Adding the text I made for him in my top 125 (on blog). "Giresse – This pure Girondin started his professional career in 1970 at the age of 18 years old at Bordeaux that he'd serve during no less than 16 seasons and where he'll set the records of appearances and goals. Noticed as a gifted from his very beginnings (he is often compared to Kopa) he would however know only 5 caps (often some bribes of matches) through the 70s to finally impose himself in the French team in the very beginning of the 80s when approaching his 30 years. Until 1978, '79 and the arrival of the ambitious and influent president Bez (who is also present at the federation), Girondins de Bordeaux, in spite of having quality players, was essentially a mid-table team, was even fighting against the relegation prior to a World Cup '78 that Giresse (1 cap in March) could only miss, since injured as he stated himself. After this painful season and another one during which Bordeaux finds again the 10th place, Bez takes the whole control of FCGB and obtains a 6th place synonymous of UEFA Cup qualification then in the following, for the 1980-1981 season, registers the signings of the French team libero and former captain (before the rising of Platini) Marius Trésor as well as he installs a certain Aimé Jacquet on the bench who will manage to last longer than his predecessors (one coach a year). All of that would change a lot of things for the club as well as for Giresse. Since then, Bordeaux and his pocket-sized offensive midfielder play the first roles in the League. In 1981, Giresse is integrated to the national team coached by Hidalgo and becomes an integrant part of it in order to qualify to the next World Cup. Through five qualifying matches, Giresse takes his marks and most of all participates to the 2-0 win over Holland in November at Parc des Princes that will allow the Frenches to cross the Pyrennes in June '82. With three offensive midfielders (Platini, Genghini, Giresse) and three strikers (Rocheteau, Lacombe, Six) so with the maneer, Hidalgo, very criticized, made a true tour de force against a transitionnal Dutch team but skipped by the living legends Krol and Neeskens, the latter having been called-back especially for the occasion. The first goal came from a free-kick by Platini, fouled on the outskirts of the penalty area on a pass by Giresse. The second was scored by Six on a cross by Rocheteau who had dribbled past the Dutch captain, Krol. The love story between the French team and his public could really begin. In Spain, from this formidable team, Giresse would be the one who especially attract the light on himself. After difficult debuts in the first group phase (with an initial 3-1 loss to England), a typical 11 in 4-4-2 emerges for the second round where France inherates of Austria and Northern Ireland in the group D. With a semi-final in view, the team raises up the level of its game. After a 1-0 win over Austria (Genghini on free-kick), France demonstrates its superiority in this group as they beat Northern Ireland by 4 goals to 1 including one header by the littlest player of the World Cup on a cross of his new partner at Bordeaux, Tigana. ''Gigi'' had already scored one in the first half before to score this last goal of the match. Already the author of two assists in the first round, Giresse, in full-form, he's only at one match of a World Cup final. It would need for that to beat the Germans however, Champions of Europe. But who on the other hand seem to have very few inspiration since the beginning of the tournament. Seville, 8 July 1982, World Cup semi-fnals. The first half is balanced : 1-1 after 45 minutes (Littbarski 17th, Platini 27thfrom the penalty spot). In the second half, the going gets tough: first, Genghini, severly touched at the end of the first half must leave the pitch (50th). Then, the Germans multiplicates the agressions as the referee, Mr. Corver, never make use of his whistle against them. At the 53th minute, a goal of Rocheteau is disallowed for a supposed foul on Bernd Förster but let's say no more about it. Some minutes later, it's the famous violent assault of Schumacher against Battiston, the replacement of Genghini at midfield though usually a defender and who was at this moment about to score on a pass by Platini. In critical condition, unconscious, Battiston is transported to the hospital when the forementioned Dutch referee allows a goal-kick to the zealous German goalkeeper. Revolted, the French team dominates more and more their opponent but it remains 1-1 after 90 minutes. The Frenches throw themselves into the second half wholeheartedly showing their best football and scores by a volley-goal signed Trésor on an assist from free-kick, sort of little corner-kick by Giresse. The same Giresse adds another one with a somptuous shot from the outside of the box that would be followed by a celebration that would remain as famous as the ones of Falcao and Tardelli during this same tournament... 