René Girard (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = René Girard

| image = René GIRARD.JPG

| caption = Girard in 2012

| full_name = René Émile Girard

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|4|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Vauvert, Gard, France

| height = 1.78 m{{cite news |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur20000000000000000000013295.html |title=René Girard |newspaper=L'Équipe |location=Paris |access-date=11 April 2022 |language=fr}}

| position = Defensive midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthclubs1 =

| youthyears1 =

| years1 = 1973–1980

| clubs1 = Nîmes

| caps1 = 202

| goals1 = 27

| years2 = 1980–1988

| clubs2 = Bordeaux

| caps2 = 241

| goals2 = 17

| years3 = 1988–1991

| clubs3 = Nîmes

| caps3 = 92

| goals3 = 5

| totalcaps = 535

| totalgoals = 49

| nationalyears1 = 1981–1982

| nationalteam1 = France

| nationalcaps1 = 7

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| manageryears1 = 1991–1994

| managerclubs1 = Nîmes

| manageryears2 = 1996–1997

| managerclubs2 = Pau FC

| manageryears3 = 1998

| managerclubs3 = Strasbourg

| manageryears4 = 2002–2003

| managerclubs4 = France U19

| manageryears5 = 2003–2004

| managerclubs5 = France U16

| manageryears6 = 2004–2008

| managerclubs6 = France U21

| manageryears7 = 2009–2013

| managerclubs7 = Montpellier

| manageryears8 = 2013–2015

| managerclubs8 = Lille

| manageryears9 = 2016

| managerclubs9 = Nantes

| manageryears10 = 2018

| managerclubs10 = Wydad AC

| manageryears11 = 2020–2021

| managerclubs11 = Paris FC

}}

René Émile Girard (born 4 April 1954) is a French football manager and former player.

Early life

René Émile Girard{{cite web |url=https://www.verif.com/dirigeants/Rene-GIRARD-J41443101/ |title=René Emile Girard |website=Verif.com |access-date=6 April 2025 |language=fr}} was born on 4 April 1954 in Vauvert, Gard.{{cite news |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheEntraineur553.html |title=René Girard |newspaper=L'Équipe |location=Paris |access-date=11 April 2022 |language=fr}}

Playing career

Girard won seven caps, scoring one goal for France and was a member of the squad that finished fourth at the 1982 World Cup. At club level, while playing for Bordeaux, Girard won three Ligue 1 titles – in 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1986–87, as well as two Coupes de France, over Marseille in the 1986 and 1987 editions.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

Coaching career

Girard managed Nîmes, Strasbourg, Pau FC and multiple France youth teams. He coached the France national under-21 team from 2004 to 2008.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

On 3 June 2009, he became the new head coach of Montpellier HSC, replacing Rolland Courbis. In the 2011–12 season, Montpellier shocked the footballing world by winning its first Ligue 1 title, finishing the season with 82 points, three more than runner-up Paris Saint-Germain. He said after his team won it. "I think our triumph is a real shot in the arm for French football.{{cite web|url=http://frenchfootballweekly.com/2012/05/21/montpellier-hsc-crowned-champions-of-france/ |title=Montpellier HSC crowned Champions of France |date=20 May 2012 |publisher=Frenchfootballweekly.com }}{{cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-are-the-montpellier-of-international-football-and-other-club-v-country-statistics-460929-May2012/ |title=Ireland are the Montpellier of international football – and other club v country statistics |date=23 May 2012 |publisher=Thejournal.ie }}{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/montpellier/news/nicollin-montpellier-here-to-stay_28242.html |title=Louis Nicollin: Montpellier here to stay |publisher=Sportsmole.co.uk }} "It just goes to show that everyone can beat everyone and that money isn't the be-all and end-all. We're a club of mates, a club that brings young players through and gives them a chance. "At the end of the day, it's worked out well for us. We played some great football, with a well-balanced team and I'm overwhelmed."{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/montpellier/news/girard-we-deserved-it_28240.html |title=Rene Girard: 'We deserved it' |publisher=Sportsmole.co.uk }}{{cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/ligue-1-magnificent-montpellier-make-history-458051-May2012/ |title=Ligue 1: Magnificent Montpellier make history |date=21 May 2012 |publisher=Thejournal.ie }}{{cite web|url=http://frenchfootballweekly.com/2012/05/22/montpellier-lift-le-championnat-with-home-crowd/ |title=Montpellier Lift Le Championnat With Home Crowd |publisher=Frenchfootballweekly.com |date=22 May 2012}}

He signed for Lille in July 2013, replacing Rudi Garcia who left for Roma.{{cite web |url=http://bostonherald.com/sports/revolution_soccer/soccer/2013/06/lille_hires_rene_girard_as_coach_replacing_garcia |title=Lille hires Rene Girard as coach, replacing Garcia |publisher=Boston Herald |date=15 June 2013 |access-date=16 June 2013 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233934/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/revolution_soccer/soccer/2013/06/lille_hires_rene_girard_as_coach_replacing_garcia |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.teamtalk.com/news/7555/8777137/Ligue-1-Lille-confirm-appointment-of-Rene-Girard-as-their-new-coach |title=Ligue 1: Lille confirm appointment of Rene Girard as their new coach – TEAMtalk | Football | World | Club News |publisher=TEAMtalk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624172831/http://www.teamtalk.com/news/7555/8777137/Ligue-1-Lille-confirm-appointment-of-Rene-Girard-as-their-new-coach |archive-date=24 June 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/lille/news/lille-appoint-girard_89036.html |title=Lille appoint Rene Girard |publisher=Sports Mole |date=15 June 2013}}

On 30 September 2018, he was appointed as the head coach of Moroccan club Wydad AC.[https://africandailyvoice.com/2018/10/01/maroc-rene-girard-nouvel-entraineur-wac/ Maroc : René Girard nouvel entraîneur du WAC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002020138/https://africandailyvoice.com/2018/10/01/maroc-rene-girard-nouvel-entraineur-wac/ |date=2 October 2018 }}, africandailyvoice.com, 1 October 2018