Philippe Omar TroussierOctober's ten - Religious conversions

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

, Emma John; 1 October 2006 (; born 21 March 1955) is a French professional football manager and former player. After a modest playing career within the French leagues he moved into management where he started out within the lower echelons of French football, however it was his move to Ivorian team

ASEC Mimosas The Association Sportive des Employés de Commerce Mimosas, literally Mimosas Commerce Employees' Sporting Association, is an Côte d'Ivoire, Ivorian Association football, football club based in Abidjan. The club is also known as ''ASEC Mimosas A ...

where he started to distinguish himself as a manager after winning several league titles with them. This would soon see him have a long association with

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n football and particularly their national teams, with

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...

being teams he managed. His international management career would continue with

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

where he had a successful spell with them by winning the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, since then he has returned to club management.

Playing career

Philippe Troussier started his career in football as a player and would go on to become a professional with

French Division 2 Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de ...

football club Angoulême in the 1976–77 league season. The following campaign he would leave to join Red Star 93, however his stay at the club was brief and he moved to Rouen. After several seasons with Rouen, Troussier's last professional club was Stade de Reims whom he played for until 1983. After having spent his whole professional career in the second division he moved into management.

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Troussier soon moved into management after gaining his coaching licences and achieved his first coaching position with the French Football Federation where he was allowed to manage a

National football centre A national football centre (NFC) (or soccer institute) is the facilities that host an education base for a national football association. The Canadian Soccer Association has a series of "national training centres" in each province where prospect ...

football club called Institut national du football de Vichy or more commonly known as

INF Vichy The Institut National du Football de Vichy, more commonly known as INF Vichy, was a Youth system, football academy based in Vichy, France. Founded in 1972 by the French Football Federation, it was dissolved in 1990. The academy had a team that c ...

. The team were allowed to participate in the third tier and given exemption from promotion or relegation so the young players could develop. In his time with the team he led them into the 1983–84 league season where they came second within their group. The following season Troussier would coach CS Alençon in the French fourth division and spent three seasons learning how to manage an amateur football club. He would return to his former club Red Star 93 in the 1987–88 league season as their manager. In his time with the club he would guide them to second within the group and promotion to the second tier at the end of the 1988–89 league campaign. He would, however leave the club on 30 June 1989 to join second tier club

Créteil Créteil () is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Créteil is the ''préfecture'' (capital) of the Val-de-Marne department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Cr� ...

on a caretaker basis until 1 October 1989 when Bernard Maligorne took on the management position.

Move to Africa

Troussier's first move away from France started with Ivory Coast top division football club

where in his debut season he won the league championship. This would soon be followed by two further league titles and an endearment towards the country, which saw him gain citizenship with Ivory Coast. With his impressive run at club level the

Ivory Coast national football team The Ivory Coast national football team ( French: ''Équipe de football de Côte d'Ivoire'', recognized as the Côte d'Ivoire by FIFA) represents Ivory Coast in men's international football. Nicknamed ''the Elephants'', the team is managed by ...

hired him as their manager in hopes that he could replicate his success with the national team. He was assigned to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, however he failed to achieve this and soon left his post to move to South African football club Kaizer Chiefs. After a brief period with Kaizer Chiefs Troussier moved to Moroccan football club

Fath Union Sport Fath Union Sport ( ar, اتحاد الفتح الرياضي), commonly called FUS or FUS Rabat, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Rabat and currently playing in the first division. The club was founded on 10 April 1946. 'Fath U ...

and led them to the 1995

Coupe du Trône The Moroccan Throne Cup or the Throne Cup is a football tournament sponsored by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and brings together Moroccan clubs who play on the knockout system until two teams reach the final match. Unlike the league ch ...

