Thierry Laurey

Thierry Laurey
Born	(1964-02-17) February 17, 1964 Troyes, France
Occupation(s)	Football player (former), football manager
Years active	Player: –1990s, Manager: 2007–present
Known for	Managing Gazélec Ajaccio to Ligue 1, winning Ligue 2 and Coupe de la Ligue with Strasbourg

Thierry Laurey (born 17 February 1964) is a French football professional, both as a former player and current manager, recognized for his versatility as a defender and midfielder. His latest managerial position was with Ligue 2 side Martigues.

Laurey’s coaching career is highlighted by guiding Gazélec Ajaccio through consecutive promotions from the Championnat National up to Ligue 1. Over a five-year tenure at RC Strasbourg Alsace, he captured the Ligue 2 championship in the 2016–17 campaign and secured the Coupe de la Ligue title in the 2018–19 season.

Playing career

Laurey made a single appearance for the French national team on 8 March 1989, participating in a 2–0 defeat against Scotland at Hampden Park during the qualifiers for the 1990 World Cup.

Early years

Following his retirement as a player at Montpellier, Laurey transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant manager at Montpellier for eight years under various head coaches. His inaugural role as head coach came with Sète in the third-tier Championnat National during the 2007–08 season, where he led the team to a sixth-place finish.

In June 2008, Laurey took charge of Amiens SC competing in Ligue 2, but after one season, the club was relegated to the Championnat National.

March 2011 saw Laurey appointed as director of football at Saint-Étienne, a club where he had previously played. By November of that year, he returned to managing in Ligue 2 with Arles-Avignon. Taking over a team positioned last in the standings, he orchestrated an extended unbeaten streak that ensured their survival. During the 2012–13 Coupe de la Ligue, his squad reached the round of 16 by defeating Guingamp, Gazélec Ajaccio, and Ajaccio. Nevertheless, Laurey was relieved of his duties on 5 November 2012 following a heavy 4–1 defeat against nearby rivals Nîmes.

Gazélec

In February 2013, Laurey was appointed Gazélec’s third manager of that season while the club was six points adrift in the relegation zone. The season concluded with their demotion to the Championnat National, but they promptly bounced back by finishing third behind Orléans and Luzenac—the latter being denied promotion due to licensing issues.

During the 2014–15 Ligue 2 campaign, Gazélec achieved second place behind Troyes, earning promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in their history. The club prepared for its maiden top-tier season with a budget of €12 million—approximately half that of neighboring Corsican club Bastia and just one-fortieth of Paris Saint-Germain’s resources. In the 2015–16 Coupe de France, Laurey’s team advanced to the quarter-finals before suffering a 3–0 defeat at Lorient. The league season ended in relegation, and despite having one year remaining on his contract, Laurey was permitted to explore opportunities with other teams.

Strasbourg

On 31 May 2016, Laurey agreed to a two-year deal with Strasbourg, newly promoted to Ligue 2, succeeding Jacky Duguépéroux who departed one day earlier. In his first season, he guided Strasbourg to win the Ligue 2 title, ending their nine-year absence from France’s top division; this success earned him an extension through 2019.

In December 2018, Laurey further extended his contract until June 2020. On 30 March 2019, he led Strasbourg to victory in the Coupe de la Ligue final via penalties against Guingamp after a goalless match. This triumph marked Strasbourg’s third title overall and their first since 2005. It also secured qualification for European competition after a fourteen-year hiatus and represented Laurey’s initial experience managing at that level: Strasbourg eliminated Maccabi Haifa and Lokomotiv Plovdiv in UEFA Europa League qualifiers before being ousted by Eintracht Frankfurt in the playoff round.

In March 2020, Laurey signed an additional one-year contract extension at Stade de la Meinau. However, club president Marc Keller opted not to renew beyond that term, leading to Laurey’s departure in May 2021.

Paris FC

Laurey was named head coach of Ligue 2 side Paris FC on 20 June 2021, signing a contract for two years. The club had secured a fifth-place finish in the previous campaign and had been knocked out of the play-offs by Grenoble. During the 2021–22 Coupe de France, Paris FC recorded an impressive 14–0 victory at home against CSC de Cayenne from French Guiana in the eighth round. However, their subsequent fixture versus Lyon at Stade Sébastien Charléty was abandoned due to crowd disturbances, leading to the expulsion of both teams. Paris FC ended the league season in fourth place but suffered a narrow 2–1 defeat at home to Sochaux in the play-offs, conceding a last-minute goal and missing two penalty opportunities.

After concluding his contract on 3 June 2023, Laurey departed following a seventh-place league finish in his final year. His role was then taken over by assistant coach Stéphane Gilli.

Martigues

On 2 July 2024, Laurey accepted the position of head coach at newly promoted Ligue 2 outfit Martigues.

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record
			P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %	Ref.
Sète	22 June 2007	7 June 2008	Template:Fix/category
Amiens	7 June 2008	17 June 2009	Template:Fix/category
Arles-Avignon	28 November 2011	3 November 2012	Template:Fix/category
Gazélec Ajaccio	19 February 2013	25 May 2016	Template:Fix/category
Strasbourg	31 May 2016	24 May 2021 {{WDL|209|81|51|77|for=311|against=302|} } Player Marseille Ligue 1 second place: 1986–87 Coupe de France finalist: 1986–87 Montpellier Coupe de France finalist: 1993–94 Coupe d'Été finalist: 1994 Manager Strasbourg Ligue 2 title winner: 2016–17 Coupe de la Ligue champion: 2018–19 External links Thierry Laurey on PlanetePSG.com (in French)