Top facts about Ludovic Giuly, The Magic Elf

Ludovic Vincent Giuly (born 10 July 1976) is a former professional footballer who played as a winger for the French national team.

Ludovic Giuly’s age

is 45. Here you can find out the most important facts about Ludovic Giuly, the former star.

Giuly was a part of France's 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup-winning side and earned 17 appearances for the national team during a five-year span.

One of his most memorable experiences was when he was a member of Barcelona's team and helped them win the UEFA Champions League in 2005–06.

Giuly was also a vital player of Monaco's right side during the 1999–2000 season, leading the club to its first Ligue 1 championship since 1997. Monaco finished 11th in the league the next season, which proved to be a difficult season.

In 30 appearances, Giuly scored seven goals. Giuly began the 2001–02 season well, scoring two goals against

and Lens, before suffering burst ligaments in his right knee, which kept him out for practically the whole season and ruled him out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Top facts about Ludovic Giuly:

A notable fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he was never one to wow the Camp Nou crowd with extraordinary technique or a high amount of goals, but his value was clear to everybody.

Ludovic Giuly early life

Regarding

Ludovic Giuly’s parents

, it should be mentioned that his father, Dominique Giuly, born in the Corsican town of Zalana, was a former goalkeeper who played briefly in professional football with Bastia before continuing an amateur career until the age of 32 with different teams in Lyon's suburbs.

Speaking about

Ludovic Giuly’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he made his debut in the ASCMO, now known as Monts d'Or Azergues Foot, in the city of Chasselay, some twenty kilometers from Lyon, where his father was then employed.

An important fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he subsequently went to the Olympique Lyonnais training facility. With their U18 squad, he won the Coupe Gambardella in 1994.

Ludovic Giuly personal life

Hugo & Co. released Giuly's autobiography "Giuly by Giuly" on May 15, 2007. Giuly settles accounts with former France coach Raymond Domenech in his memoirs, including disclosures regarding his alleged romance with Domenech's companion Estelle Denis.

From September 2006 until March 2007, Giuly was a weekly writer for Radio Monte Carlo's Luis Attaque (RMC). He founded Ultimate Player, a service firm for professional players, in 2010. The firm has 40 employees.

In October 2009, Giuly, along with two PSG teammates, Jérémy Clément and Mamadou Sakho, tested positive for the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

Marseille's match against Paris St Germain was postponed as a result of this. The Stade Ludovic Giuly was named after Giuly by the Monts d'Or Azergues Foot in January 2013.

Ludovic Giuly professional career

Giuly has played for

, but was left out of the UEFA Euro 2004 team owing to a leg injury suffered in the 2004 Champions League final.

Ludovic Giuly club career

An important fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he joined Lyon at the age of 18 and made his first appearance for the club in a Division 1 match against Cannes on 21 January 1995, winning 3–1. Giuly was dubbed "the magic elf" the next season because of his little stature (1.64 meters) and outgoing personality.

Giuly scored 16 goals in 37 games during the 1996–97 season. He appeared in 19 games for Lyon during the 1997–98 season, scoring one goal. He last appeared for Lyon on January 10, 1998, in a 1–0 defeat against Marseille, in which he played 90 minutes.

Monaco AS

Monaco signed Giuly during the winter break in January 1998. The transfer price was €7.5 million (£6.6 million); however, it was originally estimated to be 42 million francs, which was a substantial figure at the time.

An important fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he made his Monaco debut against them in a 1–1 tie on January 20, 1998, only ten days after playing for Lyon against Marseille.

On the last day of Ligue 1, Giuly scored his first goal for Monaco in a 5–2 triumph against Bordeaux. He appeared in 12 games for

in his debut half-season, scoring one.

For Giuly, the 2002–03 season was pivotal. On August 3, 2003, he made his comeback from injury in a 4–0 triumph against Troyes. Giuly led Monaco in the 2003 Coupe de la Ligue Final against Sochaux, scoring a brace in a 4–1 victory that gave the club its first title.

His strong showing in Monaco earned him a spot in the FIFA Confederations Cup, which France won. After suffering an injury that held him out for a week previous to the game, Giuly scored a fantastic overhead kick against Lens with an assist from Jérôme Rothen at the start of the 2003–04 season, his last with Monaco.

While the team struggled in the Ligue 1 championship fight, they had a tremendous run in the UEFA Champions League, moving past the group stage and into the knockout round (where Giuly scored goals against AEK Athens and Deportivo de La Corua).