. His time with Fath Union Sport also saw him experience relegation to the second tier with them, however he remained with the club for several seasons until he was offered a chance to return to international management with

to replace

Shaibu Amodu Shuaibu Amodu (18 April 1958 – 10 June 2016) was a Nigerian football player and coach who played as a forward. Playing career Amodu, a striker, played for Dumez and Niger Tornadoes. His playing career ended after he broke his leg. Coachin ...

as they attempted to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Entering the job halfway through qualifying he led them into four games throughout the campaign as Nigeria successfully qualified, however the

Nigeria Football Federation The Nigeria Football Federation (known as Nigeria Football Association until 2008) is Nigeria's football governing body. It was formally launched in 1945 and formed the first Nigerian national football team in 1949. It joined CAF in 1959 and FIF ...

decided to relieve Troussier of his duties and ultimately let highly experienced coach

Bora Milutinović Velibor "Bora" Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Велибор Бора Милутиновић; born 7 September 1944) is a Serbian former professional footballer and manager. He has managed at five editions of the FIFA World Cup, tied for the record a ...

lead them into the tournament due to his experience of already managing three different nations in a World Cup at that time. Troussier quickly found a new job managing another African nation in

where he was assigned to coach them in the 1998 African Cup of Nations, which they were hosting. In a short period of time he made the team genuine title contenders until they were beaten by

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

2-0 in the semi-finals. Burkina Faso ultimately finished fourth after losing to DR Congo in the third-place match, nevertheless the result meant it was their highest ever finish at the time. His stint at Burkina Faso would impress the South African Football Association, who offered him the job of leading South Africa to the 1998 World Cup. He would replace

Jomo Sono Ephraim Matsilele Sono OIS (born Madoda Walletjies Mkulwana, 17 July 1955), better known as Jomo Sono, is a South African football club owner, coach and former professional footballer. He has been variously nicknamed the "Black Prince of South ...

, who, despite leading South Africa to the final of the 1998 African Cup of Nations as a caretaker manager, was not given a permanent position. Troussier, however was not able to galvanize the squad as he had done with Burkina Faso and the team were knocked-out in the group stages. After the tournament he would leave Africa, but before he did he was nicknamed as the "White

Witch Doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor) was originally a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is now more commonly used to refer to healers, particularly in regions which use traditional healing ...

" for his overall successful legacy towards African football.

Move to Asia

In 1998 Troussier replaced

Takeshi Okada is a Japanese former football player and manager. He played for and managed the Japan national team. Club career Okada was born in Osaka on August 25, 1956. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined Japan Soccer League (JSL) club Fu ...

to coach Japan and was assigned to improve upon the nation's previous results at the 1998 FIFA World Cup as they prepared to co-host the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Having to use a translator, he struggled to get what he wanted from the players as they were knocked out of the 1999 Copa América within the group stages. The disappointing performance within the tournament gathered a negative reaction from the Japanese media, which saw Troussier go for a more youthful approach and take the reins of the under-20 team as they participated in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. The Japanese team had a successful campaign and were runners-up within the tournament. He continued to take control of Japan's youth teams when he managed the under-23 team in the 2000 Summer Olympics and led them to the quarter-finals. The majority of that team would then go on to be called up to the 2000 AFC Asian Cup and win the tournament. With this success, Troussier went into the 2002 FIFA World Cup with confidence and led Japan to the final 16, making it at the time Japan's best ever finish within the competition. In July 2003 Troussier was appointed as the new manager of

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

and was assigned with qualification for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup with the hope of repeating the success he previously had with Japan. Initially his reign went smoothly with a successful qualification campaign and a team selection that once again employed a youthful approach as well as several naturalized players. The tournament itself turned out to be a disappointment that saw Qatar finish bottom of their group. Along with his disappointing start to the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Troussier was ultimately fired from his position.

Return to France and Africa

On 27 November 2004, Troussier returned to France to manage

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team Olympique de Marseille. His time with the club would see him have a tumultuous relationship with the senior players, particularly French international player

Bixente Lizarazu Bixente Jean-Michel Lizarazu (, born 9 December 1969) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left back for Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, among other teams. He also had 97 caps for the France national team. In a twelve-year ...

. A fifth-place finish at the end of the season saw Troussier replaced by

Jean Fernandez Jean Fernandez (born 8 October 1954) is a French professional football manager and former player. He has previously managed Metz and Marseille, where France national team star Franck Ribéry saw him as a mentor. He managed Auxerre for five yea ...

