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{{Short description|French footballer (1899–1959)}}
{{About||the French Olympic boxer|Paul Nicolas (boxer)|the British historian|Paul Harris Nicolas|the British actor and singer|Paul Nicholas}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Paul Nicolas
| image = Paul_nicolas.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Nicolas in 1957
| fullname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1899|11|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Saint-Mandé]], France
| death_date = {{death date and age|1959|3|3|1899|11|4|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Gy-l'Évêque]], France
| height = 
| position = [[Forward (association football)#Striker|Striker]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = {{0|0000}}–1916 | clubs1 = [[Saint-Mandé]] Club | caps1 = | goals1 = 
| years2 = 1916–1919 | clubs2 = [[Gallia Club Paris|Gallia Club]]
| years3 = 1919–1929 | clubs3 = [[Red Star F.C.|Red Star Olympique]]
| years4 = 1929–1935 | clubs4 = [[Amiens SC]]
| nationalyears1 = 1919
| nationalteam1 = [[France national football team results (unofficial matches)#1919 Inter-Allied Games|France military]]
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 7
| nationalyears2 = 1920–1931
| nationalteam2 = [[France national football team|France]]
| nationalcaps2 = 35
| nationalgoals2 = 20
| manageryears1 = 1949–1950
| managerclubs1 = [[France national football team|France]]
| manageryears2 = 1954–1959
| managerclubs2 = [[France national football team|France]] (director)
}}

'''Paul Nicolas''' (4 November 1899 –  3 March 1959) was a French [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]]. He was part of the [[France national football team]]s at the [[1920 Summer Olympics|1920]], [[1924 Summer Olympics|1924]], and [[1928 Summer Olympics|1928]] Summer Olympics.<ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/25134 |title=Paul Nicolas |work=Olympedia |access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref>

He was also part of the France national football team selection committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fff.fr/servfff/historique/selectionneur.php?id=AVANT |title=Avant 1964 |website=www.fff.fr |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref>

==Club career==
Paul Nicolas lost his mother at the age of 3, and then his father in 1914.<ref name=STAR>{{cite web |url=http://www.redstar.fr/actualites/lire/red-star-story-paul-nicolas.html#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |archive-url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redstar.fr%2Factualites%2Flire%2Fred-star-story-paul-nicolas.html#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-06-15 |title=Red star story: Paul Nicolas |language=fr |website=archive.wikiwix.com |date=5 May 2011 |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref> He was raised by his mother-in-law together with his brother Henri. He began his football career with [[Saint-Mandé]] Club in 1916. Initially, he played as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]], but he quickly realized that his destiny laid at the forefront since he scored many goals.<ref name=STAR/> In addition to his goal-scoring instinct, Nicolas also stood out for his strong character on the pitch, and these two qualities combined eventually drew the attention of Mr. Fort, the then president of the [[Gallia Club Paris|Gallia Club]], who signed him as a [[Forward (association football)#Centre-forward|centre-forward]] in 1916.

At the time, center-forwards usually were corpulent, aggressive and impetuous players, but Nicolas revolutionized the way of playing as a forward striker, imposing his talent, his skill with both feet, and intuition to position himself in the right place, thus being described as a "precursor and prototype of the modern striker, scorer at heart but just as altruistic in the last gesture".<ref name=STAR/>

Paul Nicolas joined the [[French Army in World War I|army]] around the end of [[World War I]], thus leaving for [[Paris]]. On 5 March 1919, while he was in the army, he met on the station platform a former brilliant [[Captain (association football)|captain]] of [[Red Star F.C.]]: [[Lucien Gamblin]], who convinced him to join him at Red Star given his reputation as a skillful centre-forward.<ref name=STAR/> Nicolas proved to be a great recruitment as he went on to play a pivotal role in helping the club win the [[Coupe de France]] four times, including three in a row between [[1921 Coupe de France Final|1921]] and [[1923 Coupe de France Final|1923]], scoring once in the [[1923 Coupe de France Final|1922 final]] to help his side to a 2–0 victory over [[Stade Rennais F.C.|Rennais]].<ref name=STAR/> He helped the club win its fourth Coupe in [[1928 Coupe de France Final|1928]].

