Yoann Gourcuff
Encyclopedia
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais
in Ligue 1
. He operates mainly as an attacking midfielder, but can also be utilized as a withdrawn striker and is described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an accomplished passer of the ball". Gourcuff has been described by former French international
David Ginola
as the best French player of his generation. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane
.
Gourcuff is the son of Christian Gourcuff
, the current manager of Ligue 1 club FC Lorient
, where Yoann began his career. In 2001, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined Rennes. After progressing through the youth ranks and making the senior team, Gourcuff quickly became a fan favorite among supporters and his individual achievements soon led to interest from clubs abroad, which resulted in a move to Italian club AC Milan
. Gourcuff achieved many club honours despite not being able to break into the starting eleven, which resulted in the player being sent on loan to Ligue 1 club Bordeaux in his home country of France. Following a successful season, in which Bordeaux captured the league and league cup double
and Gourcuff attained several individuals honours, he signed with the club permanently. Gourcuff is a former winner of the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and, in December 2009, was named the French Player of the Year for the 2009 calendar year. In August 2010, he joined Olympique Lyonnais
on a five-year contract.
Gourcuff is a French international
. Prior to playing at senior level, he played on the under-19 team
that won the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship. Gourcuff made his senior national team debut in August 2008. He scored his first international goal two months later against Romania
. Gourcuff made his first major tournament appearance for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. Since joining the national team, he has been inserted into the playmaker
role, a position that was vacated and never filled following the retirement of Zidane in 2006.
, Morbihan, Brittany to parents Dr. Marine Thalouarn and Christian Gourcuff
, both being Bretons
. Gourcuff comes from a very athletic family. His mother was a basketball player, his older brother, Erwan, is a competitive swimmer and cyclist, while his father was a former footballer who played for several clubs in such countries as France, Switzerland, and Canada, however, he is best known for his time at Rennes, Lorient
, and Le Mans. Gourcuff's father later moved into the managerial role having stints at Rennes, Le Mans, Lorient (twice), and Qatar
i club Al-Gharafa. He currently serves as manager of Lorient, his third stint at the club, whom he has managed since 2003. As a youth, the younger Gourcuff excelled at both football and tennis, becoming the top player of his age group (12), but eventually opted to focus on football. While beginning his career as a football player, Gourcuff admired and drew inspiration from the playing style of the Brazil national team
from the 1970s, whom he discovered from watching tapes with his father. He often attempted to emulate the skills of Brazilian legend Pelé
.
, who were, at the time, managed by his father in 1992. During his time at Lorient, he also trained at PEF Ploufragan
, a regional academy located in the Brittany region that trained players similarly to the Clairefontaine
academy in the Île-de-France
. Further to his father's departure to Stade Rennais, Gourcuff, who initially considered rivals
Nantes, followed suit and signed an aspirant (youth) contract with the club in 2001. He spent two years in the club's youth academy and, while competing domestically in the system, Gourcuff played on the club's under-19 team that won the 2003 edition of the Coupe Gambardella
. Rennes defeated Strasbourg
4–1 in the final match at the Stade de France
. Gourcuff scored the club's opening goal. Included on that team with Gourcuff were future club and international teammates Jimmy Briand
and Sylvain Marveaux
.
Ahead of the 2003–04 season. Gourcuff was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
, Gourcuff appeared in 15 matches and scored two goals with the team before signing his first professional contract in November 2003, which resulted in his promotion to the senior team by manager Laszlo Bölöni. Gourcuff made his professional debut on 25 January 2004 in a 2–0 victory to Croix-de-Savoie in the Coupe de France
appearing as a substitute. On 7 February, he made his league debut in a 2–0 defeat to Auxerre
appearing as a substitute. Following the match, he was relegated back to the reserve team. Gourcuff returned to the senior team in late March making two more substitute appearances against Strasbourg and Lille
. On 18 April, he made his first professional start in a 3–1 win over Bordeaux
. Gourcuff made his second career start on the final match day of the season assisting on a goal in a 4–0 victory over Montpellier
.
For the second consecutive season under Bölöni, Gourcuff rotated between the club's reserve team and the senior team. He appeared in nine matches with the reserve team and 21 with the senior team. Gourcuff only started six matches with the latter team scoring no goals and providing one assist. In the 2005–06 season, he was re-assigned the number 10 shirt by Bölöni and giving a starting place within the team. In his first season as a starter, Gourcuff appeared in 42 total matches and scored six goals. He formed midfield partnerships with fellow Frenchman Olivier Monterrubio
and the Swede
Kim Källström
and made his European
debut on 15 September in a UEFA Cup
first round tie against Spanish club Osasuna
appearing as a substitute. Rennes won the tie 3–1 on aggregate and were later eliminated in the group stage portion of the competition. Three days after his European debut, on 18 September, Gourcuff scored his first professional goal against Monaco
in a 2–0 win. In November, Gourcuff scored goals in back-to-back matches against Troyes
and Toulouse
. In the latter part of the season, Gourcuff went on a scoring run netting three goals in a span of four weeks. He scored the first of these goals on 25 February 2006 in a 4–1 away win over Lyon
. After going a week without a goal, Gourcuff responded by scoring goals in back-to-back weeks in wins over Ajaccio
and Metz
. In the Coupe de France
, Gourcuff appeared in all four of the team's matches as Rennes reached the semi-finals where the club was defeated 3–0 by Marseille
. Rennes ultimately finished the season in 7th place in the league, which resulted in the club qualifying for the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup
. Gourcuff finished his Rennes career with 80 appearances, six goals, and nine assists.
club Ajax, Spanish club Valencia
, and English club Arsenal
. He ultimately joined Italian
club Milan
. He signed a five-year contract with €4.58 million transfer fee Gourcuff was assigned the number 20 shirt and made his competitive debut for the Rossoneri on 9 August 2006 in the club's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie against Serbia
n club Red Star Belgrade
. He appeared as a substitute in the 81st minute for Andrea Pirlo
as Milan won the match 1–0. In his next competitive match with the club against Greek
outfit AEK Athens in the Champions League group stage, Gourcuff scored his first career goal for the club in a 3–0 win. Gourcuff didn't make his Serie A
debut until 20 September playing the entire match in a 1–0 win over Ascoli
. In the ensuing matches, Gourcuff rotated between the starting lineup and the bench and capped the season by scoring in Milan's final match of the Seria A season; a 3–2 defeat to Udinese
. Despite not appearing in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final
, which Milan won, Gourcuff did earn a winner's medal with the club as a result of his participation in the group stage and knockout round matches.
