Joël Bats

Joël Bats

Bats with Lyon in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth (1957-01-04) 4 January 1957
Place of birth Mont-de-Marsan, France
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1980 Sochaux
1980–1985 Auxerre 184 (0)
1985–1992 Paris Saint-Germain 216 (0)
National team
1983–1989 France 50 (0)
Teams managed
1992–1994 Paris Saint-Germain (goalkeeping coach)
1994–1996 Paris Saint-Germain (assistant coach)
1997–1998 Paris Saint-Germain
1998–1999 Châteauroux
2004– Lyon (goalkeeping coach)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Joël Bats (born 4 January 1957 in Mont-de-Marsan, Landes) is a retired goalkeeper and French international footballer.

Career

Bats began his professional career with FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in 1974, moving on to newly promoted AJ Auxerre the following year. He became undisputed number one at Auxerre (having had to contest the jersey with Albert Rust at Sochaux) and soon found his way into the France squad, being selected for the 1984 European Championship, which France won. By now recognised as a safe, authoritative presence in goal, Bats was also the French number 1 at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, famously saving a penalty from Zico in the quarter-final against Brazil. However, he uncharacteristically let a free-kick from Andreas Brehme slip through his hands in the semi-final against West Germany, which France lost 2–0. He won his last international cap in 1989. At club level, Bats moved on to Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and was their keeper during their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. Bats remained the club's keeper until announcing his retirement in 1992. He then joined the PSG coaching staff as an assistant to Artur Jorge and Luis Fernández before being named trainer in 1997, succeeding Ricardo Gomes. A disappointing 1997–98 season and a series of boardroom changes saw him replaced by Alain Giresse. Following a brief, undistinguished spell in charge of L.B. Châteauroux, he was appointed goalkeeping coach at Olympique Lyonnais in 2000, a post that he still occupies. Bats was stricken with testicular cancer in 1982, but made a full recovery after surgery. As therapy during his convalescence, he took up writing poetry, and has had two volumes of it published.

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