In 1929, Paul Nicolas left Red Star for family reasons and moved to [[Amiens]] where he opened a grocery store, which is why he joined [[Amiens SC]], with whom he played for six years before ending his career in 1935, in the round of 16 of the [[1934–35 Coupe de France]], in which Amiens was eliminated by Red Star after a playoff match.

==International career==
[[File:Paul Nicolas en 1924.jpg|left|thumb|120px|Paul Nicolas in 1924]]
He played in 44 matches for the [[France national football team|France national team]] between 1920 and 1921, scoring a then national record of 20 goals.<ref name=Nicolas>{{cite web |url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=14997 |title=Paul Nicolas |website=Eu-football.info |accessdate=26 August 2022}}</ref> He participated in the [[Football at the Summer Olympics|football tournaments]] of three Olympic games ([[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics|1920]], [[Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics|1924]], and [[Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics|1928]]), scoring a total of four goals in five games, including one against [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]], which was the best team at the time.<ref name=Olympedia/> Despite his great performances at the Olympics, the 31-year-old Paul Nicolas failed to participate in the [[1930 FIFA World Cup|inaugural tournament]] of the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] in 1930 to end his magnificent international career on a high.<ref name=STAR/>

This tally includes two [[hat-trick#Association football|hat-tricks]], one in a 4–1 win over [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] on 13 June 1926, and the other to help his side to a 4–0 win over [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] on 21 February 1928.

In 1919, Nicolas took part in the [[Football at the Inter-Allied Games|Inter-Allied Games]] in [[Paris]], a large sports competition organized in celebration of the Allied victory in [[World War I]], since he was a member of the military. However, the matches of the tournament are not included in the official [[FIFA]] register.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/soccer-at-the-inter-allied-games-of-1919-top-stars/ |title=Soccer at the Inter-Allied Games of 1919: Top Stars |website= soccerhistoryusa.org |date=6 March 2020 |access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref> Together with the likes of [[Lucien Gamblin]] and [[Albert Rénier]], he helped France win Group A with two goals against [[Romania national football team|Romania]] (4–0), a poker against [[Greece national football team|Greece]] (11–0) and a decisive goal against [[Italy national football team|Greece]] (2–0). However, he failed to score in the [[Football at the Inter-Allied Games#Final|final]] as they were beaten 2–3 by [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/interallied19.html |title=Interallied Games 1919 |date=23 September 2021 |website=[[RSSSF]] |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref>

==Retirement==
[[File:Stèle commémorative Paul et Yvonne Nicolas, Gy-l'Évêque (Yonne) - 4.jpg|right|thumb|Memorial at Gy-l'Évêque where Paul Nicolas died in a road accident]]
A football lover, he could not bring himself to leave the world of football. Endowed with a strong personality, he joined the selection committee of the [[France national football team|France national team]] in August 1949. He stayed there until December 1953, when, following the double disappearance of [[Emmanuel Gambardella]] and [[Georges Bayrou]], he was appointed president of the Groupement des clubs authorized (the forerunner of the [[Ligue de Football Professionnel]]) — he would remain in this position until June 1956. He returns to the selection in September 1954 as "director of the France team", contributing to the team's third-place finish at the [[1958 FIFA World Cup]].<ref name=STAR/>

On his return from a disputed France-[[Belgium national football team|Belgium]] match in 1959 in [[Colombes]], Paul Nicolas was the victim of a terrible car accident that cost him his life. His tragic death shook [[Football in France|French football]]. Half a century later, his memory is still alive.<ref name=STAR/>

