Gilles GALLOU

Gilles Galou is a versatile defender born in Chartres. In 1974, aged 16, he was recruited by Lens as a professional apprentice. He would get his big chance with the professionals the following season, making 9 appearances. His game time would increase over the following seasons, but he would never really become a first-choice starter for the first-team for the Red and Golds. After spending 9 seasons in the North of France, he left to join Rouen in the First Division, where he would make over 20 appearances in his first season. His second season would prove to less prolific, mainly because of injuries, which restricted him to just a few matches. He would still be on the pitch for the play-off match between Rouen and Stade Rennais at the end of the 1984/1985 season, where he missed his spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out. Stade Rennais recruited him in 1985, the Red and Blacks stayed up at the end of that very season, but were relegated the next, when the club ended up bottom of the table. He was used sparingly, given that he was seen more as a luxury replacement, rather than a first-choice starter. At the end of the 1986/1987 season, he decided to retire from the professional game, playing a final season in Belgium in amateur football with Mouscron between 1987 and 1988. Subsequently, he went into management with his hometown team, Chartres, in 2006, before passing his professional coaching badge in 2006. Then, in 2009, he moved out to Qatar to coach, before returning to France in 2011, to take over another amateur side. He eventually made the return trip to Qatar to coach in 2013.