Due to Milan winning the UEFA Champions League, Gourcuff was included in the squads that competed in the 2007 UEFA Super Cup
and the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup
, though he didn't appear in the former match and appeared infrequently in the latter competition. In the 2007–08 Serie A season, Gourcuff struggled for playing time as he was in direct competition with the Brazilian international
and 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year
winner Kaká
. Gourcuff's development and attitude at the club was also questioned by manager Carlo Ancelotti
who critically stated that the player had psychological issues. Gourcuff only appeared in 15 league matches for the club starting only four. He scored his only goal of the season on 31 October 2007 in a 5–0 hammering of Sampdoria
. On 24 February 2008, after appearing as a half-time substitute, Gourcuff assisted on the game-winning goal scored in the 90th minute by Filippo Inzaghi
in Milan's 2–1 win over Palermo
. In the final nine matches of the season, Gourcuff was an unused substitute in seven of them. In Gourcuff's final match at the club, he asssisted on the final goal by Alexandre Pato
in the club 5–1 win over Reggina
.
Following the season, on 31 May 2008, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani
revealed that the club would loan Gourcuff to French club Bordeaux
for the entire 2008–09 season to allow him more playing time. In 2010, in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe
, former Milan captain Paolo Maldini
stated that Gourcuff lacked discipline while at the club and often distant himself from the team citing the player's refusal to learn the Italian language
. Maldini also stated that Gourcuff did not give his all during his stint at Milan and that the player himself knew it. Gourcuff did not respond to the comments, but his father, Christian, did stating to France Football
that there was some sort of conspiracy out there looking to tarnish his son's image. The elder Gourcuff responded to Maldini's charges stating his son "took two hours (of Italian language courses) per day and spoke Italian after two months" and that "he is passionate about tactics" in response to Maldini saying Gourcuff refused to learn Italian and he was limited tactically. Gourcuff was also defended by his club president Jean-Louis Triaud
at his former club Bordeaux who stated in response to Maldini's comments "Yoann is not like that. A number ten who does not play with the group is a little weird. This does not correspond at all to what we saw with Yoann at Bordeaux. He was well integrated with his teammates, and collectively with them on the ground. He left good memories here."
in a 2–1 victory and also helping Bordeaux capture their 2nd Trophée des champions
title. He scored Bordeaux's 4th and final goal in the team's 4–0 triumph over Vannes
in the Coupe de la Ligue final
. Gourcuff also provided the assist on the third goal. He scored two goals in Bordeaux's Champions League campaign against Roma
and CFR Cluj
. On 11 January 2009, Gourcuff scored a goal that was voted the goal of the season by fans against Paris Saint-Germain in a 4–0 victory. Upon receiving the ball from teammate Matthieu Chalmé
, just outside of the box, Gourcuff performed a swift Marseille turn
, eluding PSG defender Sylvain Armand
, followed by quickly shifting the ball from his right foot to his left causing Sammy Traoré
to lose balance, before bringing the ball back to his right foot and blasting it past Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Mickaël Landreau
with the outside of his right foot.
The following two weeks, Gourcuff scored his fifth and sixth goals, respectively, against Nantes in a 2–1 victory and Lille
in a 2–2 draw. After going goalless in the league for seven straight weeks, Gourcuff got back on track scoring against relegation-bound Le Havre
. On 20 April 2009, Gourcuff scored his first career double against his former club Rennes in a 3–2 victory. In the ensuing three weeks, Gourcuff maintained his form scoring in all three matches, against Sochaux
, Valenciennes
, and Le Mans giving him a tally of 12 league goals for the season. Bordeaux won all three matches, which effectively put them in first place position heading into the final week of the season. Bordeaux eventually won the league capturing the sixth title in the club's history. The club also recorded its second ever double
, as a result of its Coupe de la Ligue
title. For his efforts during the 2008–09 season, Gourcuff was awarded the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. He was also named in the organization's Ligue 1 Team of the Year. His performances during the 2008–09 season later earned him a nomination by the French magazine France Football
for the 2009 Ballon d'Or
award, won by Lionel Messi
as Gourcuff finished in 20th place with six points.
Due to Gourcuff's impressive season, his parent club announced that it would be open to the player returning to Milan
for the 2009–10 season. However, the club's plans were put on halt after learning of Bordeaux's intent to meet Gourcuff's buy-out clause of €15 million included in the loan deal. Despite general manager
Adriano Galliani
and new manager Leonardo
's efforts to persuade Gourcuff to return, on 28 May, it was announced that Bordeaux had signed Gourcuff permanently from Milan with Gourcuff agreeing to a four-year deal. The transfer fee was €13.6 million.
Gourcuff began the 2009–10 season claiming his fourth silverware with Bordeaux on 25 July 2009, winning the 2009 Trophée des Champions
title in a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. As a result of his performance, he was named Man of the Match
. Two weeks later, he scored a double in the club's opening match of the league season against Lens
. The final result was 4–1. The victory set a record in league play for most consecutive wins for the club with 12. On 23 August, he scored another set of goals, this time against Nice
in a 4–0 victory.
In the UEFA Champions League
, Gourcuff assisted on Bordeaux's only goal in the club's opening 1–1 draw against Italian club Juventus
scored by Jaroslav Plašil
. On 30 September, Gourcuff suffered a groin injury in the club's 1–0 victory over Israel
i club Maccabi Haifa
, which forced him to miss two league matches and an international call up. Bordeaux lost both matches. He returned to the team for Bordeaux's back-to-back matches with German club Bayern Munich
. In the first match, which Bordeaux won 2–1, Gourcuff missed a penalty
after attempting to cheekily chip the ball over goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt
, however in the second match, he made amends scoring the game winning goal in Bordeaux's 2–0 victory at the Allianz Arena
. Bordeaux eventually finished the group stage portion undefeated.