. He returned to Africa and became the head coach of the Moroccan national team, having taken over after the country's failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. However, he was fired after two months in charge by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation due to a difference in opinion.

Return to Asia

In March 2008, he returned to Japan to manage FC Ryūkyū a Japanese third-division team, before he was replaced by compatriot Jean Paul Rabier. Troussier would stay away from football and converted to Islam On 22 February 2010, he returned to management with

Chinese Super League The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association ...

side

Shenzhen Ruby F.C. Shenzhen Football Club () is a Chinese professional football club that competes in the Chinese Super League. The team is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong and their home stadium is the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre that has a seating capacity of ...

on a three-year contract. He would once again enforce a youthful team selection; however this would relegate the team, making them the first top-tier champions to be relegated since the foundation of professional football in China. He would remain with the club while they were in the second tier; however after mounting criticism he would alienate himself from the fans after the fourth-round league match versus Chongqing F.C. when in a local TV interview Troussier fired out against criticism and doubt from fans and urged them "not to come to the game or him". Shenzhen Ruby won the match, however former players who were forced to leave by Troussier in his efforts to force youth into the team Li Fei and

Chris Killen Christopher John Killen (born 8 October 1981) is a former New Zealand international footballer. Killen grew up in Wellington and played his club football for Miramar Rangers. After a trial with Manchester City, he joined City's youth academy. ...

scored for Chongqing F.C. in their first return to Shenzhen and physical confrontations took place after the match among fans, staffs, players and even Troussier himself. He further alienated his relationships with the squad and staff on 25 August after a defeat to

Chengdu Tiancheng F.C. Chengdu Tiancheng F.C. () was a Chinese professional football club based in Chengdu, China who last played in the 26,000 seater Shuangliu Sports Center in the China League One division. The club was founded on 26 February 1996 and was formerly kn ...

saw the club's hopes of promotion vanish and he provided a statement that he would take leave back to France on a "regular holiday under his contract". The club's supporters would believe the board sent him on leave hoping that the indignity would see him resign rather than compensating him the 1 million euros per year in his contract. He returned from his holiday and managed the club throughout the 2013 Chinese league season, where he was unable to gain promotion. Troussier is widely believed to be the first-choice replacement as coach of the

Malaysia national football team The Malaysia national football team () represents Malaysia in international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Malaysia. The national team is recognised by FIFA as the successor of the defunct Malaya national footbal ...

after the Football Association of Malaysia didn't renew former coach K. Rajagopal's contract after it expired in December 2013. He was said to have agreed a MYR5 million annual salary with the FAM. However, the deal fell through when he faced some disagreements with the Football Association of Malaysia. On 30 June 2014, Troussier became manager of CS Sfaxien of Tunisia. On 28 September 2014, Troussier quit CS Sfaxien. In April 2018 he was one of 77 applicants for the vacant Cameroon national team job. Later in 2018 he became a strategic adviser and then officially a technical director of PVF, a Vietnamese football academy. In 2019, referred by PVF, Philippe Troussier became the head coach of Vietnam U19 National Team.

Honors

ASEC Mimosas *

Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division The Ivory Coast MTN Ligue 1 is the top division of the Ivorian Football Federation. It was created in 1960. 2021−22 Ligue 1 clubs * AF Amadou Diallo * AS Indenié Abengourou * ASEC Mimosas * Bouaké FC * CO Korhogo * ES Bafing * FC San Pedro * ...

: 1990, 1991, 1992 FUS Rabat *

: 1995 Japan * FIFA Confederations Cup: runner-up 2001 * AFC Asian Cup: 2000 Individual *

AFC Coach of the Year The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the National Football League (NFL) head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disp ...

: 2000 *

Japan Football Hall of Fame is housed at the Japan Football Museum ( :ja:日本サッカーミュージアム), in JFA House in Bunkyo, Tokyo. The Hall aims to celebrate the achievements of the all-time top Japanese football players, managers, and other persons who have been ...

: Inducted in 2020

References

External links