Monaco defeated Lokomotiv Moscow, Real Madrid (where he scored a brace in the second leg) and Chelsea in this round. Monaco lost 3–0 against José Mourinho's Porto in the final, which Giuly captained.

An important

fact about Ludovic Giuly

is that he was dealt an especially harsh setback since he sustained a groin injury early in the game, requiring him to leave the field in the 23rd minute and be replaced by Dado Pro. The club's chances of winning the final were much bleaker without Giuly.

"Giuly's injury was not good news for us — he is a very key player for us on the attacking side," stated manager

, admitting that losing Giuly was a "huge blow." Giuly made his last appearance for Monaco.

Barcelona

On June 28, 2004, Barcelona paid about €7 million to Monaco in order to recruit Giuly to a three-year deal.

Giuly made his Barcelona debut against Racing de Santander on August 29, 2004, and played 90 minutes. Giuly was pleased with his relocation following a promising start in Spain.

In the 2004–05 season, Giuly assisted Barcelona in winning La Liga, breaking a six-year drought. With 11 goals, he was the club's second leading scorer. Despite many muscle problems disrupting his season, Giuly was able to keep his promise of scoring double digits in his debut year at his new club.

In 2005–06, he helped the Catalan club win the Spanish crown for the second time, as well as the UEFA Champions League trophy. Giuly put Barça in the Champions League final by scoring the game's solitary goal against Milan in the semi-final.

Giuly claimed after the game that he had told his teammates to be calm and complete the job: "Ronnie threw the perfect ball my way. I tried a shot from the left and it went in, which was great! Now that we've secured a spot in the final, we must keep our calm and work hard to make it all the way."

An important fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he played the whole 90 minutes for Barcelona in their 2–1 victory against Arsenal at the Stade de France.

After Giuly scored, the goal was disallowed owing to the foul that resulted in Jens Lehmann's dismissal (becoming him the first and only goalie to be dismissed in a Champions League/European Cup final). Later, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that Giuly's goal should have stood.

Despite being a prominent component of the Barça squad, Giuly lost his starting berth in the 2006–07 season after

was promoted from the club's development divisions. As a consequence, Giuly said his goodbyes to Barcelona.

Roma

After paying a £2.2 million transfer fee to Barça, Giuly signed a three-year contract with Roma on July 17, 2007.

An important fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he won his first title with his new club a month later, winning the Supercoppa Italiana (0–1) against Internazionale. He made his Serie A debut for Roma on August 26, 2007, in a 2–0 victory against Palermo.

On September 2, Giuly scored his first goal in a 3–0 victory against Siena. On November 27, Giuly scored and assisted Mirko Vuini in a 4–1 victory against Ukrainian team Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

On January 16, 2008, he also scored and supplied two assists for Mancini and Roma fan favorite Francesco Totti in a 4–0 victory against Torino in the Coppa Italia second leg.

Giuly's single season with Roma, though, saw him score more than several starting players, placing him among the club's top five scorers during the season he spent at Stadio Olimpico.

Paris Saint-Germain

Giuly was desired by Monaco,

, and Lyon for a return to France, but on July 18, 2008, he signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, with PSG paying Roma an estimated €2.5 million transfer fee.

In a 1–0 defeat against former club Monaco on August 9, 2008, he made his PSG debut. After an injury-plagued start to the season, he scored his first goal for PSG in a 1–0 victory against Lille on November 10.

He scored his second goal against Le Havre and helped his side win against Lyon, scoring a header against his former club. On February 7, 2009, he scored his first brace of the season against Nantes. PSG finished sixth in Ligue 1 in his debut season, just missing out on European competition owing to a poor goal differential.

PSG's league results were substantially poorer in his second season (2009–10), as they finished 13th. On the opening day of the tournament, he scored the first goal for the Parisian club against Montpellier (1–1), and he scored again in their second match against Le Mans, as well as their fifth match against Lyon. PSG won the Coupe de France that season, beating his previous club Monaco in the final.

An important

fact about Ludovic Giuly

is that he started his last season (2010–11) by scoring in the UEFA Europa League play-off round against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

PSG improved their position in Ligue 1 with the acquisition of winger Nenê, who had moved to the club in the summer of 2010. Giuly scored against Lyon in the Coupe de la Ligue on October 27, 2010, giving PSG a 2–1 victory.

Giuly scored four goals and added eight assists in the league that season, against Montpellier, Brest, Sochaux, and Nice. Giuly's contract with PSG was not extended when it expired on June 29, 2011.

