Yannick Stopyra

Yannick Stopyra (born 9 January 1961) is a French former footballer who played as a striker.

Yannick Stopyra
Stopyra in 1978
Personal information
Date of birth (1961-01-09) 9 January 1961 (age 63)
Place of birthTroyes, France
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)Striker
Youth career
USSC Redon
Sochaux
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1978–1983Sochaux176(57)
1983–1984Rennes37(9)
1984–1988Toulouse147(46)
1988–1989Bordeaux34(8)
1989–1991Cannes37(9)
1991–1992Metz24(1)
1992–1994Mulhouse59(22)
Total514(152)
International career
1980–1988France33(11)
Medal record
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Third place1986 Mexico
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Winner1985 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He amassed Ligue 1 totals of 455 matches and 130 goals in representation of six teams, mainly Sochaux and Toulouse, in a 17-year professional career.

Stopyra appeared for France at the 1986 World Cup.

Club career

Born in Troyes, Aube of Polish ancestry,[1] Stopyra spent 15 of his 17 seasons as a professional in Ligue 1, representing FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Stade Rennais FC, Toulouse FC, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, AS Cannes and FC Metz.[2] He made his senior debut with the former at only 17, helping it to the second position in the domestic championship in 1979–80 and the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup the following campaign.[3]

Stopyra retired in June 1994 at the age of 33, after two years in Ligue 2 with FC Mulhouse. He later returned to Bordeaux, going on to work with its youth sides.[4]

International career

Stopyra won his first cap for the France national team on 27 February 1980, in a friendly with Greece where he scored the final 5–1. He appeared in a further 32 internationals and netted 11 goals over eight years.[5]

Stopyra was picked by manager Henri Michel for the squad that competed at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in all the games but one in Mexico as Les Bleus finished in third position, scoring against Hungary in the group stage (3–0) and against Italy in the round of 16 (2–0).[6][2]

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef
127 February 1980Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Greece5–15–1Friendly[7]
216 February 1983Estádio Municipal, Guimarães, Portugal  Portugal1–03–0Friendly[8]
33–0
413 October 1984Stade Municipal, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg  Luxembourg3–04–01986 FIFA World Cup qualification[9]
54–0
68 December 1984Parc des Princes, Paris, France  East Germany1–02–01986 FIFA World Cup qualification[10]
79 June 1986Estadio León, León, Mexico  Hungary1–03–01986 FIFA World Cup[11]
817 June 1986Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, Mexico  Italy2–02–01986 FIFA World Cup[12]
929 April 1987Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Iceland2–02–0UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying[13]
1027 January 1988Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel  Israel1–01–1Friendly[14]
115 February 1988Stade Louis II, Monaco  Morocco2–12–1Friendly[15]

Personal life

Stopyra's father, Julien (1933–2015), was also a forward. He earned one cap for France.[2]

Honours

France

References