Matthieu Delpierre
 Delpierre celebrating the league title in 2007. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthieu Delpierre | ||
| Date of birth | 26 April 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Nancy, France | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Melbourne Victory | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Lille | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2004 | Lille | 83 | (3) |
| 2004–2007 | VfB Stuttgart II | 6 | (0) |
| 2004–2012 | VfB Stuttgart | 162 | (3) |
| 2012–2014 | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 23 | (1) |
| 2014 | FC Utrecht | 14 | (0) |
| 2014– | Melbourne Victory | 15 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| France U18 | 2 | (0) | |
| France U20 | 11 | (0) | |
| France U21 | 12 | (0) | |
| 2008 | France B | 1 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 May 2015. | |||
Matthieu Delpierre (born 26 April 1981 in Nancy, France) is a French footballer who currently plays with A-League side Melbourne Victory. Delpierre plays as a centre back and was the captain of VfB Stuttgart. He has represented France at the U18, U20 and under-21 levels, making appearances during the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Club career
In his first season with Lille, Delpierre made few appearances but helped in the club's promotion to Ligue 1. Delpierre played more regularly in his second season, helping Lille finish third and thereby qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Delpierre continued to perform well for Lille though the club finished at a lower position in the league every season.
Delpierre was signed by VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer after Lille refused to grant him a contract extension. Stuttgart struggled during the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons, but Delpierre began to improve under the tutelage of coach Armin Veh.
The following season, during which he missed only one game through illness, the French defender formed an almost impenetrable barrier alongside Fernando Meira at the heart of the Stuttgart defence. Matthieu has also been a vital cog in Stuttgart's success in the 2006–07 DFB-Pokal, in which the team conceded only three goals before losing the final to Nuremberg. On 19 May 2007, Delpierre won the German Bundesliga with Stuttgart, playing a significant part in their success.
His defensive performances attracted the attention of Arsenal and Bayern Munich[2] and also French clubs Marseille and Saint-Étienne. However, he remained at Stuttgart, extending his contract until the summer of 2012.[3]
On 1 December 2009, Delpierre was appointed the new captain of VfB Stuttgart by Markus Babbel.[4] On 12 January 2012 he asked Bruno Labbadia to appoint another player.[5] Delpierre joined Hoffenheim on a free transfer at the end of the season.
On 31 January 2014 he moved to FC Utrecht.
On 7 July 2014, A-League club Melbourne Victory announced the signing of Delpierre on a one-year deal.[6]
On 10 October 2014, Delpierre scored the first goal of the 2014–15 A-League season in the Victory's first round match against the Western Sydney Wanderers, scoring from a Guilherme Finkler free kick in just the 8th minute of the match. The Victory eventually won the match 4–1.
On 1 May 2015, Delpierre extended his contract with Melbourne Victory for one more year.[7]
International career
Delpierre was called up to the senior France team in March 2008[8] but was ultimately never capped at that level.
Honours
Club
- Lille
- Stuttgart[9]
Individual
- A-League PFA Team of the Season: 2014–15
References
- ↑ "Matthieu Delpierre". melbournevictory.com.au. Melbourne Victory. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ↑ "Bundesliga – Arsenal, Bayern eye Delpierre". Yahoo! Sport. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ↑ "Four more years". VfB Stuttgart. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ↑ "Matthieu Delpierre is new VfB captain". VfB Stuttgart. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ↑ "Serdar Tasci is the new captain". VfB Stuttgart. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ↑ "Victory sign French defender". FFA. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "DelpierreSnared: MVFC re-signs French defender". FFA. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ "France call up 4 new caps". news24.com. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ "M. Delpierre". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
External links
- Matthieu Delpierre at Stuttgart's official website
- Matthieu Delpierre at Eurosport
- Matthieu Delpierre at fussballdaten.de (German)
- Voetbal International profile (Dutch)
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