Daniel RODIGHIERO

Daniel Rodighiero was a striker, developed from the age of 10 years old with Red Star in Paris, when he obtained his first playing licence. He made his professional debut for the Parisian outfit in 1957, who were playing in the Second Division at the time. He played under the tutelage of Jean Prouff, who he would follow subsequently to Caen in 1960, after Red Star were expelled from the league. He stayed for six months in Normandy, and proved to be a prolific marksman, then returned for Red Star, where he would spend four seasons before signing for Stade Rennais in 1964. He would prove to be a canny goalscorer in his first season with Rennes, finishing second top-scorer in the First Division with 20 goals to his name. He was also a key member of the Rennes side that won the French Cup in 165, scoring 11 goals in 7 matches, of which 3 came in the two-legged final. In that same year, he got called up twice to represent France in matches against Austria and Argentina, albeit these would prove to be his only two caps for this country. Nicknamed "Mr 20 Goals", mainly due to the consistant manner in which he reached that landmark in the 1964/1965, 1965/1966 and 1966/1967 seasons, and he would finish 2nd, 7th and 3rd respectively in the leading goalscorer charts in the First Division. He would score somewhat fewer goals in the following seasons, and got injured at the beginning of the 1970/1971 season, which saw him lose his spot in the starting line-up, replaced by Lenoir. At this stage, he no longer figured in the plans of First Team Manager, Jean Prouff, and he would leave the club on bad terms in a bitter divorce in December 1970. Having amassed a total of 226 apperances, notching up 125 goals for the Red and Blacks, he is the second top-scorer in the history of Stade Rennais, behind Jean Grumellon (who scored 154 times for the club.) Rodighiero moved on to Valenciennes, where he would spend two seasons before seeing out the final seasons of his career as a professional footballer at Laval, between 1972 and 1976. After hanging up his boots, he moved to Strasbourg to work for Adidas, where he would spend 17 years. When took his retirement, he returned to Ille-et-Vilaine, and is still very active in the world of football, being a member of committee behind the Club of International Footballers in Paris.