For most of November and the early part of December, Gourcuff suffered a dip in form in league play going scoreless and also not providing any assists. Manager Laurent Blanc
later stated that Gourcuff had lacked confidence since returning from his injury following Gourcuff's second penalty miss of the season in the club's midweek 1–0 victory over Montpellier
on 16 November. However, three days later, Gourcuff returned to form scoring a goal and providing the assists on the other three goals in Bordeaux's 4–1 win over Lorient
. On 20 December, he was declared by magazine France Football
the French Player of the Year for 2009 beating out the likes of Nicolas Anelka
, Hugo Lloris
, Thierry Henry
, and Franck Ribéry
; the latter having won the award the past two seasons prior.
On 23 February 2010, Gourcuff assisted on Bordeaux's only goal, scored by Michaël Ciani
, in the club's shutout victory away to Greek club Olympiacos
in the first leg of its UEFA Champions League
knockout round match following his delivery of a powerful and driven free kick into the box that landed at the head of the defenseman. In the second leg, he scored the opening goal in the 5th minute converting a free kick
to put Bordeaux up 2–0 on aggregate. The team won the tie with a 3–1 aggregate scoreline to advance to the quarter-finals where Bordeaux faced league rivals Lyon
. In the first leg, which Lyon won 3–1, Gourcuff provided the assist on an away goal scored by Marouane Chamakh
. In the second leg, Bordeaux recorded a first half goal, but were unable to score another as Lyon advanced to the semi-finals on a 3–2 aggregate scoreline. On 24 April in a league match against Lorient, Gourcuff endured a recurring groin injury during the early stages of the match. Despite showing signs of injury, Gourcuff remained in the match until the end of the first half. Due to the injury, Gourcuff missed the Bordeaux's final five league matches. The club recorded two wins, one draw, and two losses in the five matches which resulted in Bordeaux failing to qualify for European competition
next season
.
In the 2010–11 season, Gourcuff appeared in Bordeaux's first three league matches of the season. On 22 August 2010, French media reported that, on the eve of the team's match against Paris Saint-Germain, the midfielder had informed Bordeaux officials of his intent to join Lyon
. Gourcuff was, subsequently, relegated to the bench for the match. In his final match with the club, he appeared as a substitute and assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Ciani in injury time.
confirmed on its website that the club had reached an agreement with Bordeaux for the transfer of Gourcuff. After passing his medical on 25 August, Gourcuff signed a five-year contract with the club for a fee of €22 million, to be paid in three installments by 31 December 2012. Gourcuff selected the number 29 shirt and made his club debut on 28 August in the team's 2–0 defeat to Lorient
. Gourcuff appeared as a substitute in the match for the injured César Delgado
. On 17 October, he scored his first goal for the Lyon in the club's 3–1 win over Lille. In the UEFA Champions League, Gourcuff scored his first goal in the team's 4–3 group stage defeat to Portuguese
club Benfica on 2 November. In mid-November, he assisted on game-winning goals in back-to-back weeks against Nice
and Lens
.
In early February 2011, Gourcuff admitted that he was "disappointed and frustrated" with his performances with Lyon since joining the club stating ""I expected a lot more of myself" and "It's clear that my attacking contribution is not enough". Gourcuff also admitted that he was struggling to adapt to the style of manager Claude Puel
, though the player later clarified his statements stating that they were misinterpreted. On 18 February 2011, Gourcuff scored his third goal for Lyon in the club's 4–0 win over Nancy
. On 27 April 2011 Gourcuff scored Lyon's third and winning goal in a 3-2 victory against Montpellier in 90th minute, after he came in from the bench 2 minutes earlier. Gourcuff underwent ankle surgery in July 2011 in a bid to heal a niggling ankle complaint.
earning his first youth cap with the under-17 team
in a 0–0 draw with Spain
on 18 September 2002. He scored his first goal for the team on 5 February 2003 in a friendly match against the Czech Republic
. Gourcuff finished the season with the under-17 team accumulating twelve appearances and netting two goals as the squad failed to qualify for the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
. Gourcuff made only four appearances with the under-18 team
scoring his only goal on 30 October in a 2–2 friendly draw with the Ukraine
. Gourcuff returned to international level with the under-19 team
and was a part of the winning team at the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship. Leading up to the tournament, Gourcuff scored goals against Armenia
in the first qualifying round and Spain
in the Elite round. The 1–0 victory over Spain assured France's qualification for the tournament. In the tournament, Gourcuff scored a hat-trick
in a 3–1 victory over Norway
converting two penalty kick
s and scoring in the run of play. He assisted on two goals in the team's 3–2 semi-final win over Germany and played the entire match in the championship match against England
. France won the match 3–1 giving the nation its sixth under-19 title and Gourcuff his first international honor. In total with the under-19 team, Gourcuff featured in 17 matches and scored seven goals.
Gourcuff made his debut for the under-21 team
on 18 May 2006 in a preparatory friendly match for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
against Croatia
. In the tournament, Gourcuff was the team's lone underage player and played in all four of the team's matches as France reached the semi-finals losing in extra time to the Netherlands
. On 5 September 2006, Gourcuff scored his first under-21 goal in a 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
qualification match against Slovenia
. France, however, failed to qualify for the tournament. On 27 March 2007, Gourcuff captained the under-21 team for the first time in a 1–0 defeat to Norway
. Due to injury, he missed the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification play-offs
against Germany
. France lost the tie 2–1 on aggregate. The negative result ended Gourcuff's under-21 career.
that was played on 20 August. He earned his first cap in that match appearing as a substitute in the 92nd minute when France's 3–2 victory had been all but confirmed. He scored his first goal for Les Bleus on 11 October 2008 against Romania
in a 2010 World Cup qualification match
. The wonder strike from almost 30 yards out drew the match at 2–2 ensuring France's positioning in the group. Since the match against Serbia
, held a month before the match against Romania, manager Raymond Domenech
has installed Gourcuff in the attacking midfield position, just behind the striker, a position that some believe has yet to be filled since the retirement of Zinedine Zidane
following the 2006 World Cup
. On 30 May, Gourcuff assisted on the equalizing goal scored by William Gallas
in the team's 1–1 draw with Tunisia
. Gourcuff was a member of France's 23-man team that competed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. On 11 June 2010, Gourcuff made his FIFA World Cup
debut in the team's opening group stage match against Uruguay
. The match ended 0–0 with Gourcuff being substituted out in the second half. Following the match against Uruguay, former international Just Fontaine
stated that Gourcuff "was lost" during the match. It was later reported by the media that midfielder Franck Ribéry
and striker Nicolas Anelka
had purposely "froze-out" Gourcuff in the Uruguay match. In the team's final group stage match against the hosts South Africa
, Gourcuff was sent off in the first half after the referee ruled that he intentionally elbowed an opposing player in the face. France lost the match 2–1, which resulted in its elimination from the competition.
