The boom, from Saint-Etienne to Le Mans
Forced to stop his player career at 28 years old because of injuries, Rudi Garcia became his teeth in Corbeil-Essonnes in the amateur world before landing in Saint-Etienne in 1998 called by his mentor Robert Nouzaret. He finds himself at the head of the first team for a few months in 2001.
But it is in Dijon (2002-2007) that the child of Nemours, now aged 60, will set up his technician method and contribute to the consolidation of a club in a wide role of manager, and made Mount the DFCO in Ligue 2 where it stabilizes in the first half of the ranking. His reputation begins to be done, and he finds Ligue 1 in Le Mans (2007-2008), where he won the best ranking in the history of the club, 9th, and discovers one of his darlings, the Ivorian Gervinho, who will follow in Lille then Rome.
The golden age, champion of France and European finalist
Like the Red Devils epoch Eden Hazard, which he launched to LOSC, Garcia experienced his golden years, from the title of champion of France with the DOGUES (2011) magnified by the Belgian star to a Europa League final with Olympique From Marseille, lost against Atlético Madrid (3-0) in 2018. Retired Hazard will also hold in role in the selection. “”Eden knows me very well, he knows the players. It will be a good binder“Said Garcia.
In the North, “Rudi” won an showdown with sports director Xavier Thuillot, who dismissed him in the summer of 2008 before President Michel Seydoux returned to this decision. Two years later Lille won the double championship and his coach is at the top of his popularity, singing even in Spanish on TV accompanied on the guitar.
In full ascent, he landed at Roma (2013-2016), where he begins with ten row victories, seduced by his sense of formula with his famous “We put the church back to the center of the village“After a derby won against Lazio. His team finished second, but fails to double the powerful Juventus.
-In the Champions League, his journey is average, tainted by a terrible 7-1 at the Olimpico against Bayern Munich. But Garcia restores his coat of arms in European cups with OM, which he nevertheless failed to qualify for the C1, and with Olympique Lyonnais, which he takes to the semifinals of C1 by beating the Manchester City From Pep Guardiola (3-1), before being beaten by his Nemesis Le Bayern (3-0) in 2020, the year of the COVID.
More difficult years, from Saudi Arabia to Napoli
The rest is less brilliant. He also failed to qualify OL for the C1, and left in the summer of 2021 before the end of his contract. Then his leases are shorter. There are only ten months left in Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia (2022-2023), where he sees Cristiano Ronaldo arriving, but is thanked for lack of sufficient results. A few months later, he returned to Italy to direct the napoli reigning champion. Mayonnaise does not take, notably with its president Aurelio de Laurentiis, and after five months Rudi Garcia, distant in Serie A but still in C1 race, is thanked.
Meanwhile he has played a role as a television consultant several times on Champions League matches or at the 2022 World Cup, an exercise in his ease. After a career as a daily club coach with his players, he will lead a selection for the first time and open a new chapter.
