Jean-Pierre Papin

Jean-Pierre Papin (born November 5, 1963 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) is a French former football player and now manager. Between 2006 and 2007 he was the manager of French club RC Strasbourg, but despite leading the club to promotion to Ligue 1, he resigned, citing internal relationship problems.^[1] He took over from Guy Roux as RC Lens coach a mere 5 games into the 2007-2008 season. ^[2]

Playing career

Papin scored 30 goals for France in 54 matches. He played at the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico, where France finished third, and at the 1992 European Championships in Sweden. His last game for the national team was in 1995.

He won the Ballon d'or in 1991. He was the only player to do so while playing in the French league.

At club level, he played for INF Vichy (1983-1984), Valenciennes (1984-1985), Club Brugge (1985-1986), Olympique Marseille (1986-1992), A.C. Milan (1992-1994), Bayern Munich (1994-1996), Bordeaux (1996-1998) and En Avant Guingamp (1998).

During Papin's spell at Olympique Marseille (1988-1992), with the Frenchman as striker and team leader, Marseille won four championship titles in a row (1989-1992), a double in 1989 and reached the final of the Champions Cup in 1991, losing to Red Star Belgrade. During this period, Papin was Division 1's top scorer 5 consecutive times, scoring 157 goals in 254 matches for Marseille. He then joined AC Milan, being the first high-profile French player to join the Serie A since Michel Platini. However, he never established himself as a regular first team member with the rossoneri due to injuries and adaptation problems. He entered as a substitute during the 1993 UEFA Champions League Final where Milan lost to his former club, Marseille. Nevertheless, Papin has kept good memories of his spell in Italy and fequently cites former Milan managers Fabio Capello and Arrigo Sacchi as his models when coaching is concerned. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich where his season was again plagued by injuries. In his second season in Germany he was part of the side that won the UEFA Cup against Girondins de Bordeaux, a club that Papin would join the following season. With Bordeaux, he lost the final of the 1997 Coupe de la Ligue against Strasbourg. Papin's career ended in 1998 with Second Division side EA Guingamp.

Papin was a prolific striker on the French scene but, contrary to many other French great players, never really became dominant abroad. He was also part of the 'cursed generation' of French players that came between the Platini era of the 80's and the 1998 world champions boasting the likes of Zidane, Thuram, Henry and co. Despite some talented players like Papin, Éric Cantona or David Ginola the French national team fared disappointingly, missing the 1990 and 1994 World Cups - the later after two humiliating defeats at home against Israel and Bulgaria - and being ousted in the group stage of Euro 1992 by Denmark after a perfect record in the qualifications. It was the only period (1989-1996) in French football where clubs actually did better than the national team.

Papin was also iconic in French pop culture because of his caricature in the satiric TV show Les Guignols de l'Info. At first, Papin was depicted as a rather dumb football player (a common stereotype in France), his only obsession being the many different ways to score goals. When Papin experienced difficulties in Italy, the coverage became more sympathetic, especially with the infamous Reviens JPP ! song where even God Himself would urge Papin to come back to his home country, because "France needs you !"

Managerial career

In May 2006, Papin took over from Jacky Duguépéroux as the new coach of RC Strasbourg, who were relegated to the Second Division. He had previously been coaching FC Bassin d'Arcachon, an amateur team, and helped them to be promoted from CFA 2 to CFA. In 2006-07, he guided Strasbourg back to Ligue 1 with a third-placed finish but came under pressure shortly after the end of the season when internal conflicts at the club surfaced in the press. Several players, including '05 league cup final hero Jean-Christophe Devaux, also openly criticized Papin's methods. Initially confirmed as manager for the 2007-08 season, he was forced to resign a week later after it was revealed that he had interviewed for the vacant managerial job at RC Lens only hours after his confirmation at Strasbourg. He was replaced by Jean-Marc Furlan, former manager of ES Troyes AC, while Lens selected Guy Roux as their new manager. Ironically, Papin eventually became the manager of Lens after the club lost at Strasbourg 2-1, as Roux resigned only 5 games into the 2007/2008 season. In the midst of the season, Lens and Papin are fighting to avoid relegation to the Second Division. Lens was also eliminated in the first round of both the UEFA cup and the Coupe de France by, respectively, FC Copenhagen (1-1 ; 1-2) and Second Division side Chamois Niortais (0-1, at home).

Career statistics

Honours and awards

Papin was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

As a player

Cups

• UEFA Champions League: 1994
• UEFA Cup: 1996
• Première Division Française: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
• Coupe de France: 1989
• Serie A: 1993, 1994
• Italian Super Cup: 1992
• Belgian Cup: 1986
• Kirin Cup : 1994

Awards

• Top French Division 1 Scorer: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
• French Player Of The Year: 1989, 1991
• 54 caps and 30 goals for the France national team from 1986 to 1995
• Ballon d'or: 1991
• Onze d'or: 1991
• Named Joueur du Siècle (player of the century) of Olympique de Marseille
• Named in the FIFA 100

As a manager

With RC Strasbourg:

• Ligue 2 promotion: 2006-07

Trivia

• He was famous for his volley shots that his fans nicknamed "Papinades" from his name.

• In 1996, after their eight-month-old daughter Emily was shown to have serious cerebral lesions, Jean-Pierre and his wife, Florence, set up an association "Neuf de Coeur" (Nine of Hearts; Papin's shirt number was 9) to help others in that situation and, particularly, to find and apply methods to mentally and physically educate such children.

• Although Papin played only 31 matches for Club Bruges, he was elected as its best foreign player by the supporters in April 2008.

Notes

References

• (French) French Football Federation Profile

France squad – 1986 FIFA World Cup Third Place 1 Bats • 2 Amoros • 3 Ayache • 4 Battiston • 5 Bibard • 6 Bossis • 7 Le Roux • 8 Tusseau • 9 Fernández • 10 Platini • 11 Ferreri • 12 Giresse • 13 Genghini • 14 Tigana • 15 Vercruysse • 16 Bellone • 17 Papin • 18 Rocheteau • 19 Stopyra • 20 Xuereb • 21 Bergeroo • 22 Rust • Coach: Michel

France squad – UEFA Euro 1992 1 Martini • 2 Amoros • 3 Silvestre • 4 Petit • 5 Blanc • 6 Casoni • 7 Deschamps • 8 Sauzée • 9 Papin • 10 Fernández • 11 Perez • 12 Cocard • 13 Boli • 14 Durand • 15 Divert • 16 Vahirua • 17 Garde • 18 Cantona • 19 Rousset • 20 Angloma • Coach: Platini