Bernard Diomède

Bernard Diomède
Personal information
Date of birth 23 January 1974 (1974-01-23) (age 38)
Place of birth Saint-Doulchard, France
Playing position Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–2000 Auxerre 176 (30)
2000–2003 Liverpool 2 (0)
2002–2003 Ajaccio (loan) 15 (2)
2003–2004 Ajaccio 32 (7)
2004–2005 Créteil 12 (4)
2005–2006 Clermont Foot 11 (1)
National team
1998 France 8 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Bernard Diomède (born 23 January 1974 in Saint-Doulchard) is a retired French footballer of Guadeloupean descent. He played as a winger.

Contents

Biography

Club career

Diomède's career began with AJ Auxerre. After playing at the youth level for the Burgundy club, he made his Ligue 1 début in 1992. He played in the first team during eight years, under Guy Roux Auxerre won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 1996. The winger scored 30 goals in 175 Ligue 1 matches for Auxerre.[1]

In June 2000, Diomède was signed for £3m by then Liverpool F.C. manager Gerard Houllier.[2] Making his debut against Sunderland, Diomède appeared to have scored with an overhead kick, but the goal was not given even though replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.[3] However, he did not settle in England, and only played five games for Liverpool. In January 2003 he was loaned out to AC Ajaccio, newly-promoted in France's Ligue 1, until the end of his contract.[4] After his spell at Liverpool had come to an end, he joined the Ligue 2 team Créteil, and then Clermont Foot in the Championnat National (3rd division). As of 18 January 2008, Bernard Diomede has announced his retirement after being without a club for the past 18 months.[5]

International career

He has been capped eight times for the France national team, but has never scored. Diomède received his first cap in a friendly against Spain on 28 January 1998. At the 1998 World Cup he started in three games, against Saudi Arabia and Denmark in the group stage and against Paraguay in the round of 16. He was unable to regain his place in the French national team after the 1998 World Cup.[6]

Retirement

On the 18 January 2008, Diomède announced his retirement from the game after being without a club for 18 months.[7]

Honours

Following the 1998 World Cup, he was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1998[8][9]

Notes