Bruno Ludovic Jean Roger Martini (25 January 1962 – 20 October 2020) was a French professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Bruno Martini
Martini watching Montpellier in training in 2015
Personal information
Full name Bruno Ludovic Jean Roger Martini[1]
Date of birth (1962-01-25)25 January 1962
Place of birth Challuy, France
Date of death 20 October 2020(2020-10-20) (aged 58)
Place of death Montpellier, France
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1972–1979 ASAV
1979–1981 JSA Nevers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1995 Auxerre 322 (0)
1983–1985Nancy (loan) 65 (0)
1995–1999 Montpellier 105 (0)
Total 492 (0)
International career
France U21
1987–1996 France 31 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

His professional career was closely associated with Auxerre, for which he played 13 years. Having won more than 30 caps for France during nine years, Martini represented the nation in two UEFA European Championships.

Club career

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Born in Challuy, Nevers, Martini started playing professionally for AJ Auxerre. After a loan stint with AS Nancy he took the place of Paris Saint-Germain FC-bound Joël Bats, going on to appear in 322 Ligue 1 matches while also helping his team to a 1992–93 semi-final run in the UEFA Cup.[citation needed]

Martini left the club in the season prior to the 1995–96 conquest of the double, pushed to the sidelines by Lionel Charbonnier. He finished his career in 1999 at 37 after four seasons with Montpellier HSC, and returned to the latter side in 2015 as a goalkeeper coach.[citation needed]

International career

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Martini played 31 times for France and played at Euro 1992 (as a starter) and Euro 1996. Immediately after his retirement, he started serving as goalkeeping coach for Les Bleus.[2]

For his performance in the final of the 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship against Greece, Martini was awarded a 10/10 rating by newspaper L'Équipe, becoming the first player to receive this rating.[3]

Death

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Martini died on 20 October 2020 of heart failure in Montpellier, aged 58.[4]

Honours

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France U21

References

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  1. ^ "Fichier des décès au mois d'octobre 2020" [Death file for the month of October 2020] (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Former France goalkeeper Martini dies". BBC Sport. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Ils ont eu 10 dans «L'Équipe»". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Bruno Martini, ancien gardien des Bleus, est décédé". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 20 October 2020.
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