Jacques Santini
Jacques Santini | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 25, 1952 France |
| Occupation(s) | Football player, football coach |
| Years active | 1970s–2006 |
| Known for | Managing France national team, Lyon, Tottenham Hotspur |
Jacques Jean Claude Santini (born 25 April 1952) is a retired French professional football player and coach. During the 1970s, he was part of Saint-Étienne's squad that reached the 1976 European Cup final. In his managerial career, Santini guided the France national team to victory in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and to the quarter-final stage of Euro 2004. He also held coaching roles at prominent clubs such as Lyon.
Managerial career
Santini ranks among the most successful football managers in France. Working closely with Jean Michel Aulas and Bernard Lacombe, he played a key role in establishing Lyon as a leading force in French football. His tenure as Sports Director from 1997 to 2000 was instrumental in setting up Lyon’s future achievements. Subsequently, as head coach between 2000 and 2002, he secured the French League Cup title in 2001 and led the team to win the French Championship in 2002.
In recognition of his accomplishments, France Football honored him as "Best French Coach" in 2002, while the IFFHS awarded him "World's Best National Coach" in 2003. Following Roger Lemerre’s departure, Santini took over as manager of the French national team in 2002. However, he stepped down shortly before Euro 2004, where France exited in the quarter-finals after being defeated by eventual winners Greece.
Post-Euro 2004, Santini accepted the managerial position at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur but resigned after overseeing just 13 matches. Although officially citing personal reasons, media sources pointed to disagreements with Sporting Director Frank Arnesen. In 2005, Santini admitted to breaching contractual commitments with Tottenham and expressed regret over his premature departure before the European Championship concluded.
He later assumed the head coach role at Ligue 1 club AJ Auxerre in 2005 but was relieved of his duties in 2006 due to disputes with vice-president Guy Roux. In June 2008, Santini turned down an offer to become manager of Scottish Premier League outfit Hearts.
Managerial statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Toulouse | 1 July 1985 | 30 June 1989 | |||||
| Lille | 1 July 1989 | 30 June 1992 | |||||
| Saint-Étienne | 1 July 1992 | 30 June 1994 | |||||
| Sochaux | 9 December 1994 | 30 June 1995 | |||||
| Lyon | 1 July 2000 | 31 May 2002 | |||||
| France | 21 July 2002 | 1 July 2004 | |||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 June 2004 | 5 November 2004 | |||||
| Auxerre | 8 June 2005 | -17 May 2006 | |||||
!colspan="3"|Total
Player
Saint-Étienne
- Ligue 1: 1969–70 French Division 1, 1973–74 French Division 1, 1974–75 French Division 1, 1975–76 French Division 1, 1980–81 French Division 1
- Coupe de France: 1969–70 Coupe de France, 1973–74 Coupe de France, 1974–75 Coupe de France, 1976–77 Coupe de France
Manager
Lyon
France
External links
- Official profile on the French Football Federation site (in French)