Pascal Cygan
Encyclopedia
Pascal Cygan is a retired French
footballer. His favoured position was central defender, but he could also play at left back when needed.
After starting out at Lille
in his country, Cygan would play four years in the Premier League with Arsenal
and three in La Liga
with Villarreal
, in a 17-year professional career.
, Cygan started his senior career in the ranks of lowly ES Wasquehal
, before going professional with Lille OSC
in 1995, making his top division
debuts that year, but would go on to also spend three seasons in the second level
: in 1999–2000, he was an instrumental defensive element for the champions and, in the subsequent top flight campaign, helped them achieve a third-place finish, with UEFA Champions League
qualification.
In this time, Cygan was also promoted to captaincy, seen as a role model to help develop the younger players. He was also winner of the Etoile d'Or, in his last season in France.
in the summer of 2002 for £
2 million, making his debut in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea
, as a substitute for Nwankwo Kanu
, on 1 September 2002. While he featured notably in some of Arsenal's more important fixtures, he was mostly considered only a fringe player, but did, however, pick up a Premier League winners' medal in 2003–04, with 18 appearances.
Cygan scored three goals for Arsenal in league action, including an unlikely brace in his first match of the 2005–06 campaign against Fulham
. Until then, he had only scored one goal, against Everton
, in March 2003.
Also in 2005–06, following injuries to both Ashley Cole
and Gaël Clichy
, Cygan was drafted in as an emergency left back, and was even named in the Opta team of the week on 9 January 2006. Overall, Arsenal won 12 of the 20 matches Cygan played in, and kept 11 clean sheets in the process. He suffered a hamstring injury in January and was unable to play again that season, as he was then fourth-choice, behind Sol Campbell
, Kolo Touré
and Philippe Senderos
, with the young Johan Djourou
also competing for a place. In total, Cygan played 98 games for Arsenal (including 20 Champions League appearances).
. In August 2006, the Frenchman completed a transfer to Villarreal CF
for a £2 million transfer fee, joining former Arsenal teammate and countryman Robert Pirès
at the club.
On 6 June 2008, after having been fairly used in his first two years, mainly due to consecutive serious injuries to Gonzalo Rodríguez
, Cygan signed a new one-year deal. However, following a lack of first team opportunities in the 2008–09 season, and with Villarreal unwilling to extend his contract for a further season, Cygan left the La Liga
club in July 2009.
In August 2009, Cygan joined FC Cartagena
, freshly promoted to the second level
, on a one-year contract. Aged 37, he was released by the Region of Murcia
club and retired from professional football.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballer. His favoured position was central defender, but he could also play at left back when needed.
After starting out at Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
in his country, Cygan would play four years in the Premier League with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and three in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
with Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
, in a 17-year professional career.
Lille
Born in Lens, Pas-de-CalaisLens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, Cygan started his senior career in the ranks of lowly ES Wasquehal
ES Wasquehal
Entente Sportive de Wasquehal is a French football club based in Wasquehal.-History:It was founded in 1924 as L'Union Sportive de Wasquehal and became known as ES Wasquehal in 1945 after a merger with L'Association Sportif Wasquehal....
, before going professional with Lille OSC
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
in 1995, making his top division
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
debuts that year, but would go on to also spend three seasons in the second level
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
: in 1999–2000, he was an instrumental defensive element for the champions and, in the subsequent top flight campaign, helped them achieve a third-place finish, with UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualification.
In this time, Cygan was also promoted to captaincy, seen as a role model to help develop the younger players. He was also winner of the Etoile d'Or, in his last season in France.
Arsenal
Cygan joined ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the summer of 2002 for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2 million, making his debut in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, as a substitute for Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010...
, on 1 September 2002. While he featured notably in some of Arsenal's more important fixtures, he was mostly considered only a fringe player, but did, however, pick up a Premier League winners' medal in 2003–04, with 18 appearances.
Cygan scored three goals for Arsenal in league action, including an unlikely brace in his first match of the 2005–06 campaign against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. Until then, he had only scored one goal, against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, in March 2003.
Also in 2005–06, following injuries to both Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
and Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who...
, Cygan was drafted in as an emergency left back, and was even named in the Opta team of the week on 9 January 2006. Overall, Arsenal won 12 of the 20 matches Cygan played in, and kept 11 clean sheets in the process. He suffered a hamstring injury in January and was unable to play again that season, as he was then fourth-choice, behind Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
, Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:...
and Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...
, with the young Johan Djourou
Johan Djourou
Johan Danon Djourou-Gbadjere , more commonly known as Johan Djourou, is an Ivorian-born Swiss international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He used to play as a defensive midfielder in his youth for former club Etoile Carouge, but on his arrival at Arsenal was converted to a central defender...
also competing for a place. In total, Cygan played 98 games for Arsenal (including 20 Champions League appearances).
Spain
During the summer of 2006, Cygan was linked with moves to various other clubs in England and EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In August 2006, the Frenchman completed a transfer to Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
for a £2 million transfer fee, joining former Arsenal teammate and countryman Robert Pirès
Robert Pirès
Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...
at the club.
On 6 June 2008, after having been fairly used in his first two years, mainly due to consecutive serious injuries to Gonzalo Rodríguez
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez, sometimes just Gonzalo , is an Argentine footballer who plays for Villarreal CF in La Liga, as a central defender.-Club career:...
, Cygan signed a new one-year deal. However, following a lack of first team opportunities in the 2008–09 season, and with Villarreal unwilling to extend his contract for a further season, Cygan left the La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
club in July 2009.
In August 2009, Cygan joined FC Cartagena
FC Cartagena
Fútbol Club Cartagena is a Spanish football team based in Cartagena, in the autonomous community of Murcia. Founded in 1995, it currently plays in the second division, holding home games at Estadio Cartagonova, with a capacity of 15,105 spectators....
, freshly promoted to the second level
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
, on a one-year contract. Aged 37, he was released by the Region of Murcia
Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast....
club and retired from professional football.
Team
- French Second DivisionLigue 2Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
: 1999–2000 - Premier League: 2003–04
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2002–03, 2004–05 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20022002 FA Community ShieldThe 2002 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 11 August 2002 between 2001-02 Double winners Arsenal and 2001-02 Premier League runners-up Liverpool. Arsenal won the game 1–0 in normal time. Gilberto Silva scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute...
, 20042004 FA Community ShieldThe 2004 FA Community Shield was the 82nd FA Community Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...