:Alain Casanova

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Alain Casanova

| image = Alain Casanova 2009-06-29.jpg

| caption = Casanova as manager of Toulouse in 2008

| fullname = Alain Casanova

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1961|9|18}}

| birth_place = Clermont-Ferrand, France

| height = {{height|m=1.79}}

| currentclub =

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 = 1970–1980

| youthclubs1 = Cournon

| youthyears2 = 1980–1983

| youthclubs2 = Vichy

| years1 = 1983–1990

| clubs1 = Le Havre

| caps1 = 233

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1990–1992

| clubs2 = Marseille

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1992–1995

| clubs3 = Toulouse

| caps3 = 76

| goals3 = 0

| totalcaps = 309

| totalgoals = 0

| manageryears1 = 2008–2015

| managerclubs1 = Toulouse

| manageryears2 = 2016–2017

| managerclubs2 = Lens

| manageryears3 = 2018–2019

| managerclubs3 = Toulouse

| manageryears4 = 2022

| managerclubs4 = Lausanne-Sport

}}

Alain Casanova (born 18 September 1961) is a French former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He most recently was manager of Swiss side Lausanne-Sport.

Career

Born in Clermont-Ferrand, Casanova played for Cournon, Vichy, Le Havre, Marseille and Toulouse. At Marseille, he made no professional appearances, but was on the bench at the 1991 European Cup Final, which the team lost to Red Star Belgrade in Bari.{{cite web |publisher = Toulouse FC |title = Alain Casanova entraîneur du TFC !|trans-title=Alain Casanova manager of TFC! |url = http://www.tfc.info/fr/Actualite/101002/Dernieres_news/39774/Alain_Casanova_entraineur_du_TFC |accessdate = 30 May 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080601000303/http://www.tfc.info/fr/Actualite/101002/Dernieres_news/39774/Alain_Casanova_entraineur_du_TFC |archivedate = 1 June 2008 |url-status = dead |df = dmy-all }}

On 30 May 2008, he was named as manager of former club Toulouse, after the sacking of Élie Baup. In his first season in charge, the team came fourth, and qualified for the renamed UEFA Europa League,{{cite news |title=VIDEO. Le TFC propose un "best of" de son ancien entraîneur Alain Casanova |trans-title=VIDEO. TFC propose a "best of" of their former manager Alain Casanova|url=https://www.20minutes.fr/toulouse/1574915-20150330-video-tfc-propose-best-of-ancien-entraineur-alain-casanova |accessdate=27 November 2019 |work=20 minutes |date=30 March 2015 |language=French}} while striker André-Pierre Gignac was the league's top scorer with 24 goals.{{cite news |title=Gignac, 2 buts la saison dernière, 24 cette saison |trans-title=Gignac, 2 goals last season, 24 this season|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/sports/football/gignac-2-buts-la-saison-derniere-24-cette-saison-30-05-2009-532247.php |accessdate=27 November 2019 |work=Le Parisien |date=30 May 2009 |language=French}} The side also reached the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, where they lost 2–1 to Guingamp;{{cite news |title=Guingamp fait pleurer Toulouse et s'offre sa finale|trans-title=Guingamp make Toulouse cry and reach the final|url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sport/321651-20090422-guingamp-fait-pleurer-toulouse-offre-finale |accessdate=27 November 2019 |work=20 minutes |date=22 April 2009 |language=French}} in the 2009–10 Coupe de la Ligue, Toulouse reached the same round and were eliminated by the same score after extra time by Marseille.{{cite news |last1=Stival |first1=Nicolas |title=La vidéo de la demi-finale Toulouse-Marseille|trans-title=The video of the Toulouse-Marseille semi-final |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sport/382206-20100204-video-demi-finale-toulouse-marseille |accessdate=27 November 2019 |work=20 minutes |date=4 February 2010 |language=French}} He was dismissed in March 2015, with the club three points from safety in 18th with nine games to play; he was Ligue 1's longest-serving incumbent manager at the time.{{cite news |title=Toulouse sack manager Alain Casanova, promote Dominique Arribage |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/league-name/story/2350972/headline |accessdate=27 November 2019 |publisher=ESPN FC|agency=PA Sport |date=16 March 2015}}

On 13 June 2016, Casanova was named as the new manager of Ligue 2 club Lens, succeeding Antoine Kombouaré on a two-year deal with the option of a third.{{cite news |title=Alain Casanova becomes RC Lens manager |url=https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2016/official-alain-casanova-becomes-rc-lens-manager/ |accessdate=27 November 2019 |publisher=Get French Football News |date=13 June 2016}} He was sacked on 20 August 2017 after losing all four of the team's first matches of the new season.{{cite news |title=Ligue 2 : Lens suspend son entraîneur Alain Casanova, Sikora attendu|trans-title=Ligue 2: Lens suspend manager Alain Casanova, Sikora in line |url=http://www.leparisien.fr/sports/football/ligue-2-lens-suspend-son-entraineur-alain-casanova-20-08-2017-7203285.php |accessdate=27 November 2019 |work=Le Parisien |date=20 August 2017 |language=French}}

On 22 June 2018, Casanova was named once again as the manager of Toulouse in Ligue 1, replacing Michaël Debève.{{cite news|title=Transferts : Casanova à Toulouse, c'est signé|trans-title=Transfers: Casanova to Toulouse, it's official |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-casanova-a-toulouse-c-est-signe/914283|work=L'Équipe|date=22 June 2018|language=FR}} He was sacked on 10 October 2019, with the side down in 18th place.{{cite web|url=https://www.toulousefc.com/fr/communique-officiel-6|title=Communiqué officiel|trans-title=Official statement|publisher=Toulouse FC|date=10 October 2019|accessdate=10 October 2019|language=FR}}

On 3 February 2022, he was confirmed as the new head coach of struggling Swiss Super League club Lausanne-Sport.{{cite web|url=https://www.lausanne-sport.ch/alain-casanova-est-le-nouvel-entraineur-lausannois|title=ALAIN CASANOVA EST LE NOUVEL ENTRAÎNEUR DU FC LAUSANNE-SPORT!|trans-title=ALAIN CASANOVA IS THE NEW TRAINER OF FC LAUSANNE-SPORT|publisher=FC Lausanne-Sport|date=3 October 2019|accessdate=10 February 2022|language=FR}} Despite improving on their performance, he was unable to fend off the looming disaster and three rounds before the end of the season, the club's relegation was already confirmed with a twelve point deficit. On 22 May 2022, his contract at Lausanne was terminated.{{cite news |url=https://www.lausanne-sport.ch/merci-alain-casanova/|title=MERCI ALAIN CASANOVA!|website=lausanne-sport.ch |publisher=Lausanne-Sport |language=fr |date=22 May 2022 |access-date=12 June 2022}}

Managerial statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
rowspan=2\|Team !rowspan=2\|Nat !rowspan=2\|From !rowspan=2\|To !colspan=8\|Record
{{Tooltip\|G\|Games managed}} !{{Tooltip\|W\|Games won}} !{{Tooltip\|D\|Games drawn}} !{{Tooltip\|L\|Games lost}} !{{Tooltip\|Win %\|Winning percentage}}
align=left\|Toulouse \|{{Flagicon\|France}} \|align=left\|30 May 2008 \|align=left\|16 March 2015 {{WDL\|290\|102\|80\|108

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Managerial record by team and tenure

rowspan=2|Team

!rowspan=2|Nat

!rowspan=2|From

!rowspan=2|To

!colspan=8|Record

!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}

!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}

!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}

!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}

align=left|Toulouse