Corine Franco

Corine Cécile Franco (née Petit)[1] (born 5 October 1983 in La Rochelle) is a retired French football player who is best known for having played for France and Olympique Lyonnais of the Division 1 Féminine. Franco served as vice-captain of the French club and played as a physical, yet creative defensive midfielder, often acting as a deep-lying playmaker. She was often utilized as a right back at international level.

Corine Franco
Corine Franco with Lyon in 2013
Personal information
Birth name Corine Cécile Petit
Date of birth (1983-10-05) 5 October 1983
Place of birth La Rochelle, France
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Right back
Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1992–1998 Avenir Maritime Laleu
1998–2001 ES Rochellaise
2001–2002 Soyaux
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2008 Soyaux 125 (51)
2008–2018 Lyon 121 (14)
National team‡
2006 France U21 4 (0)
2003–2014 France 89 (11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 June 2016 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 March 2014 (UTC)

Franco is one of the most decorated players at club level in women's professional football, having won five European Cups and 10 Division 1 Féminine trophies.[2]

She competed for France at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[3]

Club career

Early career

Franco was born on the west coast of France and began her career playing for Avenir Maritime Laleu in her hometown. She later moved to ES Rochellaise before securing a move to D1 Féminine club ASJ Soyaux at the start of the millennium. Franco spent two years in the youth system before making her league debut during the 2002–03 season. In her debut season, she scored four goals. The 2003–04 season saw Franco's opportunities in the team increase as she was given a permanent role in the starting eleven. Over the next four seasons, she appeared in all 22 matches scoring double-digit goals on two occasions. In her final season with Soyaux, she appeared in 19 matches scoring seven goals. Her successful seven-year career gained the attention of defending champions Olympique Lyonnais and Franco eventually secured a move to the club.

Lyon

In Franco's first season with Lyon, she appeared in 19 matches, starting 17, and scored two goals en route to Lyon winning their second straight D1 Féminine title and Franco's first of her career. The 2008–09 season also gave Franco the opportunity to display her talents on the European stage as Lyon were participating in the 2008–09 UEFA Women's Cup.[4] Lyon cruised through the group stage portion of the tournament and in the knockout rounds, they faced Italian club A.S.D. CF Bardolino. Lyon won the tie 9–1 on aggregate as Franco scoring a goal in both legs. Lyon eventually suffered elimination in the semi-finals to German club FCR 2001 Duisburg.

On 15 October 2010, it was confirmed by Lyon officials that Franco suffered a rupture of her anterior cruciate ligament, as well as her medial meniscus and lateral meniscus in her right knee. She suffered the injury while playing in a UEFA Women's Champions League match against AZ Alkmaar.[5] Franco missed six months.[6]

She retired at the end of the 2017—2018 football season,[7] after having won the domestic league and Champions League titles with Lyon.[2]

International career

Franco made her international debut on 22 February 2003 in a 2–1 loss to China. She scored her first international goal three days later in a 2–1 victory over the Netherlands. During qualification for the UEFA Women's Euro 2009, she scored one goal against Greece. In the tournament, she appeared in all 4 matches France contested. France reached as far as the quarterfinals losing to the Netherlands 4–5 on penalties with Franco missing her penalty shot. On 23 September 2009, she scored a brace against Serbia in a 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification match. France won the match 7–0. A month later, she scored a goal in another qualification match, this time against Estonia in a 12–0 victory.

Franco made her last international appearance in 2—3 win over Australia on 7 March 2014.[8]

Career statistics

Club

Statistics accurate as of match played 8 June 2016[9]

Club Season League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Soyaux 2002–03 1840000184
2003–04 221300002213
2004–05 2280000228
2005–06 221200002212
2006–07 2270000227
2007–08 1974200239
Total 12551420012953
Lyon 2008–09 1923162285
2009–10 2124091343
2010–11 50002070
2011–12 1624181284
2012–13 1745150275
2013–14 1516320234
2014–15 1703161262
2015–16 1133140184
Total 1211432738618127
Career total 2466236938631078

International
(Correct as of 7 March 2014)[10]
National teamSeasonAppsGoals
France 2002–0331
2003–0410
2004–0500
2005–0600
2006–0770
2007–0861
2008–09102
2009–10144
2010–1180
2011–12222
2012–13130
2013–1410
Total8911

International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 February 2003 Stade Municipal de Albi, Albi, France  Netherlands
1–0
2–1
 Friendly
2 23 April 2008 Yiannis Pathiakakis Stadium, Ano Liossia, Greece  Greece
0–4
0–5
 UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying
3 7 March 2009 Tasos Markou Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus  England
0–1
2–2
 2009 Cyprus Cup
4 10 March 2009 Makario Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus  South Africa
3–1
3–2
 2009 Cyprus Cup
5 23 September 2009 Stadion NK Inter Zaprešić, Zaprešić, Croatia  Croatia
0–2
0–7
 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
6 23 September 2009 Stadion NK Inter Zaprešić, Zaprešić, Croatia  Croatia
0–4
0–7
 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
7 28 October 2009 Stade Jules Deschaseaux, Le Havre, France  Estonia
5–0
12–0
 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
8 27 March 2010 Stade de la Libération, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France  Northern Ireland
1–0
6–0
 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
9 14 September 2011 Ness Ziona Stadium, Ness Ziona, Israel  Israel
2–0
5–0
 UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying
10 4 July 2012 Stade de la Source, Orléans, France  Romania
5–0
6–0
 Friendly
11 29 November 2012 Erdgas Sportpark, Halle, Germany  Germany
1–1
1–1
 Friendly

Honours

Club
Lyon

International
France

References
  1. "Goalscorers" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  2. "Corine Petit". Olympique Lyon official website (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Corine Franco". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  4. "Corine Franco: "Lyon, c'est vraiment un autre monde"" (in French). Angoulême Maville. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. "Corine Franco absente 6 mois..." (in French). Olympique Lyonnais. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  6. "Franco out six mois" (in French). France Football. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  7. "OL women's team signs Lisa Weiss and Carolin Simon". Olympique Lyon official website. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. "Corine Petit". French Football Federation (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  9. "Corine Petit Player profile". Olympique Lyonnais. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  10. FRANCO Corine Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, French Football Federation, accessed 8 June 2011
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