Michel Der Zakarian
 Der Zakarian as Nantes manager in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michel Der Zakarian | ||
| Date of birth | 18 February 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1969–1974 | Vivaux Maronniers | ||
| 1974–1979 | Mazargues | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1988 | Nantes | 140 | (1) |
| 1988–1998 | Montpellier | 233 | (15) |
| Total | 373 | (16) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1997 | Armenia | 5 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Montpellier C | ||
| 2006 | Nantes B | ||
| 2007–2008 | Nantes | ||
| 2009–2012 | Clermont | ||
| 2012–2016 | Nantes | ||
| 2016–2017 | Reims | ||
| 2017–2021 | Montpellier | ||
| 2021–2022 | Brest | ||
| 2023–2024 | Montpellier | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Michel Der Zakarian (Armenian: Միշել Տեր-Զաքարյան, born on 18 February 1963) is an Armenian football manager and former professional player who played as a defender.
Raised in France, he played for Nantes and Montpellier, and earned five caps for the Armenia national team in the mid-1990s. As a manager, he led Nantes, Montpellier (two spells each) and Brest in Ligue 1, and Clermont and Reims in Ligue 2.
Playing career
[edit]Der Zakarian lived in France from a young age (he was raised in Marseille)[1] and spent his entire professional career in the country with Nantes and Montpellier, winning the league with the former in 1983.[2] He was a member of the Armenia national team, participating in five international matches after his debut in a home 1998 World Cup qualifying match against Portugal.
Managerial career
[edit]Nantes and Clermont
[edit]Der Zakarian was assistant to Georges Eo at Nantes, and succeeded him on 12 February 2007 when the team was 19th in Ligue 1; this was their fifth change of the position since winning the league title in 2001.[3] The Canaris were relegated, and he brought them back immediately from Ligue 2 as runners up to Le Havre, but was sacked on 26 August 2008 after gaining one point from the first three games of the season, and was replaced by Christian Larièpe, who became the interim manager.[4]
On 1 June 2009, Der Zakarian succeeded Didier Ollé-Nicolle at Ligue 2 club Clermont.[5] Despite the club having one of the lowest budgets in the league, he led them to respective finishes of 6th, 7th and 5th in his three seasons before returning to Nantes.[6]
In 2012–13, his first season back at the Stade de la Beaujoire, Der Zakarian again won Nantes promotion to Ligue 1, in third place.[7] He kept them in the top flight in each of the following three seasons, though goals were hard to come by; they netted 38, 29 and 33 respectively over the 38-game campaigns.[2] Club owner Waldemar Kita disliked Der Zakarian and his management, but allowed him to see out his contract instead of paying for a dismissal.[2]
Reims and Montpellier
[edit]Der Zakarian left Nantes in May 2016 to sign for two years at Reims, newly relegated to Ligue 2.[8] A year later, he was back in the top flight after leaving by mutual accord to join Montpellier.[9]
In April 2019, Der Zakarian signed a new contract to stay at Montpellier until 2021.[10] The club ended that season in 6th, missing out on UEFA Europa League qualification only due to the results of the domestic cup finals.[2]
Der Zakarian announced in May 2021 that he was leaving Montpellier at the end of the season.[11] He won 2–1 against former club Nantes on his final day, securing 8th place.[12]
Brest
[edit]On 22 June 2021, Der Zakarian signed with fellow Ligue 1 side Brest.[13] The team did not win any of their first eleven games, followed by six successive victories including over Monaco and Marseille.[14] Having stayed up in his first season, his contract was automatically extended to 2024.[15]
Der Zakarian was fired on 11 October 2022 with the club in last place, having won once in ten games. Results that season included a 7–0 home loss to Montpellier on 28 August.[15][16]
Return to Montpellier
[edit]On 8 February 2023, Der Zakarian returned as manager of Montpellier.[17] On 24 October 2023, he was involved in an altercation with defender Mamadou Sakho, who reportedly grabbed him by the collar before the manager fell to the floor; it is alleged that Sakho was provoked by Der Zakarian calling him a "cry-baby" over a training ground incident.[18]
After having conceded 26 goals in 8 games, ending with a 5–0 defeat to Marseille, Der Zakarian was sacked from last-placed Montpellier on 20 October 2024.[19]
Personal life
[edit]Der Zakarian and his wife Véronique married in 1983.[2]
Managerial statistics
[edit]- As of match played 20 October 2024
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Nantes B | 30 June 2006 | 20 September 2006 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14.29 | |
