Philippe Paoli

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Philippe Paoli

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Philippe Robert Paoli{{GSA player|philippe-paoli/73547|access-date=2020-05-08}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|1|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Beirut, Lebanon

| height = 1.90 m{{cite web|url=http://www.fupa.net/berichte/das-geheimnis-aus-lyon-171721.html|title=Das Geheimnis aus Lyon|trans-title=The Secret from Lyon|date=26 June 2014|accessdate=8 March 2015|language=German|publisher=fupa.net}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2006–2011

| youthclubs1 = Athletico SC

| years1 = 2011–2012

| clubs1 = Egtmaaey Tripoli

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2012–2013

| clubs2 = Racing Beirut

| caps2 = 9

| goals2 = 7

| years3 = 2013–2014

| clubs3 = Lyon B

| caps3 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2014–2015

| clubs4 = 1. FC Köln II

| caps4 = 12

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2015–2016

| clubs5 = Lommel

| caps5 = 14

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2016

| clubs6 = → Oosterwijk (loan)

| caps6 = 3

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 38

| totalgoals = 8

| nationalyears1 = 2011–2012

| nationalteam1 = Lebanon U16

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 2011–2015

| nationalteam2 = Lebanon U19

| nationalcaps2 =

| nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3 = 2015

| nationalteam3 = Lebanon U23

| nationalcaps3 = 4

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2012–2013

| nationalteam4 = Lebanon

| nationalcaps4 = 4

| nationalgoals4 = 0

}}

Philippe Robert Paoli ({{Langx|ar|فيليب روبير باولي}}; born 3 January 1995) is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a forward.

After playing one season with Racing Beirut, Paoli moved to Lyon B in 2013. He then moved to Germany the following year, where he played for 1. FC Köln II. In 2014 he moved to Belgium, playing for Lommel, before moving to Oosterwijk on loan in 2016, where he ended his professional career aged 22. Paoli also represented the Lebanese national team.

Club career

Paoli is a graduate of the Dbayeh-based Athletico SC academy.{{Cite web |title=رئيسا ناديي الراسينغ واتلتيكو يتحدثان عن انتقال باولي |url=https://www.elsport.com/news/show/138187/رئيسا-ناديي-الراسينغ-واتلتيكو-يتحدثان-انتقال-باولي |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Elsport News |language=ar}} He also practiced athletics, a discipline that saw him win several national titles in the youth categories.{{Cite web|title=Athlete Philippe PAOLI|url=http://www.athleticsperformance.org/athleteResults.php?name=Philippe%20PAOLI&show=All|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010225926/http://www.athleticsperformance.org/athleteResults.php?name=Philippe%20PAOLI&show=All|archive-date=10 October 2014|access-date=6 July 2021|website=Athletics Performance}} Having played for Racing Beirut in the Lebanese Premier League, Paoli joined the Olympique Lyon B team in summer 2013 on a two-year deal. He played for Köln II in 2014.{{Kicker|id=philippe-paoli}}

In summer 2015, Paoli moved to Belgian First Division B side Lommel United.{{cite web|url=http://www.lommelunited.be/news/news_story.php?newsid=723|title=Tester Paoli convinces|accessdate=10 July 2015|language=Dutch|publisher=lommelunited.be|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714162329/http://www.lommelunited.be/news/news_story.php?newsid=723|archivedate=14 July 2015}} He was sidelined for most of the season due to a fibula fracture.{{Cite web |title=Lommel United verhuurt aanvaller Philippe Paoli voor een seizoen aan Oosterzonen |url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20160827_02441969 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Het Belang van Limburg |date=27 August 2016 |language=nl-BE}} In 2016, Paoli joined Oosterwijk on a one-year loan.{{Cite web |title=Libanese nieuwkomer Philippe Paoli: "Ik sprak ook met Geel en Dessel" |url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20160926_02487467 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Gazet van Antwerpen Mobile |date=27 September 2016 |language=nl-BE}} In 2017, Paoli was nominated among the 17 candidates for the Belgian Lion, an award given to the best player of Arab origin in the Belgian First Division A.{{Cite web |last=Zbakh |first=Nourddin |date=2017-04-09 |title=Les 17 Candidats pour le lion Belge : espoir |url=https://radiovoltaire.com/les-17-candidats-pour-le-meilleur-espoir/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Radio Voltaire - راديو فولتير |language=fr-FR}}

International career

Aged 17, Paoli was called by coach Theo Bücker for the Lebanon national team for a friendly match against the Australia on 6 September 2012, in which he came on as a substitute in the 59th minute.{{Cite web | url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/09/06/world/friendlies/lebanon/australia/1384346/ |title = Lebanon vs. Australia - 6 September 2012 - Soccerway}} He was the captain of the Lebanon national under-19 team during the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers that took place in Oman in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.express.de/fc-koeln/philippe-paoli-zur-u21-fc-sportdirektor-jakobs-holt-rohdiamanten-,3192,27588452.html|title=Philippe Paoli zur U21: FC-Sportdirektor Jakobs holt Rohdiamanten|trans-title=Philippe Paoli to the U21: FC sports director Jakobs signs a rough diamond|date=23 June 2014|accessdate=8 March 2015|language=German|publisher=Express}}

Style of play

Initially a winger in his youth, Paoli developed into a striker once he moved to Europe.

Personal life

Paoli has dual Lebanese–Greek nationality. Paoli's sister, Andrea, participated in the 2012 Olympics as a Taekwondo practitioner;{{Cite web |title=فيليب باولي يدخل العالميّة من بوابة ليون الفرنسي |url=https://al-akhbar.com/Sport/51105 |access-date=2020-11-28 |website=الأخبار |language=ar}} his father, Robert, was a basketball player.{{Cite web |title=أندريا باولي طائر التايكواندو تحصد الذهب بلا حدود |url=https://al-akhbar.com/Sport/132325 |access-date=2020-11-28 |website=الأخبار |language=ar}}

In 2017, after retiring from professional football aged 22, Paoli studied at King's College London to pursue a degree in business and management.{{Cite web |date=9 March 2018 |title=Meet the KCL Varsity Football squad ready to blast UCL to another dimension |url=https://thetab.com/uk/kings/2018/03/09/meet-the-kcl-varsity-football-squad-ready-to-blast-ucl-to-another-dimension-20958 |access-date=1 May 2019 |website=King's College London |language=en-GB}}

Honours

Individual

Lebanese Premier League Best Young Player: 2012–13{{Cite web|title=موقع العهد الإخباري - الصفحة الرئيسة|url=https://archive.alahednews.com.lb/details.php?id=78113|access-date=13 May 2019|website=archive.alahednews.com.lb|language=en|archive-date=6 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406014948/https://archive.alahednews.com.lb/details.php?id=78113|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=محمد حيدر أفضل لاعب..ولا حذاء ذهبي - Malaeeb|url=http://www.malaeeb.com/pages/article/5777|access-date=26 February 2019|website=Malaeeb.com}}