Claude Puel

Claude Puel – a French football coach and former AC Monaco midfielder – was born on September 2, 1961 in Castres.

His entire career is connected with AC Monaco where the footballer twice became national champion, won the French cup thrice, won Supercup once and made it to the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1991/92 season.

Having finished his career in 1996, Claude Puel led the second squad of the native AC Monaco. In winter 1999, he began to work as head coach with the main team. Already in the next season the coach helped the team win national championship which was followed by the 11th place in the next season as well as the lost final in the league cup. In the end, his contract was not extended and in the summer of 2001, after 24 years with AC Monaco, Claude had to leave the club.

In 2002, he became Lille OSC head coach and finished second in the 2004/05 season and third in the 2005/06 season in the national championship.

In the 2008/2009 season, Puel led Olympique Lyonnais and failed to win the national championship for the first time since 2002 – the club finished only in the third place. However, as for the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League, his players made it to the semifinal where they lost to FC Bayern Munich (aggregate 0-4).

In June 2011 Olympique Lyonnais management sacked Puel. In 2012, Claude took charge of OGC Nice.