Franck Grandel

Franck Grandel (born 17 March 1978) is a Guadeloupean former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Franck Grandel lottin
Grandel with FC Utrecht in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-03-17) 17 March 1978
Place of birth Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Club Colonial
1998–1999 Mulhouse 0 (0)
1999–2001 Racing Besançon 15 (0)
2001–2003 Libourne 64 (0)
2003–2004 Skoda Xanthi 16 (0)
2004–2005 Troyes 22 (0)
2005–2008 Utrecht 27 (0)
2009–2011 Dijon 8 (0)
2011–2013 USL Dunkerque 47 (0)
2013–2015 Troyes B 17 (0)
2013–2017 Troyes 2 (0)
2017 → Boulogne (loan) 1 (0)
International career
2007–2012 Guadeloupe 22 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, Grandel started his career with Club Colonial on Martinique. He made his professional debut for Racing Besançon in the Championnat National during the 1999–2000 season.

After two seasons in the club from Franche-Comté, he joined FC Libourne, competing for the championship of the fourth-tier Championnat National 2. He played there for two seasons before moving to Greek club Skoda Xanthi ahead of the 2003–04 season. During the 2004–05 season, he returned to France where he signed for Ligue 2 club Troyes AC. At the end of the season, the club finished in third place in the league and found themselves promoted to the Ligue 1. After this feat was reached, he signed a three-year contract with Dutch Eredivisie club FC Utrecht in 2005, where he was seen as the successor to René Ponk who had left for Sparta Rotterdam. Under the leadership of head coach Foeke Booy, he made his debut in the Eredivisie on 14 August 2005, when FC Utrecht drew 0–0 against NEC Nijmegen. In the course of his first season, Grandel alternated between great saves and several blunders, which mockingly became known as Grandelletjes ("Grandels").[1][2] He was released from his contract with Utrecht in November 2007.[3]

He signed a two-year contract with French Ligue 2 side Dijon FCO just before the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[4] Lacking playing time, he left the club after two seasons.

In 2011, he joined USL Dunkerque in the fourth division with whom he won the Championnat de France Amateur in 2013 and promoted to Championnat National.[5]

In 2013, he returned to Troyes AC, who had just been relegated to Ligue 2, to be the backup. In 2015, the club won the Ligue 2 title, but he failed to make any league appearances that season, or the following season in Ligue 1.[6]

International career

During the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, when Guadeloupe team surprisingly advanced to the tournament semifinals, Grandel was given top goalkeeper award and was also named to the tournament All-star team. He had to leave the 2009 Gold Cup squad because of injury.[7]

Honours

USL Dunkerque

Guadeloupe

References
  1. Doodeman, Michel (28 April 2017). "Briljante reddingen en Grandelletjes: de vreemde carrière van Franck Grandel". VICE (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  2. "'Grandelletje' blijft niet uit in Eindhoven". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 24 December 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  3. "FC Utrecht Actueel Nieuws". Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  4. Arrivent au DFCO : - Dijon FCO
  5. Presti, François Lo (5 July 2013). "Najib Farssane et l'USL Dunkerque Champions de CFA". GF38 Historique - Site Non Officiel du Grenoble Foot 38 (in French).
  6. "Guadeloupe - F. Grandel - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  7. Grandel, three others out of Guadeloupe with injuries Archived 7 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine - Gold Cup 2009
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