Top facts about Grégory Coupet, former French keeper

Grégory Coupet, born December 31, 1972 in Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire), is a former French international football goalkeeper who played from the mid-1990s to the beginning of the 2010s.

Grégory Coupet’s age

is 49. Here, you can find the most important facts about Grégory Coupet, ex-Lyon legend.

The first fact about Grégory Coupet is that he began his career at AS Saint-Étienne, where he signed his first professional contract in 1993, before joining

in 1997.

Between 2002 and 2008, Coupet won seven French championships with the Rhone team, as well as a Coupe de France. He finished his career at Paris Saint-Germain after a season at

.

He has 34 caps for France, where he was a World Cup finalist in 2006 and won the Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003.

After retiring from professional football in 2011, he worked as a sports consultant for RMC radio as well as the CFoot and beIN Sport television channels. He is currently the Girondins de Bordeaux's goalkeeping coach.

Top facts about Grégory Coupet:

An important fact about Grégory Coupet is that he played for Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the France national team, during his career.

Along with Hervé Revelli and Jean-Michel Larqué of Saint-Étienne, Thiago Silva and Marco Verratti of Paris Saint–Germain, and his own club colleagues, Juninho and Sidney Govou of Lyon, he holds the record for most Ligue 1 championships won (seven).

Grégory Coupet early life

Grégory Coupet was born in Puy-en-Velay on December 31, 1972 (Haute-Loire). Coupet, the family's youngest member, he has a sister, Anne-Sylvie Roche, who would serve as his press attaché during his career.

Regarding

Grégory Coupet’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he lived in Lissac, a small country village fourteen kilometers outside of Puy-en-Velay. Coupet had a normal childhood, was ruminated on by his parents, and then took up football as a hobby.

Little football fan, the young boy only watches France team matches as well as Sunday broadcasts Téléfoot and Stade.

Speaking about

Grégory Coupet’s parents

, it is worth mentioning that he and his father also watched the Five Nations Tournament. At the age of five, he obtained his first football license at the COP, the Olympic Club of Puy.

Coupet joined the club, which is 20 kilometers from his home, with the intention of "having fun on the pitch." After a few months, he discovers the position of goalkeeper out of curiosity.

This distinction from outfield players, the responsibilities to be assumed, the attractiveness of the outfit, and the ability to command his defenders all entice the young Coupet. His reference at the time was Jol Bats, his future goalkeeper coach.

He was frequently reprimanded at school, which was run by Catholic nuns, and he did not perform well in class.

Coupet's doctors noticed that he was not growing as he approached the age of 12. Coupet, who was slightly enveloped, was quickly mocked by his comrades. His football skills are recognized, but his size is lacking, according to his coaches.

Following the positive X-ray results, the young Coupet scheduled several additional training sessions focusing on bodybuilding, endurance, and footwork, which he perfected with his father.

During this time, he develops a strong desire to work and a steady motivation. All of his efforts have enabled him to join the national cadet team.

A notable

fact about Grégory Coupet

is that he continued his studies and pursued a BEP accounting despite his doubts about becoming a professional footballer. Following that, he took part in a training course organized by AS Saint-legendary Étienne's goalkeeper, Jean Castaneda, and finished as the best goalkeeper.

Grégory Coupet establishes himself after the arrival of Gilbert Ravanello (former Olympique Lyonnais player) at the helm of the COP first team. Ravanello then discusses Coupet with AS Saint-Étienne, which is partnered with Puy.

Despite previous contacts with AJ Auxerre, this exchange allows him to test at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. As a result of the latter, ASSE invited him to participate in the Saint-Joseph tournament. He was hired by professional club at the end of this tournament.

Grégory Coupet professional career

Coupet started his club career with Club Olympique Le Puy in his birthplace before joining Saint-Étienne in 1994. On March 26, 1994, he made his Ligue 1 debut in a 2–0 win against Angers.

 In January 1997, he was unexpectedly transferred to league rival Lyon as a replacement for Pascal Olmeta (the two towns are just 80 kilometers apart and have long been local and national rivals).

