Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 14 January 1968 | ||
Place of birth | Colmar, France | ||
Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Fessenheim | |||
SR Colmar | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1987–1991 | Mulhouse | 118 | (15) |
1991–1996 | Strasbourg | 149 | (35) |
1996–1998 | Karlsruher SC | 61 | (13) |
1998–2001 | West Ham United | 44 | (5) |
2000–2001 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2001–2002 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | (0) |
Total | 377 | (68) | |
International career | |||
1995–1998 | France | 6 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Marc Keller (born 14 January 1968) is a French former professional footballer and current executive who has been president of RC Strasbourg Alsace since 2012. He played primarily as a midfielder, [1] [2] for clubs in France, Germany and England. He played six games for the national side, scoring one goal against Brazil.
Keller began his executive career at Strasbourg from 2001 to 2006, followed by a tenure at Monaco from 2006 to 2011. In June 2012, he led a consortium that bought Strasbourg, taking them from the fourth tier to Ligue 1. He sold the club to BlueCo in 2023 while remaining president.
Keller began his career in France playing for Mulhouse. In 1991 he moved to Strasbourg whom he helped win the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring a hat-trick in the second leg of the final against FC Tirol Innsbruck. [3] In 1996 he moved to Germany to play for Karlsruher SC.
Keller was signed by West Ham in July 1998 on a free transfer by manager Harry Redknapp. He made his debut on 12 September in a 2–1 home win against Liverpool as an 86th-minute substitute for John Hartson, and scored his first goal on 22 November in a 2–0 away win against Derby County. [4] He played 22 games in his first season in all competitions scoring five goals as West Ham finished in fifth place in the Premier League to qualify for the Intertoto Cup. [4]
The following season, Keller played four games in the tournament including the second leg of the final away against FC Metz. West Ham won the game 3–1 to win the trophy 3–2 on aggregate, [5] [6] [7] this being the second time Keller had won the tournament having also won it four years previously at Strasbourg. West Ham therefore qualified for the UEFA Cup as one of the three winners of the competition for that season. [4] [8] Keller played in three of West Ham's four games in the UEFA Cup and 34 games with one goal in all competitions during the 2000–01 season. [4] However, in the 2001–02 season he played just a single game, against Walsall in the League Cup. In September 2000 Keller was sent on loan to Portsmouth of Division One. [9] He played three games before returning to West Ham. [10]
In January 2001 Keller was allowed to leave on a free transfer to Blackburn Rovers, [4] as part of a deal which saw Christian Dailly move to West Ham for £1.7 million. [11] Keller played only five games for Blackburn, two in the league and three in the FA Cup, all as substitute appearances. [10] His last game came on 7 March 2001, a 3–0 home win against Bolton Wanderers, when he was a 73rd-minute substitute for Damien Duff. [10] It was his last game in professional football.
Keller made his debut for France on 15 November 1995 in a UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier at home to Israel in Caen, as a last-minute substitute for Christian Karembeu. [12] He played six times for France, scoring once. On 3 June 1997 in a match in Le Tournoi, Keller scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Brazil, where Roberto Carlos had previously scored his iconic free kick. [13] His last game was on 25 March 1998, from the bench in a 1–0 friendly loss away to Russia. [14]
Keller was hired as director of football and then chief executive at Strasbourg in 2001, with the club in Ligue 2. In June 2006, following their relegation back, he left for Monaco in Ligue 1. [15] He had two spells with the principality club, with a brief intermission between 2008 and 2009, and left following their relegation in June 2011. [16]
In June 2012, Keller led a local consortium that bought RC Strasbourg from Frédéric Sitterlé, paying a euro each for the corporate and branding rights of the club. [17] Having taken the team from the fourth tier to being established in Ligue 1, he sold the club in June 2023 to BlueCo, owners of Chelsea F.C., while remaining club president. [18]
Keller's wife Sabryna is the founder of Femmes de Foot, an association representing women in football. [19] His younger brother François played Strasbourg and Fulham and was later hired by the former as the academy director; Marc Keller's son Mehdi joined as his assistant in June 2022. [20]
In April 2019, Keller received the Bretzel d'or (Golden Pretzel), a cultural award in Alsace. [21]
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise, commonly known as AJ Auxerre or simply Auxerre, is a French professional football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps, on the banks of the Yonne River. The team is managed by Christophe Pélissier and captained by midfielder Birama Touré.
Racing Club de Lens, is a French professional football club based in the northern city of Lens in the department of Pas-de-Calais. The club's nickname, Les Sang et Or, comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. As of the 2023–24 season, Lens competes in Ligue 1, the highest tier of French football.
Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace is a French professional association football club founded in 1906, based in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace. It has possessed professional status since 1933 and is currently playing in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football, ever since winning the 2016–17 Ligue 2 championship. This comes after the club was demoted to the fifth tier of French football at the conclusion of the 2010–11 Championnat National season after going into financial liquidation. Renamed RC Strasbourg Alsace, they won the CFA championship in 2012–13, and eventually became Championnat National champions in 2015–16. The club's home stadium, since 1914, is the Stade de la Meinau.
Mamadou Hamidou Niang is a Senegalese former professional footballer who played as a striker. He has represented Senegal at international level, participating in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 African Cup of Nations. He is the older brother of Papa Niang, who is also a professional footballer.
Habib Frédéric Beye is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He is the manager of Championnat National club Red Star.
Anderson da Silva, better known as Sonny Anderson, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. A prolific goalscorer at the club level, he was best known for his spells with Lyon, Monaco and Barcelona. He participated with Brazil in the 2001 Confederations Cup, and won a total of six caps for his country, scoring one goal.
Luis Miguel Fernández Toledo, known as Luis Fernandez, is a French football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder.
Édouard Léopold Cissé is a French former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Toifilou Maoulida is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker or as a winger.
Kevin Dominique Gameiro is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. He is a strong striker who is known for his clinical finishing, which compensates for his relatively light frame.
Yohan Cabaye is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Maxime Le Marchand is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
Morgan Stéphane Sanson is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Nice, on loan from Premier League club Aston Villa.
Marcos Paulo Mesquita "Rony" Lopes is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Primeira Liga club Braga.
Alphonse Francis Areola is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club West Ham United and the France national team.
Ludovic Ajorque is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Mainz 05.
Samuel Grandsir is a French-Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Le Havre.
Jean-Eudes Aholou is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg and the Ivory Coast national team.
Youssouf Fofana is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Monaco and the France national team.
The 2022–23 RC Lens season was the club's 117th season in existence and the club's third consecutive season in the top flight of French football. In addition to the domestic league, Lens participated in this season's edition of the Coupe de France. The season covers the period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.