Guillaume Hoarau

Guillaume Hoarau

Hoarau with BSC Young Boys in 2014
Personal information
Full nameGuillaume Hoarau
Date of birth5 March 1984
Place of birthSaint-Louis, Réunion, France
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
BSC Young Boys
Number99
Youth career
1994–2004Saint-Pierroise
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2004–2008Le Havre81(33)
2006–2007→ Gueugnon (loan)21(8)
2008–2012Paris Saint-Germain114(38)
2013Dalian Aerbin20(3)
2014Bordeaux16(3)
2014–BSC Young Boys22(15)
National team‡
2010–France5(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 May 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 November 2012

Guillaume Hoarau (born 5 March 1984) is a French footballer who plays for BSC Young Boys in the Swiss Super League as a striker.

Club career

Early career

Hoarau started his football career at JS Saint-Pierroise in his native Réunion. In 1995, Le Havre AC scouts considered him too "thin" and signed his then-teammate Florent Sinama-Pongolle. After gaining the attention of then-Le Havre manager Jean-François Domergue, Hoarau signed his first professional contract at the age of 20 for Le Havre AC in January 2004.[1] He made his league debut on 12 May 2004 against LB Châteauroux in a 1–2 loss coming on as a substitute.[2]

Despite being signed, Hoarau spent the majority of his career under Domergue playing in the reserves often earning call ups to the senior squad, but then quickly getting sent back down.[3] He registered his first career goal in just the second match of the 2004–05 season in a 2–1 victory over Amiens.[4] Despite this, his play was heavily limited following the firing of Domergue and the appointment of temporary manager Philippe Hinschberger. The following season under new manager Thierry Uvenard, his playing time increased. He appeared in 28 matches scoring 5 goals. The next season, he only made 5 appearances for Le Havre before being sent on loan to FC Gueugnon where he made 21 appearances and scored 8 goals.

Ligue 2 star

Under new manager Jean-Marc Nobilo, his 4th different manager in four years, Hoarau was installed as the lead striker and flourished. Playing in all 38 league matches, he was top scorer scoring 28 goals and, at one point during the season, scored at least one goal in 12 straight matches.[5] His performances led to the French media naming him the "Karim Benzema of Ligue 2" as Benzema was having a similar season in Ligue 1.[3] His performances caught the eye of several Ligue 1 clubs, such as Auxerre, Marseille, and Paris Saint-Germain to name a few, and English clubs Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, and Chelsea,[6] who likened the player to Peter Crouch. Eventually, it was announced in January 2008 that Hoarau had signed with Parisian club Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year deal after reportedly snubbing the club's primary rival Olympique de Marseille.[7] PSG paid Le Havre fee of €500,000 and also allowed the player to finish the Ligue 2 season with his former club, whom he helped achieve promotion to Ligue 1.

Paris Saint-Germain

Hoarau during a training session with Paris Saint-Germain in 2011

Hoarau arrived in Paris following the Ligue 2 season with high expectations as he was expected to replace club legend Pauleta and live up to comments made by former president Alain Cayzac, who referred to Hoarau as being the "signing of the century" for Paris Saint-Germain.[8]

He made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain in a 1–0 defeat at Monaco on 9 August 2008. After going scoreless the first week, Hoarau responded in the second week scoring his first goal for the club on his home debut in a 1–0 victory over Bordeaux.[9] His breakthrough into the team came in the annual Classique against rivals Marseille on 26 October 2008. In a huge 4–2 victory for the club, Hoarau scored a brace.[10] He followed this up by scoring another brace, this time against his former club Le Havre in a 3–1 victory.[11] His next set of goals were against Le Mans earning another brace in another 3–1 victory.[12] Hoarau also continued his solid form on the European stage scoring a brace in the club's first leg match against VfL Wolfsburg on 18 February 2009 in the UEFA Cup.[13] In total for the season, Hoarau made 45 appearances, 32 in league play, and scored 20 goals, 17 in league play, contributing to the club's successful season where they reached as high as the 2nd position in the league and made it to the UEFA Cup quarterfinals.

Due to his great performances, Hoarau was linked to several clubs, most notably Olympique Lyonnais, who offered €10 million for the player's services.[14] However, both Hoarau and Paris Saint-Germain downplayed the offer and, two days later, Hoarau signed a contract extension until 2013.[15]

Following his successful first season in Paris, Hoarau has struggled to reproduce the same kind of form. The arrival of a new striker in the form of Mevlüt Erdinç failed to ignite a successful partnership, both players being often injured and profligate in front of goal whenever they managed to play. Since the signing of new striker Kevin Gameiro in the summer of 2011, both Hoarau and Erdinç have been relegated to the substitutes' bench, and the former suffered a serious injury on the very first day of the 2011–12 season. Hoarau was also linked with a loan move to Saint-Étienne.[16] On the last day of the 2011-12 season with Montpellier and PSG chasing the Ligue 1 title, Hoarau suffered an injury in a match against Lorient. It couldn't get worse, as Montpeillier win their first league title.[17]

In 2012-13 season, Hoarau featured less for the club and was placed on the transfer list despite being out of contract at the end of the season.[18]

