Raymond Kopa

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Raymond Kopa (né Kopaszewski;[1] 13 October 1931 – 3 March 2017) was a French professional footballer, integral to the France national team of the 1950s. At club level he was part of the legendary Real Madrid team of the 1950s, winning three European Cups.

Considered one of the greatest players of all-time,[2][3][4] Kopa was a forward or an attacking midfielder who was quick, agile and known for his dribbling, playmaking, and prolific scoring.[5] In 1958, Kopa was awarded the Ballon d'Or. In 1970, he became the first football player to receive the Legion of Honour. In 2004, Pelé named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony.

Early life

Kopa was born to a family of Polish immigrants.[6] His grandparents were originally from Kraków and migrated to Germany, where his parents were born. They then migrated to France after the First World War.[7]

His surname was shortened to Kopa from Kopaszewski while he was at school. He acquired French nationality at his majority in 1952.[7] At the age of 14, he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and brother by working in the coal mines of Nœux-les-Mines. During this time Kopa lost a finger in a mining accident.[1]

Personal life

Kopa married Christiane, the sister of a teammate of his at Angers. After retiring from the game he launched his own sportswear brand, eventually settling in Corsica.[1] Kopa died in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, on 3 March 2017, aged 85.[8]

Kopa was mentored by Paul Sinibaldi. Sinibaldi was the godfather to Kopa's son.[9]

Career

File:Kopa, Franse vortballer.jpg
Kopa with France in 1960

After finishing second in the French national youth football trials in 1949,[1] Kopa began his professional career at age 17 with Angers in Ligue 2 and was transferred two years later to Reims, with whom he won French championships in 1953 and 1955. He won the 1953 Latin Cup with Reims, where they defeated Milan 3–0 in the final, and helped them reach the 1956 European Cup Final, which the team lost to Alfredo Di Stéfano's Real Madrid, 4–3.[10]

Kopa had first attracted attention in Spain when he played for France against Spain in a match in Madrid in March 1955, after which the Spanish sports newspaper Marca nicknaming him "Little Napoleon".[1] Kopa was transferred to Real Madrid for the 1956–57 season, where he was soon joined by Ferenc Puskás. Despite playing as an inside right at Real Madrid rather than as the no. 10, his usual position, Kopa helped the club to three successive European cup victories and the Spanish league title in 1957 and 1958. Kopa was also the first French player to win the European Cup when Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2–0 in the 1957 final. He would go on to be European champion again in 1958 and 1959, the latter against former side Reims, where Just Fontaine was playing. In the 1959–60 season, Kopa returned to France to finish his career with Reims, where he won further Championnats in 1960 and 1962. In total, he scored 75 goals in 346 matches in France's top flight, and was awarded the Ballon d'Or by France Football in 1958.[11]

With the France national team, Kopa scored 18 goals in 45 matches between 1952 and 1962. He played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, scoring three goals as he led France to the semi-finals, where they succumbed to a strong Brazil team. The French team finished third in the tournament.[12]

In March 2004, Kopa was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.[13] In 2018, France Football's Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young football player in the calendar year was named in Raymond's honor. The first recipient was fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé.[14]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[15]
Club Season League National cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Angers 1949–50 Division 2
1950–51 Division 2
Total 60 15
Reims 1951–52 Division 1 33 8
1952–53 Division 1 33 13
1953–54 Division 1 31 11
1954–55 Division 1 31 11
1955–56 Division 1 30 5
Total 158 48
Real Madrid 1956–57 La Liga 22 6 0 0 8 2 30 8
1957–58 La Liga 27 8 0 0 7 3 34 11
1958–59 La Liga 30 10 0 0 7 1 37 11
Total 79 24 0 0 22 6 101 30
Reims 1959–60 Division 1 36 14
1960–61 Division 1 30 5
1961–62 Division 1 30 2
1962–63 Division 1 34 1
1963–64 Division 1 25 5
1964–65 Division 2 29 3
1965–66 Division 2 27 3
1966–67 Division 1 33 3
Total 244 36
Career total 541 123

International

Appearances and goals by national team and yearScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
National team Year Apps Goals
France 1952 5 2
1953 6 3
1954 6 4
1955 6 4
1956 1 0
1957 0 0
1958 7 4
1959 4 0
1960 3 1
1961 3 0
1962 4 0
Total 45 18
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kopa goal.
List of international goals scored by Raymond Kopa[16]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 November 1952 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France File:Ulster Banner.svg Northern Ireland 3–1 Friendly
2
3 14 May 1953 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France File:Flag of Wales (1959–present).svg Wales 6–1 Friendly
4
5 20 September 1953 Stade Municipal, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 6–1 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 30 May 1954 Stade Heysel, Brussels, Belgium File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 3–3 Friendly
7 19 June 1954 Charmilles Stadium, Geneva, Switzerland File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 3–2 1954 FIFA World Cup
8 11 November 1954 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 2–2 Friendly
9
10 17 March 1955 Estadio Chamartín, Madrid, Spain File:Flag of Spain (1945–1977).svg Spain 21 Friendly
11 15 May 1955 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France File:Flag of England.svg England 1–0 Friendly
12 9 October 1955 St. Jakob Stadium, Basel, Switzerland File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 2–1 Friendly
13 23 October 1955 Dinamo Stadium, Moscow, Soviet Union File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union 2–2 Friendly
14 8 June 1958 Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden File:Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 7–3 1958 FIFA World Cup
15 15 June 1958 Eyravallen, Örebro, Sweden File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 2–1 1958 FIFA World Cup
16 26 June 1958 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany 6–3 1958 FIFA World Cup
17 1 October 1958 Parc des Princes, Paris, France File:Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece 7–1 UEFA Euro 1960
18 27 March 1960 Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria File:Flag of Austria.svg Austria 4–2 UEFA Euro 1960

Honours

Reims


Real Madrid

France

Individual

Orders

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

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  1. ↑ a b c d e f Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  5. ↑ The Greatest Offensive Midfielders of All-Time. xtratime.org
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Template:PAGENAMEBASE at National-Football-Teams.comScript error: No such module "EditAtWikidata".Script error: No such module "WikidataCheck".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  20. ↑ "ERIC BATTY’S WORLD XI – THE SIXTIES" Retrieved on 26 November 2015
  21. ↑ World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time Retrieved on 28 November 2015
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links

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