Laurent Koscielny

Laurent Koscielny
Koscielny with France in 2018
Personal information
Full name Laurent Koscielny[1]
Date of birth (1985-09-10) 10 September 1985 (age 39)[2]
Place of birth Tulle, France
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back[4]
Team information
Current team
Lorient (sporting director)
Youth career
1993–1995 Tulle Corrèze
1995–1997 Brive
1997–1998 Tulle Corrèze
1998–2002 Brive
2002–2003 Limoges
2003–2004 Guingamp
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 Guingamp 41 (0)
2007–2009 Tours 67 (6)
2009–2010 Lorient 35 (3)
2010–2019 Arsenal 255 (22)
2019–2022 Bordeaux 62 (0)
Total 460 (31)
International career
2011–2018 France 51 (1)
Managerial career
2023–2024 Lorient (youth coach)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up 2016 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Laurent Koscielny (born 10 September 1985) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He is currently the sporting director of Ligue 2 club Lorient.[5]

Born in Tulle, Koscielny began his football career playing for a host of youth clubs before moving to Guingamp in 2003, where he quickly progressed through the youth ranks, making his professional debut the following season. After becoming frustrated at being played out of position as a right back, he joined Tours for an undisclosed fee, quickly establishing himself as the team's star player in his desired position, ultimately aiding in the club's promotion into Ligue 1, while also being named in the Ligue 2 Team of the Season.[6] Koscielny continued his impressive performances following a €1.7 million transfer to fellow French outfit Lorient in 2009, receiving multiple plaudits for his performances, largely cultivating a reputation as a clever, agile, ball-playing defender.[6] His achievements and footballing potential attracted Arsenal, ultimately moving to the Premier League side for a fee of £8.45 million the following season.

Following his arrival in England, Koscielny was regarded as one of the best players in his position in the Premier League.[7] He had established himself as a core component in the Arsenal first team, as well as contributing with a host of individual performances, including aiding in ending the club's nine-year trophy drought, scoring a crucial equalizer en route to winning the FA Cup in 2014. He was also crucial in further club successes that followed, winning another FA Cup and the FA Community Shield twice.

Despite qualifying to represent Poland, Koscielny instead decided to represent France, and first appeared up for the national team against Brazil in February 2011.[8] Koscielny became a regular starter for the nation in every major tournament that they have appeared in, including UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while also leading France to the final of UEFA Euro 2016, which they lost to Portugal.[9] He scored his first international goal in a friendly match against Scotland in 2016,[10] and amassed fifty-one appearances for the national side. He retired from international football in 2018.

  1. ^ "Updated squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Laurent Koscielny: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Laurent Koscielny: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Laurent Koscielny". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Laurent Koscielny nommé à la direction sportive du FC Lorient" (in French). FC Lorient. 11 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Laurent Koscielny Bio, Stats, News". ESPN. 10 September 1985. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  7. ^ Smith, Peter. "Terry, Kompany, Koscielny? Who is the Premier League's best centre-back? | Football News". Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Koscielny songe lui aussi à prendre la nationalité polonaise". RMC.fr. 19 August 2009.
  9. ^ Smyth, Rob (10 July 2016). "Portugal 1-0 France: Euro 2016 final – as it happened". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  10. ^ "Friendly: Koscielny's first France goal". ESPN. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.