 Opinel after winning the2008 FA Trophy Final withEbbsfleet United | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sacha Fernand Henri Opinel[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1977-04-09)9 April 1977 (age 48) | ||
| Place of birth | Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1997 | Cannes | ||
| 1997–1998 | Lille II | 11 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Ajaccio | 7 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Raith Rovers | 22 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Plymouth Argyle | 0 | (0) |
| 2001 | Leyton Orient | 11 | (1) |
| 2001–2002 | Billericay Town | 24 | (2) |
| 2003–2005 | Farnborough Town | 56 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | Crawley Town | 31 | (2) |
| 2006–2009 | Ebbsfleet United | 104 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Farnborough | 11 | (1) |
| 2010 | →Eastbourne Borough (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2010 | →Burgess Hill Town (loan) | ||
| 2010–2011 | Harlow Town | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sacha Fernand Henri Opinel (born 9 April 1977) is a French former professionalfootballer who played as adefender. He made over 200 appearances across France, Scotland, and England, winning theFA Trophy in 2008.
Opinel began his career with French clubsCannes,Lille andAjaccio before joining Scottish clubRaith Rovers in December 1999, where he made over 20 league and cup appearances.[2] He was released by Rovers in December 2000 by mutual consent after a series of on and off-the-field problems.[3] After training withThird Division club,Plymouth Argyle,[4] Opinel was given a short-term contract so that managerPaul Sturrock could take a closer look at him over the 2000 Christmas and New Year period.[5] He made only one appearance for Plymouth in aFootball League Trophy tie againstBristol Rovers[6] and was not offered a contract. After a trial atAFC Bournemouth,[7] he joinedLeyton Orient in February 2001, where he made eleven appearances in the remainder of the 2000–01 season,[2] scoring one goal againstCardiff City,[8] and helped Orient towards theThird Division play-offs in May 2001.[9]
Opinel then dropped into non-league football, joiningBillericay Town at the beginning of the 2001–02 season.[10] He joinedFarnborough Town in July 2003,[11] signing a two-year contract in May 2004,[12] but requested a transfer for personal and professional reasons and joinedCrawley Town in January 2005 in a deal that saw Farnborough receive a substantial transfer fee as well as havingRobert Traynor move from Crawley to Farnborough.[13] Opinel had started over 50 games for Farnborough.[14] Opinel agreed a contract until May 2006 with Crawley and in July 2006, he joined Gravesend & Northfleet (nowEbbsfleet United).[15] He signed a new contract in May 2007 and collected a winners' medal when Ebbsfleet won theFA Trophy atWembley Stadium in May 2008.[16] On 4 June 2009, Opinel re-joinedFarnborough.[17]
Opinel is the cousin of former professional footballerEric Cantona and actorJoël Cantona.[18]
Ebbsfleet United