Due to his red card suspension in the World Cup, Gourcuff missed two call-ups to the national team in August and September. In October 2010, he was called back into the team by his former manager at Bordeaux Laurent Blanc
for UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
matches against Romania
and Luxembourg
. In the match against Romania, Gourcuff appeared as a substitute and scored the final goal in the team's 2–0 victory. He was inserted into the starting lineup against Luxembourg and responded by assisting on the opening goal scored by Karim Benzema
and scoring the second goal in another 2–0 win.
Milan
Bordeaux
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
in Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
. He operates mainly as an attacking midfielder, but can also be utilized as a withdrawn striker and is described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an accomplished passer of the ball". Gourcuff has been described by former French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
David Ginola
David Ginola
David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...
as the best French player of his generation. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
.
Gourcuff is the son of Christian Gourcuff
Christian Gourcuff
Christian Gourcuff in Hanvec, Brittany is a French football manager and former player. He currently manages French Ligue 1 side Lorient....
, the current manager of Ligue 1 club FC Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
, where Yoann began his career. In 2001, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined Rennes. After progressing through the youth ranks and making the senior team, Gourcuff quickly became a fan favorite among supporters and his individual achievements soon led to interest from clubs abroad, which resulted in a move to Italian club AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. Gourcuff achieved many club honours despite not being able to break into the starting eleven, which resulted in the player being sent on loan to Ligue 1 club Bordeaux in his home country of France. Following a successful season, in which Bordeaux captured the league and league cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
and Gourcuff attained several individuals honours, he signed with the club permanently. Gourcuff is a former winner of the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and, in December 2009, was named the French Player of the Year for the 2009 calendar year. In August 2010, he joined Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
on a five-year contract.
Gourcuff is a French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Prior to playing at senior level, he played on the under-19 team
France national under-19 football team
The France national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. They were the 2010 champions of the competition having won on home soil...
that won the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship. Gourcuff made his senior national team debut in August 2008. He scored his first international goal two months later against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
. Gourcuff made his first major tournament appearance for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Since joining the national team, he has been inserted into the playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
role, a position that was vacated and never filled following the retirement of Zidane in 2006.
Early and personal life
Gourcuff was born on 11 July 1986 in PloemeurPloemeur
Ploemeur is a commune in the Morbihan department in the region of Brittany in north-western France.The inhabitants are called the Ploemeurois.-Breton language:...
, Morbihan, Brittany to parents Dr. Marine Thalouarn and Christian Gourcuff
Christian Gourcuff
Christian Gourcuff in Hanvec, Brittany is a French football manager and former player. He currently manages French Ligue 1 side Lorient....
, both being Bretons
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
. Gourcuff comes from a very athletic family. His mother was a basketball player, his older brother, Erwan, is a competitive swimmer and cyclist, while his father was a former footballer who played for several clubs in such countries as France, Switzerland, and Canada, however, he is best known for his time at Rennes, Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
, and Le Mans. Gourcuff's father later moved into the managerial role having stints at Rennes, Le Mans, Lorient (twice), and Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i club Al-Gharafa. He currently serves as manager of Lorient, his third stint at the club, whom he has managed since 2003. As a youth, the younger Gourcuff excelled at both football and tennis, becoming the top player of his age group (12), but eventually opted to focus on football. While beginning his career as a football player, Gourcuff admired and drew inspiration from the playing style of the Brazil national team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
from the 1970s, whom he discovered from watching tapes with his father. He often attempted to emulate the skills of Brazilian legend Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
.
Early career and Rennes
Gourcuff began his career with LorientFC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
, who were, at the time, managed by his father in 1992. During his time at Lorient, he also trained at PEF Ploufragan
PEF Ploufragan
Le Centre Technique National Henri Guérin , commonly referred to as PEF Ploufragan, is the regional association football centre and is one of the nine élite academies of France; only the best players from the Brittany région train there...
, a regional academy located in the Brittany region that trained players similarly to the Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
academy in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
. Further to his father's departure to Stade Rennais, Gourcuff, who initially considered rivals
Derby Breton
The Derby de la Bretagne is a football match. The match can potentially designate any match-up between two sporting football associations based in the historic province of Brittany, however, most of the time, it is employed by each club's supporters to mention a football match contested between...
Nantes, followed suit and signed an aspirant (youth) contract with the club in 2001. He spent two years in the club's youth academy and, while competing domestically in the system, Gourcuff played on the club's under-19 team that won the 2003 edition of the Coupe Gambardella
Coupe Gambardella
The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation ....
. Rennes defeated Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
4–1 in the final match at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. Gourcuff scored the club's opening goal. Included on that team with Gourcuff were future club and international teammates Jimmy Briand
Jimmy Briand
Jimmy Briand is a French association football player who currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He started his career as a striker, but now he is usually deployed on the wings. Briand is a former graduate of the famous Clairefontaine academy and is formerly a France youth international...
and Sylvain Marveaux
Sylvain Marveaux
Sylvain Marveaux is a French football player who currently plays for English club Newcastle United in the Premier League. He can play a variety of positions in the midfield, but is mostly utilized as a left-sided midfielder or an attacking midfielder. Marveaux is a former French under-21...
.
Ahead of the 2003–04 season. Gourcuff was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
, Gourcuff appeared in 15 matches and scored two goals with the team before signing his first professional contract in November 2003, which resulted in his promotion to the senior team by manager Laszlo Bölöni. Gourcuff made his professional debut on 25 January 2004 in a 2–0 victory to Croix-de-Savoie in the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
appearing as a substitute. On 7 February, he made his league debut in a 2–0 defeat to Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
appearing as a substitute. Following the match, he was relegated back to the reserve team. Gourcuff returned to the senior team in late March making two more substitute appearances against Strasbourg and Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
. On 18 April, he made his first professional start in a 3–1 win over Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
. Gourcuff made his second career start on the final match day of the season assisting on a goal in a 4–0 victory over Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
.
