wydad AC | ||
| 2020–2021 | Paris FC | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
René Émile Girard (born 4 April 1954) is a Frenchfootball manager and formerplayer.
René Émile Girard[2] was born on 4 April 1954 inVauvert, Gard.[3]
Girard won seven caps, scoring one goal forFrance and was a member of the squad that finished fourth at the1982 World Cup. At club level, while playing forBordeaux, Girard won threeLigue 1 titles – in1983–84,1984–85 and1986–87, as well as twoCoupes de France, overMarseille in the1986 and1987 editions.[citation needed]
Girard managedNîmes,Strasbourg,Pau FC and multipleFrance youth teams. He coached theFrance national under-21 team from 2004 to 2008.[citation needed]
On 3 June 2009, he became the new head coach ofMontpellier HSC, replacingRolland Courbis. In the2011–12 season, Montpellier shocked the footballing world by winning its firstLigue 1 title, finishing the season with 82 points, three more thanrunner-upParis Saint-Germain. He said after his team won it. "I think our triumph is a real shot in the arm forFrench football.[4][5][6] "It just goes to show that everyone can beat everyone and that money isn't the be-all and end-all. We're a club of mates, a club that brings young players through and gives them a chance. "At the end of the day, it's worked out well for us. We played some great football, with a well-balanced team and I'm overwhelmed."[7][8][9]
He signed forLille in July 2013, replacingRudi Garcia who left forRoma.[10][11][12]
On 30 September 2018, he was appointed as the head coach of Moroccan clubWydad AC.[13]
Bordeaux
Montpellier
