Émile GROSSHANS

Emile Grosshans was born in the Moselle region in the East of France. He began his playing days in his hometown club Stiring Wendel. He was a prolific striker, finishing runner-up in the French Amateur Championship in 1961, attracting the attention of several professional sides. Finally he was picked up by Stade Rennais at the start of thez 1961/1962 season. He began the season spearheading the Rennes attack, but got injured, and was used sparingly thereafter, albeit he still managed 25 appearances in his first season. He started the 1962/1963 season on the bench, but would earn his spurs on the left-hand side, in a more withdrawn role in the defence, following the injury to Cédolin. When Cédolin returned the following season, Emile Grosshans was shifted across to the right side of the Rennes defence, and played in virtually the entire season. At the end of that season, Strasbourg came in for him, but Rennes rebuffed the advances. Grosshans, wasn't pleased with the club's stance, and ended up being frozen out of the professional squad, and he would make two token appearances in the League Cup in 1964, before disappearing from the scene altogether for the rest of the season. The following year, he decided to buy out the remainder of his own contract to join Strasbourg after all, as an amateur, and he won the Alsace Cup in 1966. After his footballing career ended, he went on to work for Adidas for a number of years, before setting up his own sports clothing company. He passed away in his native region on 28th July 2016, aged 77 years old.