For the second consecutive season under Bölöni, Gourcuff rotated between the club's reserve team and the senior team. He appeared in nine matches with the reserve team and 21 with the senior team. Gourcuff only started six matches with the latter team scoring no goals and providing one assist. In the 2005–06 season, he was re-assigned the number 10 shirt by Bölöni and giving a starting place within the team. In his first season as a starter, Gourcuff appeared in 42 total matches and scored six goals. He formed midfield partnerships with fellow Frenchman Olivier Monterrubio
Olivier Monterrubio
Olivier Monterrubio is a French footballer who played as a midfielder. He previously played for FC Nantes, Stade Rennais, RC Lens, FC Sion in Switzerland and FC Lorient.-Nantes:...
and the Swede
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Kim Källström
Kim Källström
Kim Källström is a left-footed Swedish midfielder playing for the Swedish national team and Olympique Lyonnais.-Early career:Källström's first professional club in Sweden was BK Häcken from Gothenburg but his big breakthrough in Sweden came when he moved to Djurgårdens IF in 2002, where he won the...
and made his European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
debut on 15 September in a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
first round tie against Spanish club Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
appearing as a substitute. Rennes won the tie 3–1 on aggregate and were later eliminated in the group stage portion of the competition. Three days after his European debut, on 18 September, Gourcuff scored his first professional goal against Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
in a 2–0 win. In November, Gourcuff scored goals in back-to-back matches against Troyes
Troyes AC
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes. It was founded in 1900. The club was promoted to Ligue 1 for the 2005–06 season and their first Ligue 1 season was in 1954/55, and their second spell came in 1999/2000 Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube...
and Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
. In the latter part of the season, Gourcuff went on a scoring run netting three goals in a span of four weeks. He scored the first of these goals on 25 February 2006 in a 4–1 away win over Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
. After going a week without a goal, Gourcuff responded by scoring goals in back-to-back weeks in wins over Ajaccio
AC Ajaccio
Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain...
and Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
. In the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
, Gourcuff appeared in all four of the team's matches as Rennes reached the semi-finals where the club was defeated 3–0 by Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. Rennes ultimately finished the season in 7th place in the league, which resulted in the club qualifying for the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2006
The UEFA Intertoto Cup 2006 was the first after a major change of the competition format. There were only three rounds instead of five, and eleven teams qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup...
. Gourcuff finished his Rennes career with 80 appearances, six goals, and nine assists.
Milan
Following the season, Gourcuff was linked to a host of big name European clubs such as DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club Ajax, Spanish club Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, and English club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He ultimately joined Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. He signed a five-year contract with €4.58 million transfer fee Gourcuff was assigned the number 20 shirt and made his competitive debut for the Rossoneri on 9 August 2006 in the club's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie against Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n club Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
. He appeared as a substitute in the 81st minute for Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
as Milan won the match 1–0. In his next competitive match with the club against Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
outfit AEK Athens in the Champions League group stage, Gourcuff scored his first career goal for the club in a 3–0 win. Gourcuff didn't make his Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
debut until 20 September playing the entire match in a 1–0 win over Ascoli
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...
. In the ensuing matches, Gourcuff rotated between the starting lineup and the bench and capped the season by scoring in Milan's final match of the Seria A season; a 3–2 defeat to Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
. Despite not appearing in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final
2007 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA...
, which Milan won, Gourcuff did earn a winner's medal with the club as a result of his participation in the group stage and knockout round matches.
Due to Milan winning the UEFA Champions League, Gourcuff was included in the squads that competed in the 2007 UEFA Super Cup
2007 UEFA Super Cup
The 2007 UEFA Super Cup was the 32nd UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The match was held at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 31 August 2007 and contested by Milan and Sevilla...
and the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup
2007 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2007 FIFA Club World Cup was a football tournament played in Japan from 7 December to 16 December 2007. It was the fourth FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament organised by FIFA for the winners of each confederation's top continental club tournament....
, though he didn't appear in the former match and appeared infrequently in the latter competition. In the 2007–08 Serie A season, Gourcuff struggled for playing time as he was in direct competition with the Brazilian international
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year
2007 FIFA World Player of the Year
Brazilian midfielder Kaká won the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award, while another Brazilian, Marta, took home the women's award. The winners were announced at the FIFA World Player Gala held at the Zurich Opera House on December 17, 2007.-Men:...
winner Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
. Gourcuff's development and attitude at the club was also questioned by manager Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
who critically stated that the player had psychological issues. Gourcuff only appeared in 15 league matches for the club starting only four. He scored his only goal of the season on 31 October 2007 in a 5–0 hammering of Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
. On 24 February 2008, after appearing as a half-time substitute, Gourcuff assisted on the game-winning goal scored in the 90th minute by Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
in Milan's 2–1 win over Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
. In the final nine matches of the season, Gourcuff was an unused substitute in seven of them. In Gourcuff's final match at the club, he asssisted on the final goal by Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva , commonly known as Alexandre Pato or simply Pato, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazilian national team. His nickname, Pato, refers to his place of birth, Pato Branco...
in the club 5–1 win over Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
.
Following the season, on 31 May 2008, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani is an Italian entrepreneur who has been serving as vice-president and C.E.O. of Italian football club Associazione Calcio Milan since 1986. During his tenure as CEO, Milan have won five European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles and eight Serie A titles among other achievements and...
revealed that the club would loan Gourcuff to French club Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
for the entire 2008–09 season to allow him more playing time. In 2010, in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
, former Milan captain Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
stated that Gourcuff lacked discipline while at the club and often distant himself from the team citing the player's refusal to learn the Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. Maldini also stated that Gourcuff did not give his all during his stint at Milan and that the player himself knew it. Gourcuff did not respond to the comments, but his father, Christian, did stating to France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
that there was some sort of conspiracy out there looking to tarnish his son's image. The elder Gourcuff responded to Maldini's charges stating his son "took two hours (of Italian language courses) per day and spoke Italian after two months" and that "he is passionate about tactics" in response to Maldini saying Gourcuff refused to learn Italian and he was limited tactically. Gourcuff was also defended by his club president Jean-Louis Triaud
Jean-Louis Triaud
Jean-Louis Triaud is the current president of FC Girondins de Bordeaux. He was first elected in 1996, and upon completion of the term, reelected in 2002....
at his former club Bordeaux who stated in response to Maldini's comments "Yoann is not like that. A number ten who does not play with the group is a little weird. This does not correspond at all to what we saw with Yoann at Bordeaux. He was well integrated with his teammates, and collectively with them on the ground. He left good memories here."
