Lionel Letizi

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Lionel Letizi
Personal information
Date of birth (1973-05-28) 28 May 1973 (age 48)
Place of birth Nice, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1996 Nice 110 (0)
1996–2000 Metz 130 (0)
2000–2006 Paris Saint-Germain 146 (0)
2006–2007 Rangers 7 (0)
2007–2011 Nice 30 (0)
Total 423 (0)
National team
1997–2001 France 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Lionel Letizi (born 28 May 1973) is a former French professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Club career[]

France[]

Born in Nice, Letizi took his first steps as a professional player with OGC Nice where his team won the French second division in 1994. Upon reaching the French first division he was observed by a number of football clubs before joining FC Metz in 1996. At this new club, he and his team became runner-ups in the French first division in 1998 and finalists of the French League Cup in 1999. The chance to take a step up arrived when he joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2000, which enabled him to play in the Champions’ League. He remained first choice at PSG for 6 years, but the signing of Mickael Landreau instigated his leave.

Move to Scotland[]

On 16 June 2006, he moved to Rangers FC on a free transfer.[1]

On 13 August 2006, his blunder led directly to a 1–1 draw with Dunfermline.[2] Letizi soon redeemed himself in the next game, which saw Rangers achieve a 2–0 win against the Hearts. Unfortunately for the team, this match resulted in an injury for Letizi. After two months on the sidelines, Letizi controversially made an automatic return to the side despite impressive performances from his replacement Allan McGregor.

Manager Paul Le Guen had made it clear at the start of the season that Letizi was going to be number one, which was not entirely unexpected. But the decision was soon put under dubious light when a fumble on the 14 October 2006 gave Inverness Caledonian Thistle an unforeseen 1–0 win at Ibrox Stadium, and left Rangers 10 points behind Celtic FC after just ten Scottish Premier League matches.[3]

After the departure of Le Guen, Letizi's future at Rangers was uncertain, and not long after, he was released from the club on the 30 January 2007. Letizi has not played since October 2006 and featured in just eight matches in his six-month stay at Rangers.[4]

International career[]

While capped four times for the French national team, he never managed to displace Fabien Barthez. He was in France's preliminary squad of 28 players for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in his native country. However, he was one of 6 players removed from the tournament by head coach Aime Jacquet just before the tournament began. France went on to be victorious in the tournament and become national heroes.[5]

Trivia[]

His father was also a goalkeeper and played for AS Cannes.

Honours[]

Club[]

Nice

Metz

Paris Saint-Germain

References[]

  1. ^ "Letizi completes move to Rangers". BBC Sport website. 16 June 2006.
  2. ^ "Dunfermline Ath 1-1 Rangers". BBC. 13 August 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Rangers 0–1 Inverness CT". BBC Sport website. 14 October 2006.
  4. ^ "Keeper Letizi released by Rangers". BBC Sport website. 30 January 2007.
  5. ^ "FRANCE AXE ANELKA; Gunners kid out of this world". thefreelibrary.com. 24 May 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Brescia, sogno finito il Psg va in Uefa". Repubblica.it. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Résultat et résumé Paris-SG - Châteauroux, Coupe de France, Finale, Samedi 29 Mai 2004". lequipe.fr. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Marseille 1-2 Paris SG". leballonrond.fr. Retrieved 26 February 2021.

External links[]

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