Monaco

Giuly trained with his previous club Monaco during the summer of 2011. He signed a two-year deal with the club on August 9, 2011, while he was still playing in Ligue 2.

His return to Monaco surprised Monegasque fans, despite the club's stated ambition of returning to Ligue 1 within the year.

He regained possession of the number 8 jersey he wore during his initial stay with the club. The deal featured a negotiated reconversion inside the club.

The club fell 1–2 against Stade de Reims in his debut encounter. Guily scored his first goal in almost seven years in a 2–2 draw against Lens on August 29, 2011. Giuly scored his second goal in a 1–0 victory against Istres on January 14, 2012. He scored his third goal in a 2–0 victory against Metz on April 13th.

A notable fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he established himself in the starting eleven upon his comeback and remained there throughout the season.

Giuly was locked out of the first team by newly recruited manager

before of the 2012–13 season, and Andreas Wolf took over as captain. Giuly departed Monaco by mutual accord on July 27, 2012, after just one year.

The club held a tribute in his honor during a friendly match against Tours. According to Giuly, "Monaco has given me the opportunity to express the finest years of my football career. I'd want to express my gratitude to the leaders for the circumstances in which I finished my ASMFC trip."

Lorient

A notable fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he signed a one-year free transfer deal with Lorient on July 31, 2012. Giuly made his debut in a 2–1 victory over Montpellier as a replacement for Yann Jouffre, and two weeks later, on September 1, 2012, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win over Nancy.

Then, four months later, Giuly scored his last career goal in a 1–0 victory against Sedan in the second round of the Coupe de France. On May 11, 2013, Giuly announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season.

Giuly's professional career came to an end on May 26, 2013, in a home match against his previous club Paris Saint-Germain in the season's last round. Standing ovations greeted Giuly's exit from the field in the 72nd minute, and the visitors even presented him with a jersey with his previous number. His most recent appearance was also his 401st in Ligue 1.

Azergues Foot Monts d'Or

A notable fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he returned to Monts d'Or Azergues Foot after retiring, the team where he started his career. In the Coupe de France on January 4, 2014, he led his club to a penalty shootout victory against Ligue 2 side Istres.

Ludovic Giuly international career

Giuly was passed over for the French 2006 FIFA World Cup roster in favor of promising Marseille playmaker

.

However, with Djibril Cissé breaking his leg in a World Cup warm-up match against China, Giuly may have been called up, but he said after the first France squad was released that he would rather travel on vacation to Dubai and Kish than sit on the bench, and Sidney Govou was called up instead.

Regardless, France's head coach, Raymond Domenech, has opened the door for Giuly to play for the national team.

A notable

fact about Ludovic Giuly

is that he also qualified for Corsica's non-FIFA affiliated squad after being called up for a friendly against Bulgaria on May 31, 2011.

Ludovic Giuly and Barcelona revival

Barcelona football team has been the measure of excellence in the realm of the beautiful game for many millennials. Tiki-taka, Lionel Messi, and, of course, the erratic Brazilian sensation Ronaldinho have all contributed to the club's rise in prominence.

The title 'More Than a Club' is associated with a real European behemoth, but things were not going as planned for a team unable to equal Johan Cruyff's Dream Team, which had batted away everything before them at the turn of the century.

Even the great Dutchman, Louis van Gaal, tried and failed to develop a sustainable squad capable of emulating their predecessors. The baton was given to his international colleague Frank Rijkaard, and Catalunya entered a new era with this change of guard.

Xavi, Andrés Iniesta,

, Samuel Eto'o, and the aforementioned Ronaldinho were undoubtedly the most important catalysts in the transition to greatness, but one guy whose name is frequently overlooked is Ludovic Giuly, the Frenchman whose cunning and work ethic were crucial to Rjikaard's machine.

In 2007, the French striker had to give up his spot at the club to Lionel Messi, but he stayed for three years and helped restore the shattered Barcelona model.

A notable fact about Ludovic Giuly is that he joined with a considerable reputation after helping the provincial team reach the Champions League final that year for about £6 million during the summer transfer window.

Didier Deschamps' dynamic French team would finally lose the final 3-0 to José Mourinho's Porto, who were just too powerful. Giuly sustained a groin injury in what would have been his last game for the club, and was replaced early in the first half.

His reputation, on the other hand, had already been established during a prosperous period in his birthplace. Giuly was a deft attacker who could adjust to various systems and positions, tormenting opposition full-backs in the process, and kept his cool in front of goal.