Bordeaux
At Bordeaux, Gourcuff quickly asserted himself into the squad for the 2008–09 season scoring on his league debut against CaenSM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...
in a 2–1 victory and also helping Bordeaux capture their 2nd Trophée des champions
2008 Trophée des Champions
The 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...
title. He scored Bordeaux's 4th and final goal in the team's 4–0 triumph over Vannes
Vannes OC
Vannes Olympique Club is a French association football club based in Vannes. The club was formed relatively late in 1998 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Vannes plays its home matches at the Stade de la Rabine located within the city...
in the Coupe de la Ligue final
Coupe de la Ligue Final 2009
The 2009 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 15th final in this young cup's history. The final was played at the Stade de France in Paris on 25 April 2009 was contested between FC Girondins de Bordeaux of Ligue 1 and Vannes OC of Ligue 2. This was the first meeting between the two clubs...
. Gourcuff also provided the assist on the third goal. He scored two goals in Bordeaux's Champions League campaign against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002...
. On 11 January 2009, Gourcuff scored a goal that was voted the goal of the season by fans against Paris Saint-Germain in a 4–0 victory. Upon receiving the ball from teammate Matthieu Chalmé
Matthieu Chalmé
Matthieu Chalmé is a French football player who currently plays as a right back for Bordeaux in Ligue 1.-Career:...
, just outside of the box, Gourcuff performed a swift Marseille turn
Marseille turn
The Marseille turn, also known as the 360, the Maradona or the Roulette, is a specialised dribbling skill unique to the game of football. It is sometimes known as the 360 turn, the Marseille Roulette, Rolie Polie or the Piroman...
, eluding PSG defender Sylvain Armand
Sylvain Armand
Sylvain Armand is a French professional football player in the left fullback position, who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain in the French Ligue 1 championship....
, followed by quickly shifting the ball from his right foot to his left causing Sammy Traoré
Sammy Traoré
Sammy Traoré is a French and Malian football defender, who currently a free agent. He makes good use of the stepover technique, rarely seen in defenders, to maintain possession and also start an attacking move....
to lose balance, before bringing the ball back to his right foot and blasting it past Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Mickaël Landreau
Mickaël Landreau
Mickaël Vincent André-Marie Landreau is a French professional football goalkeeper, who currently plays for French Ligue 1 side Lille OSC. He has 11 caps for the French national team.-Club career:...
with the outside of his right foot.
The following two weeks, Gourcuff scored his fifth and sixth goals, respectively, against Nantes in a 2–1 victory and Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
in a 2–2 draw. After going goalless in the league for seven straight weeks, Gourcuff got back on track scoring against relegation-bound Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
. On 20 April 2009, Gourcuff scored his first career double against his former club Rennes in a 3–2 victory. In the ensuing three weeks, Gourcuff maintained his form scoring in all three matches, against Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
, Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
, and Le Mans giving him a tally of 12 league goals for the season. Bordeaux won all three matches, which effectively put them in first place position heading into the final week of the season. Bordeaux eventually won the league capturing the sixth title in the club's history. The club also recorded its second ever double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
, as a result of its Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
title. For his efforts during the 2008–09 season, Gourcuff was awarded the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. He was also named in the organization's Ligue 1 Team of the Year. His performances during the 2008–09 season later earned him a nomination by the French magazine France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
for the 2009 Ballon d'Or
Ballon d'Or 2009
The 2009 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in the world as judged by an international panel of sports journalists, was awarded to Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona on 1 December 2009....
award, won by Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
as Gourcuff finished in 20th place with six points.
Due to Gourcuff's impressive season, his parent club announced that it would be open to the player returning to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
for the 2009–10 season. However, the club's plans were put on halt after learning of Bordeaux's intent to meet Gourcuff's buy-out clause of €15 million included in the loan deal. Despite general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Adriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani is an Italian entrepreneur who has been serving as vice-president and C.E.O. of Italian football club Associazione Calcio Milan since 1986. During his tenure as CEO, Milan have won five European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles and eight Serie A titles among other achievements and...
and new manager Leonardo
Leonardo Araújo
Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo, known as Leonardo , is a football manager and a former midfielder. He is currently active as director of football of French club Paris Saint-Germain....
's efforts to persuade Gourcuff to return, on 28 May, it was announced that Bordeaux had signed Gourcuff permanently from Milan with Gourcuff agreeing to a four-year deal. The transfer fee was €13.6 million.
Gourcuff began the 2009–10 season claiming his fourth silverware with Bordeaux on 25 July 2009, winning the 2009 Trophée des Champions
2009 Trophée des Champions
The 2009 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that was played on 25 July 2009. The match contested the winners of 2008–09 Coupe de France, En Avant Guingamp, and the 2008–09 Ligue 1 champions, FC Girondins de Bordeaux...
title in a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. As a result of his performance, he was named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
. Two weeks later, he scored a double in the club's opening match of the league season against Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
. The final result was 4–1. The victory set a record in league play for most consecutive wins for the club with 12. On 23 August, he scored another set of goals, this time against Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
in a 4–0 victory.
In the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, Gourcuff assisted on Bordeaux's only goal in the club's opening 1–1 draw against Italian club Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
scored by Jaroslav Plašil
Jaroslav Plašil
Jaroslav Plašil is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Bordeaux and the Czech Republic national football team.-Early career:...
. On 30 September, Gourcuff suffered a groin injury in the club's 1–0 victory over Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i club Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
, which forced him to miss two league matches and an international call up. Bordeaux lost both matches. He returned to the team for Bordeaux's back-to-back matches with German club Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. In the first match, which Bordeaux won 2–1, Gourcuff missed a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
after attempting to cheekily chip the ball over goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt is a German footballer who plays for FC Bayern Munich in the German League, as a goalkeeper.Known for taking penalty kicks, he netted nearly 30 goals in Germany's top flight...
, however in the second match, he made amends scoring the game winning goal in Bordeaux's 2–0 victory at the Allianz Arena
Allianz Arena
The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season...
. Bordeaux eventually finished the group stage portion undefeated.
