Claude Le Roy (born 6 February 1948) is a French football manager and former player, who gained prominence at international level as coach to the Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana national teams.[1] He was most recently the manager of the Malaysia under-23 team.

Claude Le Roy
Le Roy in Cairo, in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1948-02-06) 6 February 1948 (age 76)
Place of birth Bois-Normand-près-Lyre, France-
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1968–1970 Rouen
1970–1973 Ajaccio
1973–1977 Avignon Foot 84
1977–1980 Laval
1980–1981 Amiens
Managerial career
1980–1983 Amiens
1983–1985 Grenoble
1985 Al-Shabab
1985–1988 Cameroon
1989–1992 Senegal
1994–1995 Malaysia
1998 Cameroon
1999–2000 Strasbourg
2002–2003 Shanghai Cosco
2004 Cambridge United
2004–2006 DR Congo
2006–2008 Ghana
2008–2011 Oman
2011 Syria
2011–2013 DR Congo
2013–2015 Congo
2016–2021 Togo
2022 Malaysia U23
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Cameroon (as manager)
Africa Cup of Nations
Runner-up 1986
Winner 1988
Representing  Ghana (as manager)
Bronze medal – third place 2008
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Managerial career

edit

Le Roy has had a varied managerial career, starting out at the small French club Amiens SC, after taking over as manager when his playing days ended. His achievements in leading the Cameroon national team to be runners-up in the 1986 African Cup of Nations, and then champions in the 1988 competition, are often cited as his greatest managerial accomplishments.[2] He then took charge of Senegal[3] when they reached the quarterfinals at the 1992 African Cup of Nations, and returned to Cameroon to lead them during the World Cup in 1998. In between, he also coached Malaysia national team from 1994 to 1995.

After undertaking the role of football adviser at A.C. Milan in 1996, Le Roy had a spell as Director of Football at Paris Saint-Germain in the 1997–98 season. Le Roy became manager of Cambridge United for a short spell in 2004, although he only ever signed a "moral contract",[4] and now claims he was only ever assisting his protégé Hervé Renard: "I was just helping out a friend [then-manager Hervé Renard], but we saved that club".[2] Following his departure from Cambridge, Le Roy was appointed as the head coach of the DR Congo. In September 2006, Le Roy was named by the Ghana Football Association as coach of the Ghana national team.[5]

In February 2008, Le Roy led Ghana to 14th position in the FIFA World Rankings, their highest position ever, but quit the post in May 2008.[6]

He started coaching the Oman national team in July 2008. Oman desperately needed a solid coach after disappointing Gulf Cup and Asian Cup performances, and in January 2009, Le Roy led them to victory in the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup held in Muscat. During the competition, Le Roy extended his deal with Oman for a further four years.

He became the new coach of the Syria national team in March 2011,[7] but resigned in May of the same year.

On 5 December 2013, he became the new coach of the Congo national team.[8] On 17 November 2015, Le Roy resigned after leading the team to the qualifying round of the World Cup in 2018.[9]

On 6 April 2016, Le Roy was named as the new coach of the Togo national team, replacing Tom Saintfiet.[10] He resigned on 12 April 2021 having failed to lead the side to the African Cup of Nations.

Awards

edit

On 24 August 2018, Liberian president George Weah decorated Arsène Wenger and Le Roy with the insignia of Knight Grand Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption.[11]

Honours

edit

As a manager

edit

Cameroon

Oman

Orders

References

edit
  1. ^ "Claude LeRoy: French coach is African legend". BBC Sport. 25 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Paul Doyle (20 April 2005). "Lion-hearted Leroy leading the 'Simbas". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
  3. ^ "International matches 1989 - Africa". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  4. ^ Amy Lawrence (4 April 2004). "Cameroon to Cambridge: Le Roy's the boy". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Le Roy signs Ghana deal". Ghana FA. Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
  6. ^ "LeRoy out of Ghana job". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  7. ^ "Le Roy dissolved his contract" (in Arabic). Syrian Soccer. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  8. ^ "LeRoy named as new Congo coach". BBC Sport. 5 December 2013.
  9. ^ "Frenchman Claude LeRoy quits as Congo coach". BBC Sport. 18 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Togo replace coach Tom Saintfiet with Claude LeRoy". BBC Sport. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Weah honours former coaches Wenger and LeRoy". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  12. ^ Athiparambath, Anuroop (16 February 2019). "Former coach Le Roy on Oman radar again?". Oman Observer. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Weah under attack over Wenger, Le Roy – Punch Newspapers". The Punch. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.