Ludovic Giuly

Ludovic Giuly (born July 10, 1976, Lyon, France) is a French soccer player.

Biography

 Childhood and Training 
Ludovic Giuly was immersed in the world of football from a young age since his father, Dominique Giuly (born in Haute-Corse in Zalana), was a former goalkeeper who briefly played professionally for Sporting Club de Bastia before continuing an amateur career until the age of 42 in various clubs in the Lyon suburbs.

Born in Lyon (2nd arrondissement) along with his twin sister and his other sister Christelle, Ludovic Giuly began his football journey at the local club Chasselay in 1981, where his father was playing at the time. In 1987, he joined the youth academy of Olympique Lyonnais as a second-year pupil. In 1994, he won the Gambardella Cup (5-0) against SM Caen with the club's under-20 team, which included players such as Bardon, Fiorèse, Debec, Jurietti, and Linarès.

 Professional Beginnings at Lyon (1994-1998) 
Ludovic Giuly played his first match in the Premier Division on January 21, 1995, when AS Cannes visited Gerland (3-1). Tigana brought him on in the 66th minute to replace Stéphane Roche, at the age of 18 and a half.

The following season, he earned his place as a starter and scored 4 goals in 36 matches.

In the 1996-1997 season, the player nicknamed "the magic sprite" due to his small stature (1.64 m) and agility, finished the season with 16 goals in 37 matches. At the start of the 1997-1998 season, he played 19 matches with Lyon and scored one goal.

In January 1998, Ludovic Giuly joined Tigana at AS Monaco. For 42 million francs (€6.5 million), the 21-year-old player signed a four-and-a-half-year contract, breaking the record (41 million francs) held by Florian Maurice when he joined PSG.

 Breakthrough at AS Monaco (1998-2004) 
In 1998, Ludovic Giuly joined Jean Tigana and AS Monaco during the winter break. He played 12 matches during the second half of the 1997-1998 season. He scored his first goal on the final day against Girondins de Bordeaux on May 9, 1998 (a 5-2 victory, 89th minute). Jean Tigana's men finished 9 points behind the French champions, Lens.

In 1998-1999, he became a key member of the Monaco squad that finished fourth in the championship.

He was one of the decisive players for the French championship title in 1999-2000, contributing numerous assists and scoring 5 goals, which also led to his debut for the French national team.

The following year was difficult for AS Monaco, which finished in eleventh place in the championship. Giuly scored 7 goals in 30 matches.

In 2001-2002, he started the season strong (scoring two goals against PSG and Lens) before suffering a rupture of the cruciate ligaments in his right knee in October 2001. He returned to competition in April 2002, missing the 2002 World Cup.

However, his return at the beginning of the 2002-2003 season was decisive. Unstoppable on his right wing and scoring spectacular goals, Giuly seemed to be playing at a higher level than before his injury. With 11 goals in 36 matches, he was one of the key players in Monaco's return to the top of the championship. His two goals against FC Sochaux also helped Monaco win the Coupe de la Ligue. Giuly confirmed his form the following season, narrowly missing out on the French championship to Olympique Lyonnais and participating in Monaco's European campaign, which ended in the Champions League final against José Mourinho's FC Porto. Despite victories against Deportivo La Coruña, Real Madrid, and Chelsea, the European final was a painful memory for Ludovic Giuly: apart from the heavy defeat (0-3), he injured his adductors early in the match, forcing him to leave the field and miss Euro 2004, which started a few days later. He also scored a superb overhead kick in a league match against Lens from a cross by Jérôme Rothen.

Decisive, dynamic, and acrobatic, Ludovic Giuly was a unique player for AS Monaco, leaving an indelible mark with his talent, determination, and leadership.

 At the Top of Europe with FC Barcelona (2004-2007) 
The following season, Ludovic Giuly signed with FC Barcelona. Wearing the Blaugrana jersey, he contributed to the club's conquest of the Spanish championship title, which had eluded the Catalan club for six years. Despite a series of injuries, the former Monaco player established himself as a starter in his first season, scoring 11 goals in 29 matches.

As a starter on Barça's right wing again during the 2005-2006 season, "el raton" (his nickname in Spain) had to learn to deal with the competition from the young Argentine prodigy Lionel Messi. However, Messi got injured and missed the end of the season, and Ludo scored the decisive goal in the Champions League semi-final against AC Milan, allowing the Catalan team to qualify for the final against the Gunners of Arsenal. Against Arsenal, he scored a valid goal, but it was disallowed by the referee. Ultimately, his team won 2-1, achieving the double by also winning La Liga.

In his third season with the club, he initially benefited from Lionel Messi's injury to secure a starting spot, but he returned to the bench when Messi recovered.

 Spell in Rome and Return to France with PSG (2007-2011) 
On July 17, 2007, he signed a three-year contract with AS Roma. The transfer fee was €3.5 million. A month later, he won his first trophy with his new club, triumphing in the Italian Supercup against Inter Milan (0-1). Although not always a starter, he had a reasonable amount of playing time.