Lyon has consistently dominated Le Championnat since 2002, and they have also been frequent fixtures in the UEFA Champions League.

Grégory Coupet club playing career

Grégory Coupet joined the State training center when he was 17 years old. Coupet realized he was on his own during his first season (1990-1991) after making a "blunder."

Saint-Étienne

A notable

fact about Grégory Coupet

is that he joined the reserve team of ASSE during his second year of training, while still a trainee. He discovered the professional team the following season (1992-1993) and participated in training at the request of Jacques Santini. He even becomes the team's third goalkeeper.

Grégory Coupet was led by Joseph-Antoine Bell and Robin Huc when the 1993-1994 season began. The team is quickly overtaken by financial problems and the club's unconfirmed ambitions.

Indeed, the club's new sports director, Jean-Michel Larqué, and president, Yves Guichard, promised to rebuild the club, but in vain. Due to these difficulties, coach Jacques Santini was forced to start several young players.

Grégory Coupet makes his debut in division 1 for the first time in a friendly match in January 1994, before making his big debut a few months later at.

Indeed, on March 26, 1994, Santini decides to fire Joseph-Antoine Bell and not give Robin Huc a chance. For the first time in his professional career, he is paired with players such as Laurent Blanc, Étienne Mendy, and Roland Wohlfarth.

An important fact about Grégory Coupet is that he won his match, which was highlighted by a 2-0 victory over Angers at Geoffroy-Guichard. He continues a week later with a victory over Metz.

However, because he was not an undisputed starter that season, Bell returned to the Saint-Etienne cages and alternated with Huc. Finally, Coupet appeared in the championship's final two games, losing to Lens (3-1) and

(2-1).

Coupet signed his first professional contract at the end of the season, which saw several departures from the club's management. He finished third with the French hopefuls team at the Festival International Espoirs in the summer of 1994. He will be named the competition's best goalkeeper.

Coupet was once again the third goalkeeper behind Robin Huc and Gilbert Ceccarelli at the start of the 1994-1995 season, with Bell having retired.

Prior to the new coach, Elie Baup, upsetting the hierarchy as a result of the team poor results. Grégory Coupet takes over in goal on October 14, 1994, against

(0-0).

However, the club is in crisis, and the Greens have fallen to the bottom of the standings. Despite tensions in the Saint-Etienne locker room, Coupet maintained his ranking until the season's end, when ASSE finished 18th.

The club was administratively rescued "thanks" to the climbing ban imposed on Olympique de Marseille following the VA-OM scandal.

The following season will be even worse: if Coupet continues to play (36 games by the end of the season), AS Saint-Étienne will have begun its descent into hell with the replacement of Élie Baup by Dominique Bathenay during the season.

A 19th-place finish is synonymous with relegation to Division 2. All of this to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Bayern Munich's defeat in the 1976 European Cup final. Grégory Coupet was forced to drop to the second division at the age of 23.

AS Saint-Étienne, now coached by Pierre Mankowski, is returning to the league with a reconstituted team led by Grégory Coupet. The first games in Division 2 have been good, and there is some hope for an immediate comeback.

The people of Saint-Etienne, however, remain in a difficult situation. The club has prioritized savings over the years, and as a result, it has sold its best players. Just before the winter break, Olympique Lyonnais made headlines with a brawl between their goalkeeper, Pascal Olmeta, and defender Jean-Luc Sassus.

Lyon then decided to fire Olmeta for serious misconduct, and they needed a new goalkeeper. The president of Olympique Lyonnais, Jean Michel Aulas, then contacted Grégory Coupet.

In the aftermath, ASSE president Philippe Koehl told Coupet that he needed to sell him to bring money to the club, as he was in financial trouble at.

Grégory Coupet completes the transfer to Olympique Lyonnais at the end of December, in the company of his agent Pape Diouf and Jean-Michel Aulas, for a fee of seven million francs and in exchange for Jean-Luc Sassus, and signs a contract for four and a half years with a new salary, multiplied by six, of 100,000 francs per month.

