Eli Junior Kroupi

Eli Junior Eric Anat Kroupi (born 23 June 2006) is a French professional footballer who plays for FC Lorient.[1]

Eli Junior Kroupi
Personal information
Full name Eli Junior Eric Anat Kroupi
Date of birth (2006-06-23) 23 June 2006
Place of birth Lorient, France
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Lorient
Number 22
Youth career
2013–2023 Lorient
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Lorient B 18 (9)
2023– Lorient 8 (3)
International career‡
2021–2022 France U16 9 (5)
2022–2023 France U17 9 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 April 2023

Early life

Born in Lorient, Brittany, Eli Junior Kroupi is the son of former Ivory Coast international Éli Kroupi, who played as a professional for FC Lorient, where Junior started playing football.[2][3][4][5]

Club career

A pure product of the Lorient Academy,[6][7] Junior Kroupi started playing with the National 2 reserve team in the end of the 2021–22 season.[8]

He signed his first professional contract with the club on the summer 2022.[9] While proving to be a regular goalscorer with the reserve,[10][11][12] he made his first appearance with the professional squad in April 2023, for the Ligue 1 game against Marseille.[13][14]

Eli Junior Kroupi made his professional debut for FC Lorient on the 3 June 2023 during a home Ligue 1 against Strasbourg, to be the youngest player in his club's history breaking previous record of Mattéo Guendouzi,[15] when he replaced Romain Faivre at the 83rd minute and his team won the match 2–1.[16][17] Despite this being the last round of the 2022–23 Frecnh top flight, Kroupi became at the age of 16 years and 345 days, the third youngest player to enter the field that season, only behind Warren Zaïre-Emery and Leny Yoro.[18]

On 23 September 2023, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lorient in a 5–3 away defeat against Nantes,[19] to be the youngest scorer in club's history, breaking previous record of André Ayew.[15] A month later, on 8 October, after scoring twice in a 3–3 away draw against Lyon, he became the youngest player to score a brace in Ligue 1 since Bernard Zénier in 1974, at 17 years old and 107 days.[20][21] On 11 October 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.[22]

International career

Eli Junior Kroupi is a youth international for France, first receiving a call with the under-16 in October 2021.[23] He soon became a prolific goalscorer with France youth teams, with the U16,[2] and even more with the U17, scoring 9 goals in his frist 9 appearances with the latter.[24][25][26]

In May 2023, he was selected by Jean-Luc Vannuchi for the European Under-17 Championship, as France were the reigning champions.[27] He was however forced to withdraw due to injury,[28] while his team would eventually go on to reach the final of the competition.[29]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 8 October 2023[30]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lorient II 2021–22 Championnat National 2 32—32
2022–23 Championnat National 2 157—157
Total 18900000000189
Lorient 2022–23 Ligue 1 1000———10
2023–24 Ligue 1 7300———73
Total 830000000083
Career total 2612000000002612
  1. Includes Coupe de France

References
  1. Eli Junior Kroupi at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  2. Cogné, Baptiste (23 November 2021). "Éli Junior, international U16, marche sur les traces de son père Éli Kroupi". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  3. Prugneau, Pierre (26 July 2022). "La Ligue 1 de père en fils, une riche promotion 2022-2023". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. Gucciardi, Thomas (6 April 2022). "L'OM s'attaque à l'espoir Eli Kroupi Junior (FC Lorient)". actufoot (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  5. Kulig, Jacek (4 December 2022). "Eli Junior Kroupi". Football Talent Scout. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. Cogné, Baptiste (23 March 2022). "" Avec sa formation, le FCL a un bel avenir devant lui ", assure Régis Le Bris". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  7. "Junior Kroupi a bien grandi - pays-lorient - football". newsouest.fr. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  8. "FC Lorient. Eli Junior Kroupi a fait ses débuts en N2 - Foot Amateur Bretagne". Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  9. "Premier contrat professionnel pour le prometteur attaquant Junior Kroupi, fils d'Eli". Ouest-France (in French). 10 June 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  10. "N2 : le FC Lorient (B) s'impose en toute fin de match face à Romorantin - Foot Amateur Bretagne". Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  11. "N2 : les réservistes lorientais battent Andrézieux-Bouthéon 3-0 - Foot Amateur Bretagne". Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  12. "N2 : Lorient (B) poursuit ses emplettes - Foot Amateur Bretagne". Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme. 14 January 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  13. "FC Lorient. Première convocation en Ligue 1 pour Eli Junior Kroupi à 16 ans contre l'OM". Le Télégramme (in French). 8 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  14. "Eli Junior Kroupi, 16 ans et déjà aux portes de la Ligue 1 !". Le Télégramme (in French). 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  15. "Éli Junior Kroupi, el 'Lamine Yamal de la Ligue 1': "Tiene un margen de mejora inmenso"" (in Spanish). Marca. 6 October 2023.
  16. "Lorient 2-1 Strasbourg, Ligue 1 : résumé du match". L'Équipe (in French). 3 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  17. Sauer, Rémy (3 June 2023). "Ligue 1. Battu à Lorient (2-1), le Racing méritait mieux et termine 15e". Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  18. "Les plus des jeunes joueurs de la saison". Ligue1 (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  19. "2023-24: Eli Junior Kroupi, the youngest scorer". Ligue 1. 4 October 2023.
  20. "OL - Lorient : Lyon peut nourrir des regrets" (in French). L'Équipe. 8 October 2023.
  21. "Football Discovery: Eli Kroupi Junior has soccer in his genes". Sport News Africa. 10 October 2023.
  22. Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (11 October 2023). "Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football". theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  23. Canivenc, Clovis (22 October 2021). "Equipe de France U16 : La liste pour le tournoi du Val-de-Marne". MadeinFOOT (in French). Ouest-France. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  24. Huchet, Arnaud (23 February 2023). "4 buts en 2 matchs contre l'Italie : Junior Kroupi rayonne avec l'équipe de France U17". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  25. "Equipe de France U17 : Kroupi (Lorient) et Lambourde (Stade Rennais) appelés par Jean-Luc Vannuchi". Le Télégramme (in French). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  26. "Éli Junior Kroupi une nouvelle fois décisif avec l'équipe de France U17". Ouest-France (in French). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  27. "Éli Junior Kroupi convoqué avec l'équipe de France U17 pour l'Euro". Ouest-France. 3 May 2023.
  28. "« Immense tristesse » pour Eli Junior Kroupi, forfait pour l'Euro U17". Le Télégramme (in French). 6 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  29. "Germany-France | Under-17 2023 Final". UEFA.com. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  30. Eli Junior Kroupi at Soccerway. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
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