Raymond Kopa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Raymond Kopa | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Raymond Kopaszewski | |
| Date of birth | October 13, 1931 (age 75) | |
| Place of birth | Noeux-les-Mines, France | |
| Height | 1.69 m | |
| Playing position | Striker | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 1941-1949 | Noeux-les-Mines | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1949-1951 1951-1956 1956-1959 1959-1967 |
Angers SCO Stade Reims Real Madrid Stade Reims |
? (?) 158 (48) 79 (24) 244 (36) |
| National team | ||
| 1952-1962 | France | 45 (18) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Raymond Kopa (born October 13, 1931), originally Raymond Kopaszewski, is a French former football midfielder, integral to the French national teams of the 1950's.
Kopa, born in Nœux-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais, son of Polish immigrants, began his professional career at 17 with SCO Angers, and was transferred two years later to Stade de Reims, with whom he won French championships in 1953 and 1955. With Reims, he was a finalist in the first European Cup final in 1956, losing to Real Madrid and Alfredo Di Stéfano 4-3. He was transferred to Real Madrid the subsequent season, where he was soon joined by Ferenc Puskás. Champion of Spain in 1957 and 1958, Kopa became, with Real Madrid, the first French player to win the European Cup. He would go on to win again in 1958 and 1959, the last against Stade de Reims and Just Fontaine.
Kopa returned to France in the 1959-60 season to finish his career with Reims, where he won Championnats in 1960 and 1962. In total, he scored 75 goals in 346 matches in the Ligue 1, and was given the Ballon d'or by France Football in 1958.
With the France national football team, he scored 18 goals in 45 games between 1952 and 1962. He played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, where the French team finished third, losing to the Brazilian team and Pelé.
He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
- French championship in 1953, 1955, 1960 and 1962 with Stade Reims
- Liga in 1957 and 1958 with Real Madrid
- French second division in 1966 with Stade Reims
- UEFA Champions League in 1957, 1958 and 1959 with Real Madrid
- UEFA Champions League runner-up in 1956 with Stade Reims
- Latin Cup in 1953 with Stade Reims and 1957 with Real Madrid
- Latin Cup runner-up in 1955 with Stade Reims
- 1958 FIFA World Cup third place with France
- Ballon d'or in 1958
- Legion d'Honneur on 30 November 1970 (First footballer to hold it)
- http://www.fff.fr/servfff/historique/historique.php?cherche_joueur=KOPA&submit=go
- http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur13179.html
| Preceded by Alfredo Di Stéfano |
European Footballer of the Year 1958 |
Succeeded by Alfredo Di Stéfano |
Categories: French football biography stubs | 1931 births | Living people | French footballers | Angers SCO players | France international footballers | La Liga footballers | Real Madrid footballers | European Footballers of the Year | FIFA 100 | FIFA World Cup 1954 players | FIFA World Cup 1958 players | Polish-French people | Légion d'honneur recipients