Sacha Opinel
Encyclopedia
Sacha Opinel is a French
professional footballer who was last attached to Harlow Town
and played as a defender. He has made over 200 appearances in the French Ligue
, the Scottish League, the English Football League
and the English Football Conference
, and won a FA Trophy
winners medal in 2008.
, began his career with French clubs Cannes
, Lille
and Ajaccio
before joining Scottish club Raith Rovers
in December 1999, where he made over 20 league and cup appearances. He was released by Rovers in December 2000 by mutual consent after a series of on and off-the-field problems. After training with Third Division
club, Plymouth Argyle
, Opinel was given a short-term contract so that manager Paul Sturrock
could take a closer look him over the 2000 Christmas and New Year period. He made only one appearance for Plymouth in a Football League Trophy
tie against Bristol Rovers
and was not offered a contract. After a trial at Bournemouth, he joined Leyton Orient
in February 2001, where he made eleven appearances in the remainder of the 2000–01 season and helped Orient towards the Third Division play-offs in May 2001.
Opinel then dropped into non-league football, joining Billericay Town
at the beginning of the 2001–02 season. He joined Farnborough Town
in July 2003, signing a two-year contract in May 2004, but requested a transfer for personal and professional reasons and joined Crawley Town
in January 2005 in a deal that saw Farnborough receive a substantial transfer fee as well as Robert Traynor
move from Crawley to Farnborough. Opinel had started over 50 games for Farnborough. Opinel agreed a contract until May 2006 with Crawley and in July 2006, he joined Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United). He signed a new contract in May 2007 and collected a winners medal when Ebbsfleet won the FA Trophy
at Wembley Stadium
in May 2008. On 4 June 2009, Opinel re-joined Farnborough.
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...
professional footballer who was last attached to Harlow Town
Harlow Town F.C.
Harlow Town F.C. are an English football club based in Harlow, Essex. The club currently play in the Division One North of the Isthmian League, after relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2009....
and played as a defender. He has made over 200 appearances in the French Ligue
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
, the Scottish League, the English Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and the English Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, and won a FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
winners medal in 2008.
Career
Opinel, who is a cousin of Eric CantonaEric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
, began his career with French clubs Cannes
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
, 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...
and Ajaccio
AC Ajaccio
Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain...
before joining Scottish club Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
in December 1999, where he made over 20 league and cup appearances. He was released by Rovers in December 2000 by mutual consent after a series of on and off-the-field problems. After training with Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
club, Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, Opinel was given a short-term contract so that manager Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
could take a closer look him over the 2000 Christmas and New Year period. He made only one appearance for Plymouth in a Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
tie against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
and was not offered a contract. After a trial at Bournemouth, he joined Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
in February 2001, where he made eleven appearances in the remainder of the 2000–01 season and helped Orient towards the Third Division play-offs in May 2001.
Opinel then dropped into non-league football, joining Billericay Town
Billericay Town F.C.
Billericay Town Football Club are an English football club based in Billericay, Essex, who currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
at the beginning of the 2001–02 season. He joined Farnborough Town
Farnborough Town F.C.
Farnborough Football Club is an English football team currently in the Conference South after finishing top of Southern League Premier Division in 2009–10. Their home ground is known as the Rushmoor Stadium, formerly Cherrywood Road, based in Farnborough, Hampshire...
in July 2003, signing a two-year contract in May 2004, but requested a transfer for personal and professional reasons and joined Crawley Town
Crawley Town F.C.
Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
in January 2005 in a deal that saw Farnborough receive a substantial transfer fee as well as Robert Traynor
Bobby Traynor
Robert Terence "Bobby" Traynor is an English footballer currently playing for Kingstonian Football Club.-Career:Traynor started his career at Brentford, where he made two substitute appearances in 2002-03...
move from Crawley to Farnborough. Opinel had started over 50 games for Farnborough. Opinel agreed a contract until May 2006 with Crawley and in July 2006, he joined Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United). He signed a new contract in May 2007 and collected a winners medal when Ebbsfleet won the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in May 2008. On 4 June 2009, Opinel re-joined Farnborough.