Wishing to return to France and gain more playing time, and courted by Monaco, Marseille, and Lyon, he joined Paris Saint-Germain on July 18, 2008. After a mixed start to the season marked by an injury, he scored his first goal in Parisian colors during a 1-0 victory against Lille OSC on November 10. He scored his second goal against Le Havre and helped the capital's team to win against Lyon, scoring a header against his former club. He scored his first double of the season on February 7, 2009, against FC Nantes. He finished the 2008-2009 season with 9 goals in Ligue 1.

He started the 2009-2010 season well by scoring the first goal for the Parisian team against Montpellier HSC (1-1) on the first day of the championship on August 8, 2009. On the second day, he scored the final goal in Paris's 3-1 victory against Le Mans, and on the fifth day, he scored his team's goal against Olympique Lyonnais (1-1). He scored again after the winter break in the Coupe de France against Vesoul Haute-Saône Football, confirming his good return after a few difficult months at the end of 2009. He won the Coupe de France on May 1, 2010, after a victory in the final against his former club, AS Monaco (1-0, goal by Guillaume Hoarau).

Giuly started the following season by scoring in the Europa League playoffs against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. In Ligue 1, PSG was propelled to the top of the standings, thanks notably to the performances of Nenê. Giuly scored against his training club, Olympique Lyonnais, in the Coupe de la Ligue round of 16, allowing PSG to win the match 2-1 and progress in the competition. He also scored four goals in Ligue 1 against Montpellier, Brest, Sochaux, and Nice, and made eight assists. Giuly was also pre-selected by Laurent Blanc for the French national team for the friendly match against Brazil on February 9, 2011, but was not included in the final list. On June 29, 2011, his contract was not renewed.

 Final Professional Years 
On August 9, 2011, Ludovic Giuly returned to AS Monaco, signing a two-year contract. This return was highly anticipated by Monaco fans, as he aimed to help the club, with which he had played in a Champions League final, return to Ligue 1. He reclaimed the number 8 jersey he wore during his first stint with the Principality club. His contract included a provision for a future role within the club. In his first match back, his team lost 1-2 to Stade de Reims. He scored his first goal in Ligue 2 against Racing Club de Lens (2-2) on August 29, 2011, during the fifth round of Ligue 2, but he was injured for several weeks shortly afterward. Upon his return, he was a regular starter until the end of the season.

After an average season, he was sidelined by Claudio Ranieri, the new Monaco coach, even before the start of the new season. On July 27, 2012, the club announced that their captain had mutually agreed to terminate his contract a year early. On July 31, 2012, FC Lorient announced they had reached an agreement with Giuly. The next day, he signed a one-year contract with the Breton club. During the winter break, he announced that once this contract expired, he would join the amateur club Monts d'Or Azergues Foot, whose stadium bears his name. On May 26, 2013, he ended his professional career against Paris Saint-Germain (a 1-3 defeat), being substituted during his 401st Ligue 1 match and receiving an ovation from the crowd at the Moustoir stadium in Lorient.

In 2022, So Foot magazine ranked him 84th in the top 1000 best players in the history of the French championship.

 In the French National Team (2000-2005) 
He earned his first cap for the French national team during the Scotland-France match (0-2) on March 29, 2000, in Glasgow, but he was not selected for Euro 2000, which took place three months later.

Suffering from a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee in October 2001, he returned to competition only in April 2002 and missed the 2002 World Cup.

Following a good 2002-2003 season, he made his return to the French national team, with whom he won the 2003 Confederations Cup.

Injured during the 2003-2004 Champions League final, he had to forgo Euro 2004, which began a few days later. He was replaced by Sidney Govou.

Despite his impressive performances with FC Barcelona, Raymond Domenech did not select him for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Ludovic Giuly stated that this non-selection stemmed from a personal marital conflict. In his last appearance for the national team, against Cyprus on October 12, 2005, he scored the fourth and final goal for France, securing direct qualification for the World Cup in Germany.

By the 2007-2008 season, the French national team was a thing of the past for Ludovic Giuly, as he was not included in Raymond Domenech's 60-player pre-selection list for that season.

 End of Career at the Amateur Level   
After finishing his professional career, Giuly decided to join Chasselay-Monts d'Or Azergues Foot, his first club, to end his football career, in line with a promise made years earlier to the then-president, Gérard Leroy. Giuly played in a stadium named after him within a club he had been financially supporting since 2001, contributing "between 100,000 and 150,000 euros per year," according to the club's president, Jocelyn Fontanel. He served as the captain of the Rhone-based team. In January 2014, during the Round of 64 in the Coupe de France, he scored against Istres in the 57th minute. He faced AS Monaco in the Round of 32 at Stade de Gerland, where they lost 3-0. He played two more seasons there, hoping for promotion to the National league, but this goal was not achieved.

In the summer of 2016, he joined the amateur team of AS Monaco, which competed in the regional division.