A notable fact about Grégory Coupet is that he played 96 professional matches for AS Saint-Étienne, 88 in the league and 8 in the national cup between March 1994 and January 1997.

Grégory Coupet is still one of the best goalkeepers to have trained at ASSE, alongside Jean Castaneda and Jérémy Janot, who took his place when he left.

Olympique Lyonnais

Holder since his arrival in the Rhône, Coupet has progressed over the seasons thanks to former international goalkeeper Jol Bats and his goalkeeper-specific training.

An important fact about Grégory Coupet is that he thus became French champion in 2002 after three consecutive podium finishes (third in 1999 and 2000, second in 2001), won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2001, and made his Champions League debut.

Coupet was logically selected for the French team in 2001 (his first selection took place on June 1 in Daegu against Australia during France's Confederations Cup win), before returning there regularly from 2002 as third goalkeeper behind incumbent goalkeepers

and Ulrich Ramé.

The hierarchy of goalkeepers in the France team, however, was called into question in February 2005 by the "spitting affair" of Fabien Barthez.

Suspended from all competitions for six months, Barthez clears the way for Grégory Coupet, who is gaining support from his club. Grégory Coupet, who won the French championship for the fourth time in a row at the end of the 2004-2005 season, is acting.

A notable fact about Grégory Coupet is that he began the 2005-2006 season on the same footing. The suspension of Barthez has ended, and the delicate issue of goalkeeper hierarchy in the France team has reignited debates.

Coupet asks coach Raymond Domenech to reconsider through the media and expresses his desire to move from number two to number one.

Then came a media campaign that divided France from football, with everyone siding with Barthez or Coupet in preparation for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The French goalkeeper declares in the Téléfoot television magazine that "the hierarchy is made to be upset."

Raymond Domenech prefers not to make a decision during the season, alternating between the two goalkeepers, and instead waits until May 2006, a month before the start of the German World Cup, to make his decision: Despite the professional media Coupet campaign, Barthez will begin in Germany.

Meanwhile, Coupet and OL won a fifth French championship and were named the season's best goalkeepers at the UNFP trophies.

Coupet reacted angrily to his non-tenure and had a difficult World Cup on a personal level, as he later told L'Équipe magazine. Indeed, during the French team's preparation camp in Tignes, Coupet snapped and left, only to return a few hours later after calling his mother.

The reason for the bloodshed: a new "right pass" for his direct competitor at the post, with Barthez being offered the option not to participate in the ascent of a pass, which is mandatory for all other players.

A "sense of injustice" washed over him, but he changed his mind and eventually saw the competition from the substitutes' bench with Mickael Landreau.

In the 2006–07 season, he won his sixth French league title with Lyon, while the team was eliminated from the Champions League by AS Roma 16 after reaching the quarter-finals.

On October 5, 2006, Fabien Barthez announced his retirement from sport, clearing the way for Coupet, who intends to establish himself as the French team's number one. He then made his debut in the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Georgia (3-0) and Italy (1-0).

However, in December 2006, Fabien Barthez changed his mind and announced his return. Journalists flocked to the idea of a new rivalry in the France team between two goalkeepers, but in April 2007, Barthez decided to hang up his crampons for good.

Two months later, Grégory Coupet signed a contract extension with OL, tying him to the club until 2010. On August 2nd of the same year, he injured his cruciate ligaments in training, and his absence was estimated to be four months at the time.

Rémy Vercoutre takes his place brilliantly in the Lyon cages, while Mickael Landreau has established himself in Blue.

Coupet will make his return to the field on January 6, 2008, during a Coupe de France match in Créteil (0-6). On February 20, 2008, he will play his 500th match for Lyon in the Champions League round of 16 first leg against

at Stade Gerland.

Grégory Coupet was named to Raymond Domenech's Euro 2008 shortlist in May 2008, alongside Mickael Landreau, Sébastien Frey, and Steve Mandanda.

The international goalkeeper announced his departure from Olympique Lyonnais at the end of season the day before the Coupe de France final against

.

OL won the Coupe de France and were crowned French champions for the seventh time in a row during the latter.