It was just what Barça needed, since they already had two attacking superstars in Eto'o and

, who were stealing the show and scoring a ton of goals. All they needed was a reliable, hardworking star to serve as the trident's third spike. Giuly was the player in question.

The Frenchman had a rapid start to his career in Spain, scoring on his debut against Racing Santander. Rijkaard was fortunate in that he had a player who was already complete, at the peak of his game, and who could easily adapt to his system.

He didn't have to teach him anything tactically; this wasn't a management experiment, just a clever strategy with a player capable of making it work.

"I'm not sure I have much to teach Ludo. He is a vital member of our team. He can contribute, but one of his best attributes is his ability to score goals. It would be a pity to limit him to simply playing on the wing. His quickness and intellect are the foundations of his game." Rijkaard was certain that he had found the right person for the position.

Despite missing significant time due to injury, he finished his rookie season as the club's second highest scorer behind the prolific Eto'o. It was no accident that their front three was waving the Blaugrana banner when their six-year La Liga championship drought came to an end in the summer of 2005.

After tasting the sweet nectar of victory, Rijkaard's team soared into the 2005-06 season in the best of spirits, with Giuly serving as the right-sided propeller. The millennium age of Barcelona's domination was just around the corner.

In one of Barcelona's greatest ever seasons, Eto'o and Ronaldinho were at their magnificent best, ripping teams apart with their breathtaking brilliance. It was the year the Brazilian superstar earned a standing ovation at the Bernabéu after two solo goals that defied all odds.

The strikes were almost identical, slashing through the Los Blancos defense and underlining the Blaugrana's newfound power.

Giuly was more on the sidelines in that game, but he did an excellent job in his position and kept the front three together. It was a game that came to represent both his and Ronaldinho's tenure with the club.

His productivity may have dipped in La Liga, with just five goals and three assists, but his value to the squad remained. It was tough to play the supporting position in what was then the world's best front three, and Rijkaard's telepathic understanding with Juliano Belletti on the right side was key to his style of play.

Giuly's campaign would be strong if unspectacular, but he wasn't one for the limelight. He wasn't one to attract crowds; instead, he just carried out his duties with dignity, much as Pedro would later do for the Catalans.

However, one night in Milan would solidify his position as a Blaugrana cult hero. After just edging Mourinho's

and

in the Champions League knockout rounds, Barcelona found themselves in the semi-finals of Europe's most prestigious championship, where they deserved.

AC Milan were their opponents, and the Italian giants were considered the tournament favorites, boasting contemporary legends in almost every position.

The opening leg was held at the San Siro, which was a daunting job for any side, especially one with as many stars as Barça. This was not, however, a night for the red and black striped guys; rather, it was a night for a short-statured Frenchman dressed in fluorescent gear.

Ronaldinho took the ball and sent an inch-perfect pass to Giuly, who, as usual, maintained his calm to smash the ball past a hapless Dida. It would be Barça's sole goal in the two legs, and the deciding factor in what would be the club's biggest night since the 1992 Wembley final against Sampdoria.

In the other semi-final, Arsenal defeated

to set up a showdown with Rijkaard's side in Paris. Giuly had given his key moment, but he was denied a second chance at glory when he tapped the ball into an open net after Jens Lehmann ran out and collided with Eto'o; the goal was ruled out due to a red card infraction.

The Spanish giants defeated the tenacious Gunners 2-1 to reclaim their title as European champions. Giuly had finally realized his aim of earning a Champions League gold after being ejected from his last final with Monaco due to an injury.

The 2006/07 season would be his last in Spain, as Messi's rising star signaled that his time in the country was coming to an end. The small Frenchman even joked that the little Argentine magician was defeating them in training and that his usurpation was only a formality.

Giuly would only appear in 15 La Liga games that season, scoring three times. A new period of utter supremacy for Barcelona was on the horizon, and the Frenchman lacked the abilities — or the age – to deal with the change.

Instead, he said his goodbyes to the club that had bestowed upon him the honors he earned. The baton was given to Messi, and the development process in Catalunya proceeded. Like the rest of the world, he expected Messi to take Barça to new heights, and Giuly graciously provided him with the platform to do so.

Fans at Camp Nou, on the other hand, will never forget their lowly beginnings on the path to success at the turn of the 2000, and how important Giuly was in the puzzle. He may not have been the last component - the glory piece – but his expertise, effort, and altruistic attitude enabled others to benefit the most.