For most of November and the early part of December, Gourcuff suffered a dip in form in league play going scoreless and also not providing any assists. Manager Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
later stated that Gourcuff had lacked confidence since returning from his injury following Gourcuff's second penalty miss of the season in the club's midweek 1–0 victory over Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
on 16 November. However, three days later, Gourcuff returned to form scoring a goal and providing the assists on the other three goals in Bordeaux's 4–1 win over Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
. On 20 December, he was declared by magazine France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
the French Player of the Year for 2009 beating out the likes of Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
, Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris is a French international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He is also a French international and is currently the first-choice goalkeeper and vice-captain for both club and country...
, Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, and Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
; the latter having won the award the past two seasons prior.
On 23 February 2010, Gourcuff assisted on Bordeaux's only goal, scored by Michaël Ciani
Michaël Ciani
Michaël Ciani , often referred to as Mickaël Ciani, is a French footballer of Guadeloupean descent who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Bordeaux. Ciani plays as a central defender and has starred for several French clubs before finally settling in with Lorient in 2006, where he became nationally...
, in the club's shutout victory away to Greek club Olympiacos
Olympiacos CFP
----Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus, , , transliterated Olympiakos Sindesmos Filathlon Pireos, is the most popular multisport club and the most successful in Greece, based in Piraeus....
in the first leg of its UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
knockout round match following his delivery of a powerful and driven free kick into the box that landed at the head of the defenseman. In the second leg, he scored the opening goal in the 5th minute converting a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
to put Bordeaux up 2–0 on aggregate. The team won the tie with a 3–1 aggregate scoreline to advance to the quarter-finals where Bordeaux faced league rivals Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
. In the first leg, which Lyon won 3–1, Gourcuff provided the assist on an away goal scored by Marouane Chamakh
Marouane Chamakh
Marouane Chamakh is a French-Moroccan footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the Moroccan national team as a striker. He is described as a prototypical target man and is noted for his "tall stature" and "excellent heading ability".Chamakh started his career...
. In the second leg, Bordeaux recorded a first half goal, but were unable to score another as Lyon advanced to the semi-finals on a 3–2 aggregate scoreline. On 24 April in a league match against Lorient, Gourcuff endured a recurring groin injury during the early stages of the match. Despite showing signs of injury, Gourcuff remained in the match until the end of the first half. Due to the injury, Gourcuff missed the Bordeaux's final five league matches. The club recorded two wins, one draw, and two losses in the five matches which resulted in Bordeaux failing to qualify for European competition
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
next season
2010–11 Ligue 1
The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...
.
In the 2010–11 season, Gourcuff appeared in Bordeaux's first three league matches of the season. On 22 August 2010, French media reported that, on the eve of the team's match against Paris Saint-Germain, the midfielder had informed Bordeaux officials of his intent to join Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
. Gourcuff was, subsequently, relegated to the bench for the match. In his final match with the club, he appeared as a substitute and assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Ciani in injury time.
Lyon
On 23 August 2010, LyonOlympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
confirmed on its website that the club had reached an agreement with Bordeaux for the transfer of Gourcuff. After passing his medical on 25 August, Gourcuff signed a five-year contract with the club for a fee of €22 million, to be paid in three installments by 31 December 2012. Gourcuff selected the number 29 shirt and made his club debut on 28 August in the team's 2–0 defeat to Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...
. Gourcuff appeared as a substitute in the match for the injured César Delgado
César Delgado
César Fabián Delgado Godoy is an Argentine footballer. He plays for Monterrey. His nickname "El Chelito" is derived from that of Marcelo Delgado because of their same last name.-Career:...
. On 17 October, he scored his first goal for the Lyon in the club's 3–1 win over Lille. In the UEFA Champions League, Gourcuff scored his first goal in the team's 4–3 group stage defeat to Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
club Benfica on 2 November. In mid-November, he assisted on game-winning goals in back-to-back weeks against Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
and Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
.
In early February 2011, Gourcuff admitted that he was "disappointed and frustrated" with his performances with Lyon since joining the club stating ""I expected a lot more of myself" and "It's clear that my attacking contribution is not enough". Gourcuff also admitted that he was struggling to adapt to the style of manager Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...
, though the player later clarified his statements stating that they were misinterpreted. On 18 February 2011, Gourcuff scored his third goal for Lyon in the club's 4–0 win over Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
. On 27 April 2011 Gourcuff scored Lyon's third and winning goal in a 3-2 victory against Montpellier in 90th minute, after he came in from the bench 2 minutes earlier. Gourcuff underwent ankle surgery in July 2011 in a bid to heal a niggling ankle complaint.
Youth
Gourcuff was capped for France at the schoolboy levelFrance national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
earning his first youth cap with the under-17 team
France national under-17 football team
The France national under-17 football team is the national under-17 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is held every four years...
in a 0–0 draw with Spain
Spain national under-17 football team
The Spain national under-17 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain....
on 18 September 2002. He scored his first goal for the team on 5 February 2003 in a friendly match against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
. Gourcuff finished the season with the under-17 team accumulating twelve appearances and netting two goals as the squad failed to qualify for the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2003 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
. Gourcuff made only four appearances with the under-18 team
France national under-18 football team
The France national under-18 football team is the national under-18 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team serves as a feeder team to the under-19 team as its matches aren't competitive...
scoring his only goal on 30 October in a 2–2 friendly draw with the Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
. Gourcuff returned to international level with the under-19 team
France national under-19 football team
The France national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. They were the 2010 champions of the competition having won on home soil...
and was a part of the winning team at the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship. Leading up to the tournament, Gourcuff scored goals against Armenia
Armenia national football team
The Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...
in the first qualifying round and Spain
Spain national under-19 football team
The Spain national under-19 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain.-UEFA European Under-19 Championship Record:...
in the Elite round. The 1–0 victory over Spain assured France's qualification for the tournament. In the tournament, Gourcuff scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a 3–1 victory over Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
converting two penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s and scoring in the run of play. He assisted on two goals in the team's 3–2 semi-final win over Germany and played the entire match in the championship match against England
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
. France won the match 3–1 giving the nation its sixth under-19 title and Gourcuff his first international honor. In total with the under-19 team, Gourcuff featured in 17 matches and scored seven goals.
Gourcuff made his debut for the under-21 team
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
on 18 May 2006 in a preparatory friendly match for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
against Croatia
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
. In the tournament, Gourcuff was the team's lone underage player and played in all four of the team's matches as France reached the semi-finals losing in extra time to the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. On 5 September 2006, Gourcuff scored his first under-21 goal in a 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
qualification match against Slovenia
Slovenia national under-21 football team
The Slovenia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Current squad:...