| Nantes | 12 February 2007 | 26 August 2008 | 63 | 26 | 20 | 17 | 41.27 | |
| Clermont | 1 July 2009 | 30 May 2012 | 130 | 50 | 41 | 39 | 38.46 | |
| Nantes | 31 May 2012 | 15 May 2016 | 173 | 67 | 47 | 59 | 38.73 | |
| Reims | 23 May 2016 | 23 May 2017 | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 38.10 | |
| Montpellier | 23 May 2017 | 30 June 2021 | 161 | 62 | 54 | 45 | 38.51 | |
| Brest | 1 July 2021 | 11 October 2022 | 51 | 15 | 13 | 23 | 29.41 | |
| Montpellier | 8 February 2023 | 20 October 2024 | 61 | 22 | 16 | 23 | 36.07 | |
| Total | 688 | 259 | 207 | 222 | 37.65 | — | ||
Honours
[edit]Nantes
- Ligue 1: 1982–83
- Coupe de France runners-up: 1982–83
Montpellier
- Coupe de France: 1989–90; runners-up: 1993–94
- Coupe de la Ligue: 1991–92;[20] runners-up: 1993–94
References
[edit]- ^ Der Zakarian, l'enfant de Marseille, [Der Zakarian, the child of Marseille], Johan Tabau, France Football, 17 April 2015
- ^ a b c d e White, Adam; Devin, Eric (21 September 2020). "Michel Der Zakarian and Téji Savanier are making Montpellier marvellous". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ Lehousse, Christophe (13 February 2007). "Un nouveau tandem d'entraîneurs au FC Nantes" [A new pair of managers at FC Nantes]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "FC Nantes : Der Zakarian limogé" [FC Nantes: Der Zakarian sacked]. Le Parisien (in French). 26 August 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Der Zakarian entraîneur de Clermont Foot" [Der Zakarian Clermont manager]. Le Parisien (in French). 1 June 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Michel Der Zakarian quitte le Clermont Foot" [Michel Der Zakarian leaves Clermont Foot] (in French). France 3. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "FC Nantes. Les quatre vérités de Michel Der Zakarian" [FC Nantes. Michel Der Zakarian's four truths]. Ouest-France (in French). 19 May 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Stade de Reims : Michel Der Zakarian nommé entraîneur (officiel)" [Stade de Reims: Michel Der Zakarian named manager (official)]. L'Équipe (in French). 23 May 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Football. Michel Der Zakarian à Montpellier, c'est officiel" [Football. Michel Der Zakarian to Montpellier, it's official]. Ouest-France (in French). 22 May 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Mishel [sic] Der Zakarian extends contract with Montpellier HSC". News.am. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ "Michel Der Zakarian quitting Montpellier HSC". News.am. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Nantes in relegation play-off, Rennes in Europe". Ligue 1. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Michel Der Zakarian nommé entraîneur du Stade Brestois (officiel)" [Michel Der Zakarian named manager of Stade Brestois]. L'Équipe (in French). 22 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ Devin, Eric (6 December 2021). "Michel Der Zakarian has sparked an incredible revival in Brest's form". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ a b Grammont, Stephane (11 October 2022). "Ligue 1. Michel Der Zakarian "mis à pied" par le Stade brestois" [Ligue 1. Michel Der Zakarian "laid off" by Stade Brestois] (in French). France 3. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Devin, Eric (17 October 2022). "Sacking season hits Ligue 1 as four managers lose their jobs in a week". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Michel Der Zakarian de retour à la maison" [Michel Der Zakarian returns home]. Montpellier HSC (in French). 8 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ "Mamadou Sakho fights & 'grabs manager by collar' after being called a 'cry-baby'". This is Anfield. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Montpellier's Michel Der Zakarian dismissed following 5-0 home loss against Marseille". Get French Football News. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "France League Cup 1991/92". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
External links
[edit]
- Michel Der Zakarian at National-Football-Teams.com
- 1963 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Yerevan
- Men's association football defenders
- Armenian men's footballers
- Armenia men's international footballers
- Soviet emigrants to France
- FC Nantes players
- Montpellier HSC players
- Ligue 1 players
- Armenian football managers
- FC Nantes managers
- Clermont Foot managers
- Stade de Reims managers
- Montpellier HSC managers
- Stade Brestois 29 managers
- Ligue 1 managers
- Ligue 2 managers
- French men's footballers
- French football managers
- Footballers from Marseille
- 20th-century French sportsmen