Atlético Madrid

Coupet officially signs for Atlético Madrid for 1.5 million euros on July 4, 2008, and finds himself in direct competition with goalkeeper Leo Franco, who has been at the Madrid club for four years.

A month later, he was one of the notable omissions from Raymond Domenech's squad for the friendly against Sweden, with Marseille's Steve Mandanda and Lyonnais Hugo Lloris the favorites.

The tricolor coach reiterates his decisions by not retaining Grégory Coupet for the two World Cup qualifying matches against Austria and Serbia, which take place on September 6th and September 10th, respectively.

An important fact about Grégory Coupet is that he declares in the newspaper France Football on September 30, 2008, that "the Blues, it's over." As a result, he would finish his international career with 34 caps.

His season at Atlético Madrid was erratic: he was more often a substitute than a starter, and he was unable to unseat Leo Franco as number one, the latter taking advantage of his seniority at the club.

Coupet's three games against FC Barcelona (two defeats in the Spanish Cup and a nightmare evening in La Liga at Camp Nou (1-6 defeat)) work against him, despite the fact that he is the most frequently abandoned by his defenders against Barça.

Paris Saint-Germain

In June 2009, he returned to Ligue 1 and took over in goal for Paris Saint-Germain for €800,000 and a two-year contract, replacing Mickael Landreau, who had left for Lille OSC.

He declares on PSG TV that he intends to return to the France team if the coach calls on him. Following that, on November 28, he fractured his left ankle during a league match between the Parisian club and AJ Auxerre.

Coupet returned to reserve after five months of treatment after being absent until April 2010. Author of a strong preparation during the 2010-2011 season, he earned a starting spot in the Parisian cages at the start of the season before giving way to Apoula Edel. At the end of the course, he becomes a holder.

A notable fact about Grégory Coupet is that he announced in 2010 that he would retire at the end of the 2010-2011 season. On May 29, 2011, he played his final match of his career when the Parisian club relocated to Saint-Étienne (draw 1-1) on the final day of Ligue 1.

While rumors of a transfer to the Swiss club Neuchâtel Xamax circulated shortly after his retirement, Grégory Coupet confirmed his retirement.

When he was offered a position as a goalkeeper coach at the PSG training center the following season, Coupet declined, stating that he "badly saw himself commenting on all of this on TV and showing up at the Camp des Loges the next day." As if nothing had ever happened. I wanted to maintain my freedom of expression and my right to criticize.

Grégory Coupet international career

Coupet, who was born in the Haute-Loire town of Le Puy-en-Velay, has 34 caps for France. During France's 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-winning campaign, he made his international debut against

. He was called up to the 2002 World Cup as Fabien Barthez's backup, but he did not play.

Coupet had three clean sheets and only allowed three goals in five games the next year as France won the 2003 Confederations Cup, their second title in the tournament in three years.

Coupet broke down in tears at a memorial for late Cameroon star Marc-Vivien Foé, since the two were colleagues when playing for Lyon in the French league.

Coupet won 69 percent of the votes in a survey held by France Football magazine in February 2006 to choose who should be France's first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup (Barthez received 28 percent).

Despite the fact that Coupet started six of the ten games in the 2006 World Cup qualifying rounds, coach Raymond Domenech unexpectedly chose Barthez as his starting goalkeeper, relegating Coupet to the bench once again.

Coupet's stellar exploits with Lyon, which helped them win five Ligue 1 titles in a row, had many people expecting him to be named the starter.

This led to a spat between Coupet and Domenech on May 25, 2006, which culminated in Coupet storming out of the team's training camp in Tignes with his family in tow, but he eventually returned and apologized to the coach.

After Barthez announced his retirement from both club and national football in August 2006, Coupet became France's number one.

However, his first regular appearance – in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers – did not go as planned; France was defeated 1–0 by Scotland on 7 October, and a hand injury sustained in that match held him out of France's 5–0 triumph over the Faroe Islands four days later.

In the tournament main stage of Euro 2008, he was the first-choice goalkeeper, surrendering six goals in three matches as France was eliminated in the group stage.

Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda were Domenech's goalkeeping favorites for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, with Coupet called up as a reserve for a few games. Coupet was not picked for France's final World Cup team, as Cédric Carrasso was chosen to replace Lloris and Mandanda.

A notable

fact about Grégory Coupet

is that he announced his retirement from international football on July 1, 2010, stating, "When Euro 2012 begins, I will be 39 years old, and I don't see myself being selected in another France team, with Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda being preferred over me.

Fabien Barthez was an example of this; he was just too talented for me. I believed I'd have 4–6 years as France's number one after he retired, but things aren't going as planned.

As a result, I am announcing my retirement from international football and will no longer be included in any France selections. I'm not going to revisit my retirement decision now that I've made my mind up."

Grégory Coupet after retirement

On April 29, 2011, a few weeks before the end of his career, Grégory Coupet released his autobiography, Stopping the Game, written in collaboration with Benjamin Danet at Éditions du Rocher. In this book, he revisits his tense relationship with Raymond Domenech, the then-coach of the France team.

Young retired from the field, and Grégory Coupet became a sports consultant for CFoot, the LFP's new television channel that aired from July 2011 to May 2012. He also held this position for the weekly Le 10 Sport beginning in June 2011, where he is joined by Daniel Bravo.

Grégory Coupet joined the RMC radio program Luis Attaque as a sports consultant in September 2011, alongside Luis Fernandez, Olivier Dacourt, and Ali Benarbia. Since 2014, he has shared the Intégrale Foot with Jean-Louis Tourre and Rolland Courbis from Tuesday to Thursday.

Coupet was contacted by Charles Biétry (director of beIN Sport) in June 2012, after CFoot ceased operations, to recruit him for the new football channel. Since then, he has provided commentary on Euro 2012, as well as taking part in Alexandre Ruiz's "Club" and special Champions League evenings.

However, shortly before Christmas 2012, he announced his departure from the channel, stating that he "didn't find his place in these shows".

Coupet declares in June 2015 that he will no longer work as a media consultant. He announces that he will be participating in a football training program for young people in Marrakech.

Coupet graduated as a football goalkeeper coach with Olympique Lyonnais during the 2015-2016 season.

He returned to the club in 2016 and now serves as the reserve team goalkeepers' coach. Grégory Coupet then took over as goalkeeper coach for the first team, succeeding Jol Bats.

On May 20, 2020, Dijon FCO announced the appointment of Grégory Coupet as goalkeeper coach, for a two-year contract. On January 17, 2022, he officially left Dijon FCO to join Girondins de Bordeaux as goalkeeper coach.

Grégory Coupet profile and personality

Grégory Coupet, the goalkeeper, is a towering figure at 1.81 m and 80 kg. Grégory Coupet established a level of consistency in his career with over 700 professional matches.

He began his training at the AS Saint-Étienne training center with Jeannot Dées and continued his development for eight years with a former international goalkeeper, Jol Bats, the goalkeeper coach at Olympique Lyonnais. He retired on the orders of Nicolas Dehon and then Gilles Bourges at Paris Saint-Germain.

His collective performances, particularly with Olympique Lyonnais, and individual qualities elevated him to the ranks of the best French goalkeepers in the 2000s. Coupet is well-known for the high quality of his work, in addition to his talent.

Indeed, he does not hesitate to include bodybuilding sessions during training in order to "feel better," according to him.

Coupet, who is bursting with energy, is a very responsive goalkeeper on his line. He is close to the prototype of the Model goalkeeper, being at ease on aerial balls, explosive in his outings, and possessing very good reflexes.

He is also very authoritative with his defenders and will not hesitate to reframe one of his teammates. His constant motivation and "winning culture" would have qualified him for captaincy, but he always refused.

Despite several injuries, two of which were serious in August 2007 (left knee ligament rupture) and November 2009 (left ankle fracture), he manages to resume competition at a high level.

His two major injuries forced him to undergo a very rhythmic rehabilitation, which forged an even stronger mental in him.