Ludovic Giuly legacy

While

and his Porto squad deserve credit for controlling the 2004 Champions League final, the game was finished long before Carlos Alberto gave them the lead in the first half.

Ludovic Giuly had dominated the early rounds for Monaco, but when he was taken off hurt after 20 minutes due to a collision with Porto goalkeeper Vitor Baia, the game was finished.

In the 2003-04 season, the club captain scored 18 goals, second only to Fernando Morientes, as Didier Deschamps' team defied the odds to reach the Gelsenkirchen final.

He was also never a poacher, which explains why he had less productive seasons throughout his career, but also why this one was so enjoyable to watch.

Unfortunately for Monaco, his 20-minute cameo would be Giuly's only appearance for the club before he moved to Barcelona. Guily's opportunity to have that one game, the sort of game that people speak about years afterwards, had passed him by as a selfless and tremendously hardworking player.

Maybe football was trying to warn him his face didn't fit. He didn't seem to be a good player – or even a footballer of any reputation for that matter.

You could see the playmaker striding out of a 444 on a beach in southern France, scolding at his rebellious children to stop running, with a face older than his years and a frame that screamed office worker as much as player.

However, Giuly's goal for Monaco against Lens in 2003, which was very identical to a goal Youri Djorkaeff had scored for Inter six years before, demonstrates that he was more than simply a player, capable of achieving things only the finest in the world could achieve.

You could have transplanted Giuly's silhouette onto Djorkaeff's and scarcely noticed a difference, such was the likeness. Even though these gymnastics were difficult for one guy to do, another had given a near-perfect duplicate.

Giuly seemed to be a guy compelled to wear a football kit after forgetting his suit for a conference, only for the red and white Monaco shirt to provide him with supernatural abilities.

This was mirrored in his jersey number: the game's legends wore nine and ten, maybe seven or fourteen on occasion, but Giuly's choice of eight kept him out of the spotlight for the time being. The eight, rather than the individual, was one of many, and that seemed to fit him better.

But, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, he couldn't seem to avoid it. And he wasn't about to pretend he didn't appreciate it when he did.

Giuly, for example, scored the goal that knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League in 2003-04 with a wonderful bit of improvisation to tip Hugo Ibarra's effort past

, and if there was ever an opportunity for overexcitement, this was it.

The style of the enthusiasm was so unlike Giuly's game in general that it seemed as if he had been storing all of his energy under his placid façade in order to transform into a cross between Marco Tardelli and Tommy Wiseau when the situation called for it.

Unfortunately for Giuly, he didn't have the chance he deserved to build on his Monaco form after the 2004 final.

To begin with, the injury that pulled him off early in Germany would also keep him out of Euro 2004, when you have to believe his presence would have been enough to prevent France from losing in the quarter-finals to Greece.

Then, despite excelling in his first season with Barcelona, the arrival of a new star called Lionel Messi hampered his progress in La Liga.

In his second season, Giuly started the 2006 Champions League final, although he only played 15 league games in the 2006-07 season and was released that summer.

His strike against Milan at the San Siro in 2006 denied the Italian side back-to-back Champions League finals, ending up as the lone goal of the game in the last four and giving us a taste of Barcelona's capacity to switch it on at any time.

Ronaldinho's ball was filthy, but it still needed to be finished: cue Giuly, who made sure Dida didn't get near the ball, and then the celebration's fervor. If Giuly's fight with Vitor Baia in 2004 was his first taste of triumph, another came two years later.

He assumed he had given Barça the lead, but when he looked up, he saw referee Terje Hauge had brought play back to award the Catalans a free-kick and sent Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann out.

If Hauge had let play to continue, the final would have been quite different, and possibly Giuly would have been the hero instead of

. However, Giuly had the impression that he didn't need to be the hero as long as his team won.

After all, here was a player who continued playing until he was 40, even if it meant returning to his hometown of Chasselay to play in the lower levels with Monts d'Or Azergues.

Did it assist that he finished his career at Stade Ludovic Giuly, which was named for him during his time in Barcelona? We don't want to pass too many conclusions.

Ludovic Giuly social media

Regarding

Ludovic Giuly social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with more than 87k followers. On the page, we can see various pictures of him along with his fans and family.

He also has a Twitter account (

) with more than 69k followers. He rarely posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Ludovic Giuly body measurements

Speaking about

Ludovic Giuly body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 164cm and 62kg.

Ludovic Giuly net worth and salary

Ludovic Giuly's net worth

is estimated to be around $18 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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