Gueïda Fofana
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Gueïda Fofana (; born 16 May 1991) is a former French footballer. He was a French youth international and has captained at all levels of youth. In 2010, he captained the France team that won the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship on home soil. He operated as a
defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...
, but could also play as a defender and was known for his physical style of play. Fofana had been compared to Arsenal legend
Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Crystal Palace. He is widely considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Vieira began his career at ...
, however he was forced to retire on 18 January 2017 due to ongoing injury problems.


Club career


Le Havre

Fofana began his career playing for hometown club ES Mont-Gaillard. The youngster drew the interest of
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
, which he initially rejected preferring to play with his friends and remain close to his family. However, after constant inquiries, Fofana accepted and joined the club at age 12. While in the club's training center, Fofana developed into youth international and one of the club's most promising prospects, alongside the now-departed
Paul Pogba Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays for club Juventus and the France national team. He operates primarily as a central midfielder, but can be deployed as a left winger, attacking midfielder, d ...
, captaining several of the team's youth squads. In 2008, he signed an ''élite'' contract until June 2011. In the 2008–09 season, despite being 17 years old, he appeared on the bench as a senior team player for several matches, though he didn't make an appearance, mainly due to dealing with the rigorous effects of a
herniated disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...
. The club suffered relegation from Ligue 1 in the 2008–09 season and, for the 2009–10 season, Fofana began training with the first team on a permanent basis. In the club's first competitive match of the new campaign, Fofana appeared on the bench in the club's 2–1 loss to
Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
in the Coupe de la Ligue. He made his professional debut on 18 August 2009 in a league match against Tours appearing as a substitute in the 78th minute. Le Havre, again, lost to Tours 2–0. Fofana earned his first start on 26 September 2009 playing the entire 90 minutes in the club's 2–0 victory over
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
. On 26 November, Fofana scored his first professional goal in the club's 1–0 victory over
AC Ajaccio Athletic Club Ajaccio ( co, Athletic Club Aiacciu), commonly referred to as AC Ajaccio, ''ACA'' or simply 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 ...
. Two weeks later, Fofana earn his first professional red card after accumulating two yellow cards in only 26 minutes in a 1–0 defeat to Clermont. He finished the campaign with 31 total appearances and one goal. Fofana began the 2010–11 season as a starter in the midfield. On 20 August 2010, he assisted on Le Havre's opening goal in a 2–1 victory over
Stade Reims Stade de Reims () is a French professional football club based in Reims. The club was formed in 1910 and plays in Ligue 1, the top level of Football in France, having been promoted from Ligue 2 in 2018. Reims plays home matches at the Stade Aug ...
. On 3 December, Fofana scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 victory over
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
. After a failed January 2011 transfer to English club Aston Villa, on 28 January 2011, Fofana signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal with Le Havre.


Lyon

On the final day of the summer transfer window,
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
confirmed on its official website that the club had signed Fofana from Le Havre. Fofana agreed to a four-year contract and the transfer fee was priced at €1.8 million. The fee could reach €2.6 million based on incentives. Fofana described the move to Lyon as "a great satisfaction" and was given the number 15 shirt. He simultaneously made his club and European debut on 14 September 2011 in the team's 0–0 draw with Dutch club
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
.


Retirement

On 18 January 2017, Fofana announced his retirement from professional football due to persistent injury problems with his ankle.


Managerial career

Fofana began his managerial career as assistant manager to Christian Bassila for Lyon's reserve team in the 2018-19 season before becoming manager on May 28, 2019 ahead of the 2019-20 season. Fofana led the team to a 7th place finish in his first season in charge, improving on the previous two season's 12th and 11th place finishes.


International career

Fofana has been active with
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on the youth level having appeared at all levels. Prior to representing France on international level, Fofana earned regional caps with
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
at age 13. He made his international youth debut with the under-16 team in the team's opening match against the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
in a 1–1 draw. On 5 December, Fofana scored his first youth international goal converting a penalty in the team's 4–1 victory over
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. Fofana finished his under-16 career playing against
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
at the
Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
in Berlin on 30 May 2006. Germany won the match 1–0 with Felix Kroos scoring the lone goal. With the under-17 team, Fofana was named captain of the team by coach
Francis Smerecki Francis Smerecki (25 July 1949 – 7 June 2018) was a French football player and manager. He was of Polish descent. References External links * Profile 1949 births 2018 deaths French footballers Footballers from Le Mans Association f ...
and scored his first goal on his debut in a 4–0 victory over Switzerland. In qualification for the
2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship The final tournament of the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship was the 26th UEFA European Under-17 Championship, UEFA's premier football tournament for players under the age of 17. The tournament was held in Turkey from 4 to 16 May 2008. Pla ...
, Fofana scored a brace against
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
in the first qualifying round. He also captained the team to a second-place finish at the
Algarve Cup The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious an ...
in Portugal scoring his lone goal in a group stage match against the hosts. At the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, Fofana led the team to the final where they were defeated 4–0 by
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
. With the under-18 team, he captained the squad that played against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...
. France won the match 4–2 and Fofana, as captain, was presented with the Fallenhero Trophy by
The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world a ...
chairman
Trevor Brooking Sir Trevor David Brooking, (born 2 October 1948) is a former England international footballer, manager, pundit and football administrator; he now works as director of football development in England. He spent almost his entire career at West ...
. On 9 September 2009, Fofana made his debut with the under-19 team in the team's opening group stage match at the Sendaï Cup against Japan. He scored his first goal for the team on 9 October in a 4–2 defeat to the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. After consistently appearing with the team for the campaign, on 7 June 2010, Fofana was named to coach
Francis Smerecki Francis Smerecki (25 July 1949 – 7 June 2018) was a French football player and manager. He was of Polish descent. References External links * Profile 1949 births 2018 deaths French footballers Footballers from Le Mans Association f ...
's 18-man squad to participate in the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship and was designated as the team's captain. He featured in four of the team's five matches including the final match against
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, which France won 2–1. The title is the country's second UEFA Under-19 championship. Due to France's victory at the UEFA Under-19 championship, the nation qualified for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which merited under-20 team appearances for Fofana. He was installed as captain for the fifth consecutive season by Smerecki and made his debut with the team on 7 October 2010 in a
friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
against
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, which ended 3–3. Fofana, subsequently, captained the team in four more matches during the 2010–11 campaign and, on 10 June 2011, was named to the 21-man squad to participate in the U-20 World Cup. He made his debut in the competition on 30 July 2011 in the team's 4–1 defeat to the hosts Colombia. In the team's next group stage match against
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
, he scored the game-winning goal in a 3–1 victory.


Personal life

Fofana was born in France is of Malian and Mauritanian descent. He is the brother of the professional footballers Guessouma and Mamadou Fofana.


Career statistics


Club


Honours


Club

;Lyon *
Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...
(1): 2011–12 *
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 other countries. His ...
(1):
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
* Coupe de la Ligue Runners Up :
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...


International

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
*
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply UEFA Under-19 Championship or the UEFA Euro U-19, is an annual football competition contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the member associations of UEFA. Spain and En ...
: 2010 * 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup: Fourth Place


Notes


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fofana, Gueida 1991 births Footballers from Le Havre French men's footballers France men's youth international footballers France men's under-21 international footballers French sportspeople of Malian descent French sportspeople of Mauritanian descent Ligue 2 players Le Havre AC players Olympique Lyonnais players Living people Ligue 1 players Men's association football midfielders