3-1 ! Giresse probably thinks that he has propulsed the French team to the World Cup final. But the tension doesn't decrease and France continues to attack... whilst our referee goes back to work by forgetting about his whistle. After a first foul on Giresse then a second one on Platini that are not sanctioned (but we start to be acostumed to it), Rummenigge, who was benched because injured but has just entered the pitch scores at the end of the counter-attack. The Ballon d'or '80 and '81 doesn't seem to suffer from his thig anymore and the scoresheet says 3-2. The entry of the German striker would then continue to cause problems to the French defense and to Janvion who exerted himself already a lot and who is in charge of Rummenigge when the substitution for Battiston, the defender Lopez, was lined up at the same position of his unfortunate teammate, hence at midfield. The tactical dimension that this semi-final took would be fatal to the Frenches who see Fischer to equalize before to lost the match in a penalty shootout. The immense joy that Giresse shown when celebrating his goal had to be succeeded by the biggest disappointment and the deepest sorrow as well as by the biggest feelings of injustice. A small consolation, Giresse, would finish second at the Ballon d'or by the end of the year, being saluted thus as one the most brilliant actor of that last World Cup. Supposed to be at the service of Platini in Spain, the latter being injured, Giresse benefited more of Platini than the other way around. It's him who had the legs to find good position of shooting as shown in Seville and this goal sticked in the voters' mind in spite of a defeat that most of observators considers as unjust anyway, if not unfair. Giresse was also now an European with Bordeaux and shined in the first rounds of the UEFA Cup where he scored 6 goals in 7 matches... but also was eliminated by Universatitea Craiova in the round of 16. Damn, all these experiences should serve to something ! Euro 1984 in France. At 32 years, Giresse can tranquilly play the ''second-fiddle'' for a Platini for once in full-form in a tournament and that he incites to stay upfront as often as possible. The player of Juve offers the first title ever in a collective sport to France thanks to his 9 goals. Giresse, this time less noticed, still features however among the best offensive midfielders of the tournament. In the ''perfect match'' against Belgium as he describes it, Giresse had scored 1 of the 5 goals and delivered two assists. This victory is a joy for the team but also a relief as they were clearly the favorites on home soil. Champion of France '84 and '85, Cup winner '86 with Bordeaux who has replaced Saint-Etienne has the powerhouse in France and semi-finalist of the European Cup in '85 (beaten by Platini's Juve), Giresse makes the travel to Mexico in order to play here his second World Cup. Unfortunately, neither Platini or himself are in-form this time. That being, they're still both decisive at crucial moments. Giresse delivers a pin-point lobbed pass to Fernandez in the first round against the Soviets for a good for morale 1-1 draw game before that Platini permits to dominate the Italian World Champion team then scores a precious equalizer against Brazil and France reaches the semi-finals again. One more time against West Germany, who wins easily. There has been no revenge. And it is the end of the ''Magic square''. If only the World Cup had been played in '85... After his last participation to the World Cup, Giresse leaves a club to which he seemed to belong forever in order to sign a last contract. At the OM of the new ambitious president in French football Bernard Tapie who wants to take the place of number one to Bordeaux in the French League and even already plans to install the club in the