Stéphane GUIVARC'H

Stéphane Guivarc’h may have only spent a solitary season with Stade Rennais FC, but it was an exceptional one. Loaned by Auxerre in June 1996, the Breton goalscorer arrived under the stewardship of Colleu, with the rather onerous task of trying erase the memory of Grassi, who had left for Monaco. Looking to avenge a frustrating first season in Burgundy (scoring just 3 goals), Guivarc’h wasted no time in opening his account, finding the back of the opposition net. From the outset, he scored 4 goals in the Intertoto Cup, and then 13 goals in the first half of the league season. Amongst his highlights was a brace against Lama’s Paris St Germain, and a vengeful goal against Auxerre, celebrated by poking his tongue out at Guy Roux. The Rennes number 7 finished 1996 with a hat-trick against Marseille, and then managed to achieve the same feat against Lyon at the beginning of 1997. Even if the end of the season was difficult, he still finished top scorer in the league with 22 goals before returning to Auxerre. A year after leaving Rennes, on 12th July 1998, he became a World Cup winner with France.