François Clerc

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Personal information
François Clerc
Full name	François Clerc
Date of birth	April 18, 1983 (1983-04-18) (age 25)
Place of birth	Bourg-en-Bresse, France
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+¹⁄₂ in)
Playing position	Right back
Club information
Current club	Lyon
Number	2
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2004-2005 2005-	Toulouse Lyon	7 (0) 62 (1)
National team²
2006-	France	11 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 18, 2008. ² National team caps and goals correct as of May 27, 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

François Clerc (born 18 April 1983 in Bourg-en-Bresse) is a French footballer who plays right back for Olympique Lyonnais.

He joined the reigning Ligue 1 titleholders as a youth player, but spent the 2004-05 season on loan at Toulouse FC before playing a league game for Lyon. Upon his return in 2005, Clerc broke into the first team and made 19 appearances in the domestic league and in Europe.

He was a member of the France U-21 team that participated in the European Under-21 Football Championship finals in 2006, making two appearances.

He received a shock call-up (although he would not feature in the match) to the French national team for their March friendly against Slovenia. He earned his first cap for France in the 5-0 win against Faroe Islands on 11 October 2006. He then went on to take part in several matches as a substitute for Willy Sagnol, and was a starter in several games after Sagnol injured his knee in 2007. France coach Raymond Domenech seems undecided about who will succeed Sagnol at the right-back position, and he has also started Bacary Sagna and Lassana Diarra. Sagnol is expected to start through the Euro 2008 competition. If Clerc participates, it will likely be as a substitute.

Clerc now battles with Anthony Réveillère for the right-back spot at Lyon, although Clerc has also filled in on occasion as a right sided midfielder/winger in the team's 4-3-3 formation, with limited success.

He scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lyon on December 2, 2007 against Strasbourg.

He was banned for 4 matches because of an improper transfer agreement to Olympique de Marseille.^[1]

[edit] References

^ French Professional Football League ban François Clerc for four matches

v • d • e

Olympique Lyonnais – current squad

1 Lloris • 2 Clerc • 3 Cris • 4 Müller • 5 Bodmer • 6 Källström • 8 Juninho • 9 Fred • 10 Benzema • 11 Grosso • 12 Pjanić • 14 Govou • 18 Ben Arfa • 19 Delgado • 20 Réveillère • 21 Crosas • 22 Anderson • 23 Keïta • 24 Beynié • 25 Hartock • 27 Mounier • 28 Toulalan • 29 Squillaci • 30 Vercoutre • 32 Boumsong • 33 Charvet • 35 Roux • -- Ederson • Manager: Perrin

v • d • e France squad - UEFA Euro 2008

1 Mandanda • 2 Boumsong • 3 Abidal • 4 Vieira • 5 Gallas • 6 Makélélé • 7 Malouda • 8 Anelka • 9 Benzema • 10 Govou • 11 Nasri • 12 Henry • 13 Evra • 14 Clerc • 15 Thuram • 16 Frey • 17 Squillaci • 18 Gomis • 19 Sagnol • 20 Toulalan • 21 Diarra • 22 Ribéry • 23 Coupet • Coach: Domenech