Coupet rarely caused a "buzz" after a "dumpling," but he frequently made several decisive saves to keep his team in the game, as in matches against Blackburn (1998), Barcelona (2001), Bayer Leverkusen (2001), Madrid (2006), Milan (2006) in the European Cup, or Nantes (2005) in the league.

Coupet is a character with a great personality who is not afraid to "rant" when he wants or even "freak out," as he did during a training course in Tignes with the France team in 2006.

He is frequently seen in the media commenting on football news and goalkeeper performance, and he can be harsh on his teammates.

Furthermore, he had several clashes with some of his leaders during his career, including Roger Lemerre, Alain Perrin, Raymond Domenech, and Jean-Michel Aulas during his transfer to Atletico Madrid. Grégory Coupet is also a big fan of rugby union, particularly the XV of France.

Grégory Coupet awards

Grégory Coupet makes his professional debut on March 26, 1994, against AS Saint-Étienne in a match between AS Saint-Étienne and SCO Angers.

He didn't win any trophies with the Greens. When he first arrived at Olympique Lyonnais, he was vice-champion of France in 2001 before winning the league 1 seven times, in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

He is tied for the record with Hervé Revelli, Jean-Michel Larqué, Sidney Govou, and Juninho. In addition, he won the Coupe de France in 2008, the Coupe de la Ligue in 2001, and the Intertoto Cup in 1997. Coupet won the Champions Trophy five times: in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007.

He has the most titles and has played the most matches in this competition, with. Finally, in 2010, he was a finalist for the Champions Trophy, and in 2011, he was a finalist for the Coupe de France.

Between 2001 and 2008, he had thirty-four selections with the France team. He won the Confederations Cup with the national team in 2001 and 2003.

He was also selected for the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, and the 2006 World Cup, where he was a finalist, but he did not play a single match in any of these three competitions. His international career came to an end at the end of Euro 2008, when the Blues were eliminated in the first round.

Grégory Coupet was named the best goalkeeper at the Festival International Espoirs in 1994. Elected best goalkeeper in the French championship at the UNFP trophies in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, he was a regular in the Ligue 1 team in those years. In addition, in September 2005, he was named UNFP player of the month.

Some quick facts about Grégory Coupet:

Grégory Coupet made a spectacular double save against Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League encounter in 2001–02, when he acrobatically headed an unintentional lob by a defender to his own crossbar and then parried a tight header by Rivaldo, the incoming Barcelona striker.

He sobbed openly at the team picture before France's 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final match against Turkey, which took place only hours after his close friend and former Lyon colleague Marc-Vivien Foé died suddenly.

Coupet credits the aftermath of Foé's death with helping him gain a new perspective on life and, as a result, settling his differences with Lyon after a tumultuous contract dispute with the club for the majority of the 2002–03 season, which included him vowing never to play for the club again at one point.

Coupet was selected into the top ten for the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award for the first time in 2005, at the age of 33.

He came in fourth position with 43 votes, behind winner Petr ech, Dida, and

, respectively. In 2004 and 2005, he was elected Ligue 1 Keeper of the Year on both occasions.

Coupet tore the internal medial ligament in his left knee on August 2, 2007, after catching his foot in the net during a training practice. Four days later, he had surgery and missed the rest of 2007, including France's final Euro 2008 qualifiers.

An important fact about Grégory Coupet is that he returned to the team in the new year, scoring four goals in Lyon's 4–0 Cup de France triumph against Ligue 2 club Créteil on January 6, 2008.

Coupet was transferred to Atlético Madrid for €1.5 million and a €250,000 incentive on July 18, 2008.

Coupet joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2009, where he remained until his retirement in 2011. He saved a penalty from Mathieu Debuchy in the 2011 Coupe de France Final against

, but was unable to prevent his team from losing 1–0.

Grégory Coupet played 34 games for the Blues between 2001 and 2008, with 19 wins, 9 draws, 6 losses, and 16 goals conceded.

Grégory Coupet social media

Regarding

Grégory Coupet social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Grégory Coupet body measurements

Speaking about

Grégory Coupet body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 181cm and 80kg.

Grégory Coupet net worth and salary

Gregory Coupet's net worth

is estimated to be around $10 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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