Picture : Jean Pierre Papin receiving his IFFHS Award in Marseille.

IFFHS – THE WORLD’S BEST TOP GOAL SCORER 1991 : JEAN PIERRE PAPIN (OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE – FRANCE)

PRESENTATION

Born in Boulogne sur Mer (France) on 5 November 1963, Jean-Pierre Papin began late his career as striker in Valenciennes (1984/85 – 33 matches, 15 goals), Club Brugge in Belgium (1985/86 – 31 matches, 20 goals, 1 Belgian Cup) before joining the greatest club in France at the moment, Olympique Marseille with 23 years. He stayed there 6 wonderful years, played 215 matches and scored 134 goals, won 4 Champion First Division titles in a raw (1989 to 1992), 1 French Cup  (1989) and posed the European Champions Cup final 1991 against Red Star Belgrade after penalty shootout.He was 5 times best Goal Scorer in France and 3 times in Europe during this time ! In 1992, he moved to Italian’s Milan AC where he stayed 2 years with 40 matches and 18 goals, winning 2 Serie A titles (1993 and 94), 2 Supercoppa Italia (1992 and 93) and the UEFA Champions League 1993/94 against FC Barcelona, one year after lose the UEFA Champions League final 1993 against … Olympique Marseille !

He went to FC Bayern München in Germany (1994 to 1996), won the UEFA Cup 1995/96 and played only 27 matches for 3 goals because injuries. He joined then again France to Bordeaux (1996-1998, 55 matches, 22 goals) and Guingamp (10 matches, 3 goals) before to finish his player career in Saint-Pierre Réunion, Cap Ferret and Boïen.

In a 17 years career, he scored 350 goals in 620 matches ! A great Top Goal Scorer !

Jean Pierre Papin played 54 matches with the France National team and scored 30 goals (1986 to 1995), he took with France the third place at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and at the 1992 UEFA Championship in Sweden. 

1991 : He won this year the IFFHS  Award – THE WORLD’S BEST TOP GOAL SCORER 1991 – but also the BALLON D’OR 1991, the greatest moment in his career.

Papin made also a managerial career. In 2006, he became new coach of Racing Strasbourg (2006/07), RC Lens (2007/08) and Chateauroux (2009/10) after previously been coaching Bassin Arcachon (2004 to 2006). He guided Strasbourg back to Ligue 1 in 2007, this was his best moment in the coaching career.