Yoann Gourcuff: biography

Yoann Gourcuff is a French footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais, as well as the French national team. He normally plays as an attacking midfielder but has also operated as a support striker when necessary.

Beginnings

Yoann Miguel Gourcuff was born on 11 July 1986 in Ploemeur, Brittany. He comes from a family with a strong athletic background. He began his career with the club his father managed, Lorient, but after his father left, he signed a youth contract with Rennes.

Career

2003-2006 From the 2003-04 season he rotated between the Rennes' first team and their reserve team but then earned a starting place for the 2005-06 season. In that season, he cemented his burgeoning reputation as a playmaker, playing in
42 matches and scoring six goals. Milan These strong performances saw him hailed as the 'new Zidane' and led to him joining Italian club Milan on a five year deal for a fee of around €3.5 million in the summer of 2006. He failed to secure himself a regular starting place that season with most of his appearances coming off the bench but he still won a UEFA Champions League medal (he was a substitute when Milan beat Liverpool). 2008-2009 - Bordeaux Due to lack of regular playing time at Milan, Gourcuff was loaned to Bordeaux for the 2008-09 season. Featuring regularly, he scored 12 goals in
37 appearances as the club secured a league and cup double. This impressive season convinced Bordeaux to activate a buy-out clause in Gourcuff’s that allowed him to move from Milan to the French side for around €15 million. However, his next season was blighted by injury and poor form and Bordeaux failed to qualify for Europe. 2010 On 23 August 2010, Lyon signed Gourcuff from their French rivals for a fee of €22 million. He started brightly scoring goals in both the Champions league and Ligue 1 but in February 2011 he admitted to being “disappointed and frustrated” with his performances since joining Lyon.
International level Gourcuff made his international debut for France on 20 August 2008 in France’s 3-2 friendly victory over Sweden. He was selected in the France squad for the 2010 World Cup but they were eliminated at the group stage. Gourcuff was sent off in their final match against South Africa for elbowing a player in the face.

Achievements

In his young career, Gourcuff has won various honours including the UEFA Champions League with Milan in 2007 and the Ligue 1 Title with Bordeaux in 2008-09. Personally, he has also won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year and France Football French Player of the Year, both for the 2008-09 season.