Claude Puel
French manager who led Monaco to the 2000 Ligue 1 title and Lyon to the 2010 Champions League semi-final.
Claude Jacques Puel (French pronunciation: [klod pɥɛl]; born 2 September 1961) is a French football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of Ligue 1 club Nice.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Claude Jacques Puel
- Born
- 2 September 1961
- Birthplace
- Castres, Tarn, France
- Height
- 1.77 m / 5 ft 10 in
- Position
- Defensive midfielder
Lore & Background
Puel spent his entire playing career with Monaco, winning two Ligue 1 titles and three Coupe de France trophies. As manager, he led Monaco to the 1999–2000 Ligue 1 title, won the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup with Lille, and guided Lyon to the 2010 Champions League semi-final. He also managed Southampton and Leicester City in the Premier League, and later Saint-Étienne and Nice.
Reader's Guide
Puel's final game in charge of Lyon in May 2011 defeated his former club Monaco and ended their 33-season spell in the top flight (1978–2011). He was sacked by Leicester City on 24 February 2019 after six league games without a win. He returned to Nice on 29 December 2025 on a contract until the end of the season and left upon expiry.
Did You Know?
- Puel played 601 official matches for Monaco, his only club as a player.
- He was a physical trainer and reserve team manager before becoming Monaco's head coach in January 1999.
- Both of his sons, Paulin and Grégoire, are professional footballers and played under him at Nice.
- Puel's Saint-Étienne team reached the 2020 Coupe de France final, losing 1–0 to Paris Saint-Germain.
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