 Media Activities (since 2006) 
Giuly was a regular contributor every Thursday on Luis Fernandez's radio show "Luis attaque" on RMC from September 2006 to May 2007. In 2010, he founded Ultimate Player, a service company for professional footballers, which employs 40 people. In 2013, he became a consultant for the BeIN Sports channel.

During the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Giuly was a consultant for the show "Le Mag de la coupe du monde" on TF1, hosted by Denis Brogniart, alongside Youri Djorkaeff and Pascal Dupraz. He was again a consultant for TF1 during Euro 2020.

For the 2021-2022 season, he joined the team of consultants for Prime Video, providing on-field commentary and analysis for certain matches. Starting in the summer of 2023, he joined Free Ligue 1.

 Coach (since 2019) 
After ending his playing career, Giuly became an ambassador for AS Monaco. Although he didn't initially plan to continue in the football world, being around players rekindled his passion for the field, leading him to pursue a coaching career.

In September 2019, with his official FIFA license coaching diploma in hand, he became the assistant coach of ASM's reserve team, a position he held until July 2020.

On June 22, 2022, he was appointed assistant coach of Olympique Lyonnais, responsible for the forwards. He left his position in June 2023 for "personal reasons."

 Honours 

 Club honours 

 Winner of the Champions League in 2006 with FC Barcelona
 French Champion in 2000 with AS Monaco
 Spanish Champion in 2005 and 2006 with FC Barcelona
 Winner of the Italian Cup in 2008 with AS Roma
 Winner of the French Cup in 2010 with Paris Saint-Germain
 Winner of the League Cup in 2003 with AS Monaco
 Winner of the Trophée des Champions in 2000 with AS Monaco
 Winner of the Spanish Supercup in 2005 and 2006 with FC Barcelona
 Winner of the Italian Supercup in 2007 with AS Roma
 Winner of the Coupe Gambardella in 1994 with Olympique Lyonnais
 Finalist of the Club World Cup in 2006 with FC Barcelona
 Finalist of the European Supercup in 2006 with FC Barcelona
 Finalist of the Champions League in 2004 with AS Monaco
 French Vice-Champion in 1995 with Olympique Lyonnais and in 2003 with AS Monaco
 Finalist of the French Cup in 2011 with Paris Saint-Germain
 Finalist of the League Cup in 1996 with Olympique Lyonnais and in 2001 with AS Monaco

 In the French National Team 

 Winner of the Confederations Cup in 2003

 Individual Honors and Records 

 Member of the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2000.
 Ligue 1 UNFP Player of the Month in September 2003.
 Ligue 1 UNFP Player of the Month in November 2003.
 Member of the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
 2nd player with the longest unbeaten streak in the French national team jersey (17 matches) after Éric Di Meco (23 matches).

Career statistics

 Club 
Source:

ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupEuropeIncludes UEFA Cup (1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2008–09), UEFA Intertoto Cup (1997), UEFA Champions League (2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08) and UEFA Europa League (2010–11) matches.OtherIncludes Trophée des champions (2000, 2010), Supercopa de España (2005, 2006), UEFA Supercup (2006), FIFA Club World Cup (2006) and Supercoppa Italiana (2007) matches.TotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsLyon1994–95Division 1801120——1111995–96Division 1364105361—4881996–97Division 137162021——41171997–98Division 11910010115—316Total1002141104176—13132Monaco1997–98Division 1121400000001611998–99Division 1328101062—40101999–2000Division 1335512172—4792000–01Division 1307104060104272001–02Division 11120000——1122002–03Ligue 136111043——41142003–04Ligue 130132100104—4218Total184471421142981023961Barcelona2004–05La Liga291110—61—36122005–06La Liga29531—81214282006–07La Liga27370—8241466Total8519111—2246212426Roma2007–08Serie A32661—9110488Paris Saint-Germain2008–09Ligue 1349301040—4292009–10Ligue 13136110——3842010–11Ligue 135420215110456Total1001611141911012519Monaco2011–12Ligue 22732200——295Lorient2012–13Ligue 11712110——202Monts d'Or Azergues2013–14CFA17421———1952014–15CFA191112———2013Total361533———3918Career total5811285312269862092755171

International
Source:
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoalsFrance200030200100200210200351200441200541Total173
International goals
Source:"Ludovic Giuly". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 18 April 2013.

Giuly – goals for France#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1.22 June 2003Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France4–05–02003 Confederations Cup2.8 September 2004Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands1–02–02006 World Cup qualifier3.12 October 2005Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France4–04–02006 World Cup qualifier

Honours
Lyon
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1997

Monaco
Division 1: 1999–2000
Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03
Trophée des Champions: 2000
UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2003–04

Barcelona
La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06
Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006
UEFA Champions League: 2005–06

Roma
Coppa Italia: 2007–08
Supercoppa Italiana: 2007

Paris Saint-Germain
Coupe de France: 2009–10

France
FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003

Individual
Etoile d'Or: 2002–03
UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2002–03, 2003–04
UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: September 2003, November 2003
ESM Team of the Year: 2003–04

 References 

Category:1976 births
Category:Living people
Category:Footballers from Lyon
Category:FC Barcelona players