. France, however, failed to qualify for the tournament. On 27 March 2007, Gourcuff captained the under-21 team for the first time in a 1–0 defeat to Norway
Norway national under-21 football team
The Norwegian national under-21 football team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, is the national football team of Norway for players of 21 years of age or under at the start of a UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign...
. Due to injury, he missed the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification play-offs
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification play-offs
The qualification play-offs for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship took place from 10 October to 15 October 2008. The ten group winners and four best runners-up from the qualifying group stage were drawn together in pairs in order to determine the seven teams that joined hosts...
against Germany
Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
. France lost the tie 2–1 on aggregate. The negative result ended Gourcuff's under-21 career.
Senior
Gourcuff earned his first call up to the senior team on 11 August 2008 for the team's friendly match against SwedenSweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
that was played on 20 August. He earned his first cap in that match appearing as a substitute in the 92nd minute when France's 3–2 victory had been all but confirmed. He scored his first goal for Les Bleus on 11 October 2008 against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in a 2010 World Cup qualification match
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
. The wonder strike from almost 30 yards out drew the match at 2–2 ensuring France's positioning in the group. Since the match against Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
, held a month before the match against Romania, manager Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
has installed Gourcuff in the attacking midfield position, just behind the striker, a position that some believe has yet to be filled since the retirement of Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
following the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. On 30 May, Gourcuff assisted on the equalizing goal scored by William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
in the team's 1–1 draw with Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
. Gourcuff was a member of France's 23-man team that competed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. On 11 June 2010, Gourcuff made his FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
debut in the team's opening group stage match against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. The match ended 0–0 with Gourcuff being substituted out in the second half. Following the match against Uruguay, former international Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
stated that Gourcuff "was lost" during the match. It was later reported by the media that midfielder Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
and striker Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
had purposely "froze-out" Gourcuff in the Uruguay match. In the team's final group stage match against the hosts South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, Gourcuff was sent off in the first half after the referee ruled that he intentionally elbowed an opposing player in the face. France lost the match 2–1, which resulted in its elimination from the competition.
Due to his red card suspension in the World Cup, Gourcuff missed two call-ups to the national team in August and September. In October 2010, he was called back into the team by his former manager at Bordeaux Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
for UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
matches against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
. In the match against Romania, Gourcuff appeared as a substitute and scored the final goal in the team's 2–0 victory. He was inserted into the starting lineup against Luxembourg and responded by assisting on the opening goal scored by Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...
and scoring the second goal in another 2–0 win.
Club
(Correct as of 28 April 2011)| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Coupe de France Coupe de France The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation... , Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de la Ligue The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel... , Trophée des Champions Trophée des champions The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries... , Coppa Italia Coppa Italia The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13... , Supercoppa Italiana Supercoppa Italiana The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... Includes UEFA Supercup, FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Rennes | 2003–04 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004–05 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 | 36 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 6 | 7 | |
| Total | 66 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 6 | 9 | |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
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| 2006–07 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 2 | |
| Total | 36 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 51 | 3 | 7 | |
| Bordeaux FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
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| 2008–09 | 37 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 49 | 15 | 15 | |
| 2009–10 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 9 | 10 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 69 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 95 | 24 | 26 | |
| Lyon Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... |
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| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... |
25 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 5 | |
| Total | 25 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 5 | |
| Career total | 194 | 28 | 32 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 37 | 6 | 8 | 257 | 37 | 47 | |
International
- (Correct as of 29 March 2011)
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
2008–09 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| 2009–10 | 11 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2010–11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 28 | 4 | 8 | |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 2008 | Stadionul Farul, Constanţa Constanta Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region.... , Romania |
2 – 2 | 2–2 | 2010 World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
|
| 2 | 9 October 2010 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Paris, France |
2 – 0 | 2–0 | Euro 2012 qualification UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 3 | 12 October 2010 | Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz Metz Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place... , France |
2 – 0 | 2–0 | Euro 2012 qualification UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 4 | 25 March 2011 | Stade Josy Barthel Stade Josy Barthel Stade Josy Barthel is the national stadium of Luxembourg, home to the Luxembourg national football team and also used for athletics. It is located on route d'Arlon, in Luxembourg City.It was first constructed in 1928 and it was entirely rebuilt in 1990... , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg |
2 – 0 | 2–0 | Euro 2012 qualification UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
Club
Rennes- Coupe GambardellaCoupe GambardellaThe Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation ....
(1): 2003Coupe GambardellaThe Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation ....
Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 2006-072007 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA... - UEFA Super Cup (1): 20072007 UEFA Super CupThe 2007 UEFA Super Cup was the 32nd UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The match was held at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 31 August 2007 and contested by Milan and Sevilla...
- FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
(1): 20072007 FIFA Club World CupThe 2007 FIFA Club World Cup was a football tournament played in Japan from 7 December to 16 December 2007. It was the fourth FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament organised by FIFA for the winners of each confederation's top continental club tournament....
Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
(1): 2008–09 - Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
(1): 2009Coupe de la Ligue Final 2009The 2009 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 15th final in this young cup's history. The final was played at the Stade de France in Paris on 25 April 2009 was contested between FC Girondins de Bordeaux of Ligue 1 and Vannes OC of Ligue 2. This was the first meeting between the two clubs... - Trophée Des ChampionsTrophée des championsThe Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
(2): 20082008 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...
, 20092009 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2009 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that was played on 25 July 2009. The match contested the winners of 2008–09 Coupe de France, En Avant Guingamp, and the 2008–09 Ligue 1 champions, FC Girondins de Bordeaux...
International
FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
- UEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
: 20052005 UEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship was held in Northern Ireland between 18 and 29 July 2005.-Venues:-Teams:The eight teams that participated in the final tournament were: -Match officials:...
Individual
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Player of the Year: 2008–09 - Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Team of the Year: 2008–09, 2009–10 - Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Goal of the YearTrophées UNFP du footballThe Trophées UNFP du football are a number of awards given annually by the National Union of Professional Football Players to players playing in French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, as well as to managers and referees, the most prestigious one being the Player of the Year.Created in 1988 under the name...
: 2008–09 - France FootballFrance FootballFrance Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
French Player of the Year: 2009 - UNFP Player of the MonthUNFP Player of the MonthThe UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
: March 2006, April 2009