Upon his departure to Dalin Aerbin, Hoarau appeared at Parc des Princes, where he made a farewell speech and was left emotional, saying: "Nothing has changed. I'm a little excited. I have a small tear in the eye".[19]

Dalian Aerbin

On 9 January 2013, Hoarau signed with Chinese Super League side Dalian Aerbin.[20] On the same day, Hoarau was presented by the club.[21] His move to China received objection by commentator Jean-Michel Larqué.[22]

Hoarau made his debut in the opening game of the season, coming on as a substitute in the 69th minutes for Zhou Tong, in a 1-0 loss against Shandong Luneng. Hoarau scored his first goal three week later (on 30 March 2013), in a 3-3 thriller draw against newly promoted Shanghai East Asia.[23] Two weeks later, on 14 April 2013, Hoarau scored again in a 2-1 loss against reigning league champion Guangzhou Evergrande. Since then, Hoarau have since struggled to score despite having earned himself as first team regular. His lack of scoring lead the club recruit Nabil Baha as their new striker and the club would consider selling Hoarau in the summer transfer window.[24] Eventually, Hoarau would stay at the club for the season and the club would finish fifth place in the league.

In conclusion of 2013 season, Chinese media Sina Sports reported that Hoarau is among foreign players to leave Dalian Aerbin.[25][26] Four days later, the club confirmed the departure of Hoarau, as Hoarau would return to France.[27]

FC Girondins de Bordeaux

After one season in China, Hoarau returned to France by joining Ligue 1 side Bordeaux until the end of the 2013-14 season.[28] Hoarau was previously linked with another Ligue 1 side Marseille.[29] The move to Marseille was never happened as Hoarau preferred moving elsewhere.[30]

Career statistics

Has no goals

International career

On 23 March 2009, Hoarau was called up to the France national team to replace injured Nicolas Anelka.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.20minutes.fr/article/267034/Sport-Guillaume-Hoarau-itineraire-d-un-grand-garcon-pas-forcement-gate.php
  2. ↑ Châteauroux v. Le Havre Match Report
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Haro sur Hoarau le phénomène
  4. ↑ Amiens v. Le Havre Match Report
  5. ↑ Les buts de GUILLAUME HOARAU
  6. ↑ Hoarau a signé au PSG
  7. ↑ Guillaume Hoarau snobe Marseille et signe au PSG
  8. ↑ Hoarau prend le Paris
  9. ↑ PSG v. Bordeaux Match Report
  10. ↑ Marseille v. PSG Match Report
  11. ↑ Le Havre v. PSG Match Report
  12. ↑ PSG v. Le Mans Match Report
  13. ↑ PSG v. Wolfsburg Match Report
  14. ↑ Lyon a fait une offre pour Hoarau
  15. ↑ Guillaume Hoarau prolonge jusqu’en 2013
  16. ↑ "ASSE wants to get the loan Guillaume Hoarau!" [L’ASSE veut obtenir le prêt de Guillaume Hoarau !] (in French). Foot Mercato. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "PSG: terrible blow to Guillaume Hoarau!" [PSG : terrible coup dur pour Guillaume Hoarau!] (in French). Foot Mercato. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "PSG: it stirs around Guillaume Hoarau!" [PSG : ça s’agite autour de Guillaume Hoarau !] (in French). Foot Mercato. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "PSG: emotion Guillaume Hoarau" [PSG : l’émotion de Guillaume Hoarau] (in French). Foot Mercato. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "France Hoarau signs for China's Dalian Aerbin from PSG". Yahoo! Sports (Yahoo!). 9 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  21. ↑ "Official: Hoarau arrived in Dalian Aerbin!" [Officiel : Hoarau débarque à Dalian Aerbin !] (in French). Foot Mercato. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "Larqué does not want Hoarau China" [Larqué ne veut pas voir Hoarau en Chine] (in French). Foot Mercato. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "China first goal for Guillaume Hoarau !" [Premier but en Chine pour Guillaume Hoarau !] (in French). Foot Mercato. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "Dalian Aerbin not Hoarau wants!" [Le Dalian Aerbin ne veut plus de Hoarau !] (in French). Foot Mercato. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "Guillaume Hoarau and Seydou Keita soon as free as the air?" [Guillaume Hoarau et Seydou Keita bientôt libres comme l’air ?] (in French). Foot Mercato. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  26. ↑ "Keita and Albin are seeking rescission Super Cannavaro" [凯塔与阿尔滨解约正寻中超下家 瓦罗高薪让他失衡] (in Chinese). Sina Sports. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "Dalian Aerbin will not make Hoarau Gift!" [Dalian Aerbin ne fera pas de cadeau à Hoarau !] (in French). Foot Mercato. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  28. ↑ Transferts - Hoarau en renfort
  29. ↑ "Transfer: the Guillaume Hoarau track gaining weight OM" [Transfert : la piste Guillaume Hoarau prend du poids à l'OM] (in French). Eurosport. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  30. ↑ "OM: Hoarau the track has cooled" [OM : la piste Hoarau s’est refroidie] (in French). Foot Mercato. 29 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.

External links

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