==International goals==
:''France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Nicolas goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of international goals scored by Paul Nicolas<ref name=Nicolas/>
|-
!scope=col|No.
!scope=col|Date
!scope=col|Venue
!scope=col|Opponent
!scope=col|Score
!scope=col|Result
!scope=col|Competition
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|1
| 18 January 1920 || [[Velodromo Sempione]], [[Milan]], Italy || {{fb|Italy|1861}} || align=center | 1–3 || align=center| 4–9 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|2
| 29 February 1920 || Parc des Sports, [[Geneva]], Switzerland || {{fb|SWI}} || align=center | 2–0 || align=center| 2–0 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|3
| rowspan=2 | 28 March 1920 || rowspan=2 | [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]], France || rowspan=2 | {{fb|BEL}} || align=center | 1–1 || rowspan=2 align=center| 2–1 || rowspan=2 | [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|4
|align=center|2–1
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|5
| 29 August 1920 || [[Olympisch Stadion (Antwerp)|Olympisch Stadion]], [[Antwerp]], Belgium || {{fb|Italy|1861}} || align=center | 2–0 || rowspan=1 align=center| 3–1 || [[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics#Quarter-finals|1920 Summer Olympics Quarter-finals]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|6
| 22 April 1923 || [[Stade Pershing]], [[Paris]], France || {{fb|SWI}} || align=center | 2–2 || align=center| 2–2 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|7
| rowspan=2 | 27 May 1924 || rowspan=2 | [[Stade Bauer]], [[Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine|Saint-Ouen]], France || rowspan=2 | {{fb|LAT}} || align=center | 2–0 || rowspan=2 align=center| 7–0 || rowspan=2 | [[Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics#Round of 16|1924 Summer Olympics Round of 16]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|8
|align=center|4–0
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|9
| 1 June 1924 || [[Stade Yves-du-Manoir]], [[Colombes]], France || {{fb|URU}} || align=center | 1–1 || align=center| 1–5 || [[Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics#Quarter-finals|1924 Summer Olympics Quarter-finals]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|10
| 25 April 1926 || [[Stade Yves-du-Manoir]], [[Colombes]], France || {{fb|SWI}} || align=center | 1–0 || align=center| 1–0 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|11
| rowspan=3 | 13 June 1926 || rowspan=3 | [[Stade Yves-du-Manoir]], [[Colombes]], France || rowspan=3 | {{fb|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} || align=center | 2–0 || rowspan=3 align=center| 4–1 || rowspan=3 | [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|12
|align=center|3–1
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|13
|align=center|4–1
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|14
| rowspan=3 | 21 February 1928 || rowspan=3 | Stade Buffalo, [[Montrouge]], France || rowspan=3 | {{fb|IRE}} || align=center | 1–0 || rowspan=3 align=center| 4–0 || rowspan=3 | [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|15
|align=center|2–0
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|16
|align=center|3–0
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|17
| 11 March 1928 || [[Stade olympique de la Pontaise]], [[Lausanne]], Switzerland || {{fb|SWI}} || align=center | 3–4 || align=center| 3–4 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|18
| 29 April 1928 || [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]], France || {{fb|POR}} || align=center | 1–1 || align=center| 1–1 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|19
| 24 February 1929 || [[Stade Yves-du-Manoir]], [[Colombes]], France || {{fb|HUN|1920}} || align=center | 2–0 || align=center| 3–0 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
!scope=row style=text-align:center|20
| 24 March 1929 || [[Stade Yves-du-Manoir]], [[Colombes]], France || {{fb|POR}} || align=center | 1–0 || align=center| 2–0 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|-
|}

==Honours==
'''Red Star Olympique'''
* [[Coupe de France]]: [[1920–21 Coupe de France|1921]], [[1921–22 Coupe de France|1922]], [[1922–23 Coupe de France|1923]] and [[1927–28 Coupe de France|1928]]

'''France'''
* [[Football at the Inter-Allied Games|Inter-Allied Games (1919)]] runner-up

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{FFF player|7014-nicolas-paul}}
* {{FFF male player|690|archive=}}

{{Navboxes
| title = France squads
| bg          = #002395
| fg          = white
| bordercolor = #ED2939
| list =
{{France football squad 1920 Summer Olympics}}
{{France football squad 1924 Summer Olympics}}
{{France football squad 1928 Summer Olympics}}
}}
{{France national football team managers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolas, Paul}}
[[Category:1899 births]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Saint-Mandé]]
[[Category:Footballers from Val-de-Marne]]
[[Category:French men's footballers]]
[[Category:France men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Red Star FC players]]
[[Category:Amiens SC players]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for France]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1920 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1924 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1928 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:French football managers]]
[[Category:France national football team managers]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in France]]
[[Category:20th-century French sportsmen]]