Xavier Gravelaine
Xavier Gravelaine (born October 5, 1968 in Tours ) is a former French football player whose sporting biography shows an above-average number of club changes.
The club career
The gigantic striker and goalscorer was one of the "tragic heroes" of football in France during his playing days (1987-2004): Except for his first commitment to Caen, where he played so successfully - with 20 goals, he was the second top scorer in 1992/93 Division 1 - the fact that Paris Saint-Germain made him an irresistible offer did not bring the talent and goal instinct, which he undoubtedly possessed, to lasting development at hardly any of his later clubs. This led to a whole series of club changes; from the mid-1990s at the latest, he was always something of “the right man in the wrong place”.
In Paris, soon after his engagement, he was abused by disappointed hardcore fans in corrupting his name as Bas-de-laine (most likely translated as "stink sock"), and PSG repeatedly tried to get rid of him during his multi-year contract and to other clubs borrowed.
Gravelaine has also played with some of the most illustrious names in French club football:
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He was French football champion with Paris Saint-Germain in 1994 and was in the 1995 cup final with Strasbourg .
After the active time
After the end of his career Gravelaine tried his hand at coaching : the FC Istres, which he took over in January 2005, was relegated from the top division in the summer of the same year; Although it would probably not have fared better with this team, even more experienced football teachers - but somehow this episode also fits into the picture of the hapless man.
Xavier Gravelaine then worked as a co-commentator on football broadcasts on television. In June 2007, the interim president of the first division relegated FC Nantes appointed him his sports advisor. After a new presidential candidate was proposed, this activity ended after 47 days. From July 2008 to May 2010 he worked as a sports director at En Avant Guingamp; In this role, Gravelaine was involved in the 2009 cup win of the second division.
The national player
Xavier Gravelaine played four international matches in 1992 and 1993 (no scoring) in the Équipe Tricolore . The same applies here: he came into the team at the time when France had not been able to qualify for two consecutive world championship finals (1990 and 1994) and did not tear any trees at the 1992 European championships (elimination after the preliminary round).
Remarks
- ^ Announcement ( Memento of May 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) from France Football of May 18, 2010
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gravelaine, Xavier |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French soccer player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 5th October 1968 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tours , France |