Grégory_Wimbée
Grégory Wimbée
French footballer
Grégory Wimbée (born 19 August 1971) is a French retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
|
Wimbée training with Valenciennes in 2010 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1971-08-19) 19 August 1971 (age 52) | ||
| Place of birth | Essey-lès-Nancy, France | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Clairefontaine | |||
| 1990–1992 | Nancy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1997 | Nancy | 118 | (1) |
| 1992–1994 | → Charleville (loan) | 75 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Cannes | 11 | (0) |
| 1998–2004 | Lille | 196 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Metz | 67 | (0) |
| 2006–2009 | Grenoble | 111 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Valenciennes | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 579 | (1) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
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He appeared in 282 Ligue 1 games over 11 seasons, representing in the competition Nancy, Lille, Metz, Grenoble and Valenciennes. In a 19-year professional career, he added 297 matches in Ligue 2.
Wimbée was born in Essey-lès-Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle. After graduating from AS Nancy's youth system and serving a loan to Division 2 side OFC Charleville, he became an undisputed starter for the former, helping them achieve promotion to Division 1. On 28 November 1996, in his first top flight season, he scored a last-minute goal from a corner, in a 1–1 home draw against RC Lens, becoming the first goalkeeper to have scored in the competition's history.[1]
After an unassuming year with AS Cannes, Wimbée moved to Lille OSC, achieving another promotion and later qualifying to the 2001–02 edition of the UEFA Champions League, the first-ever participation in the competition for the Nord-Pas de Calais club. During six seasons, he was an automatic first choice.[2]
After two seasons and a further 67 first division matches with FC Metz, Wimbée joined Grenoble Foot 38 in 2006. He made 36 appearances in 2007–08, as the campaign again ended in promotion and the team returned to the top flight after a 45-year absence.[3][4]
On 28 August 2009, the 38-year-old Wimbée signed a one-year deal with fellow league club Valenciennes FC.[5] During the season, which ended with a tenth-place finish, he played only once, in a 1–3 home loss against FC Toulouse on 16 January 2010, renewing his contract in July for one more year.[6]
After no additional league appearances, Wimbée retired from professional football in June 2011, two months shy of his 40th birthday.[6]
- Bourouf, Alex (October 2012). "Le jour où Wimbée entra dans l'histoire du foot français" [The day where Wimbée entered French footy's history] (in French). Old School Panini. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- Carlier, Morgane; Beneytou, Antoine; Teillet, Boris (20 August 2014). "Quand Lille se payait Parme" [When Lille mocked Parma] (in French). So Foot. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "Grenoble en Ligue 1 ce soir?" [Grenoble in Ligue 1 tonight?] (in French). RMC. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "Grenoble-Wimbée: "Un truc fabuleux"" [Grenoble-Wimbée: "A fabulous stunt"] (in French). Sport.fr. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "Grégory Wimbée vient à la rescousse du VAFC" [Grégory Wimbée comes to the rescue of VAFC]. L'Observateur du Valenciennois (in French). 28 August 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- Brout, Cédric (15 June 2011). "Wimbée: «Il était temps!»" [Wimbée: «It was the time!»]. Le Républicain Lorrain (in French). Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- Grégory Wimbée at L'Équipe Football (in French)
- Grégory Wimbée – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
- Stats at ASNL Story (in French)
- Grégory Wimbée at Soccerway