European elite. The mission of Giresse will consist here in paving the way for the next teams to come. Vice-champion behind his former club in '87, 6thand semi-finalist of the Cup Winners Cup in '88 of which OM is eliminated by a young and twirling Ajax team, Giresse hang up his boots at the age of 36 years old. In 1987, he had been awarded ''French player of the year France Football'' for the third time, after 1982 and 1983. A dribbler, a ''feinter'' in his debuts, but already endowed with fantastic passing skills, Giresse has evolved from a role of attacking midfielder or winger to the one of true midfield maestro. Judged ''very good but never good in the big matches'' before his 27-28 years, he featured, in the early 80s, among the best players in the world. Was he that much of a different player before 1980 ? Maybe not really. But at the start of this new decade, he assuringly found a better context to express himself and gain experience, first with the transformation of his club in a winning machine, then with the triumph of the 4-4-2 over the 4-3-3 which assuringly constituted a relief for a player with his caracteristics as now covered by two defensive midfielders as well as for a player with such a little height. He also had, perhaps, near his 30 years, now the maturity to accept to be the second of the five years younger but now confirmed star Platini to whom it was technically difficult to associate the Bordelais with in the era of the 4-3-3 except if the former Nancy player was systematically lined up as the centre forward of the team or (as seen with the pattern of the match with Holland in '81 with both of them in the still 3-men midfield) except if the choice of taking all the risks was taken, what could occur only in very special occasions and anyway at a time at which Giresse was far to be a regular for the team, thus was hardly adaptable. Giresse has however largely compensated his so to speak ''lost years'' by playing a major role in the French team with magic square that occupied the front of the international football stage in those early 80s." From : FYT's 125 Greatest Footballers of All-time
Tournoi de Bordeaux 1st day match, 27 August 1983, FC Girondins de Bordeaux vs FC Barcelona : 2-0. Giresse scores the first goal on a cross by Battiston (with the head of course) then gives the second to Trésor from a free-kick à la Sevilla '82... Edit : + the full-game.
Alain GIRESSE - Matches and goals in European Cups. Matches 1-21 for FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Matches 22-28 for Olympique de Marseille. UEFA Cup 1981-1982 1. Vikingur Reykjavik (A, T, 90) 4-0 2. Hamburger SV (H, T, 90) 2-1 3. Hamburger SV (A, T, 90) 0-2 UEFA Cup 1982-1983 4. FC Carl Zeiss Jena (A, T, 90) 1-3 1 goal (72/ 1-2) 5. FC Carl Zeiss Jena (H, T, 90) 5-0 2 goals (35, 72/ 3, 5-0) 6. Hajduk Split (A, T, 90) 1-4 7. Hajduk Split (H, T, 90) 4-0 2 goals (32, 75/ 2, 4-0) 8. FC Universitatea Craiova (H, T, 90) 1-0 1 goal (50p) 9. FC Universitatea Craiova (H, T, 120) 0-2 a.e.t UEFA Cup 1983-1984 10. 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig (H, T, 90) 2-3 1 goal (72/ 2-2) 11. 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig (A, T, 90) 0-4 Champions Cup 1984-1985 12. Athletic Bilbao (H, T, 90) 3-2 13. Athletic Bilbao (A, T, 90) 0-0 14. Dinamo Bucaresti (H, T, 90) 1-0 15. Dinamo Bucaresti (A, T, 75) 1-1 a.e.t 16. Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk (H, T, 90) 1-1 17. Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk (A, T, 120) 1-1 5-3 18. FC Juventus (A, T, 90) 0-3 19. FC Juventus (H, T, 90) 2-0 Champions Cup 1985-1986 20. Fenerbahçe SK (H, T, 90) 2-3 21. Fenerbahçe SK (A, T, 90) 0-0 Cup Winners Cup 1987-1988 22. 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig (H, T, 90) 1-0 23. Hajduk Split (H, T, 90) 4-0 1 goal (89/ 4-0) 24. Hajduk Split (A, T, 90) (0-2) 3-0* 25. Rovaniemi PS (A, T, 90) 1-0 26. Rovaniemi PS (H, T, 83) 3-0 27. Ajax Amsterdam (H, T, 90) 0-3 28. Ajax Amsterdam (A, T, 90) 2-1 *: awarded 3-0 to OM due to the violent behaviour of Hajduk followers. Results by season: 1981-1982: eliminated in the Second Round of the UEFA Cup by Hamburg. 1982-1983: eliminated in the Round of 16/ 3rd Round of the UEFA Cup by U Craiova. 1983-1984: eliminated in the First Round of the UEFA Cup by Lok. Leipzig. 1984-1985: eliminated in Semi-finals of the Champions Cup by Juventus Turin. Scored his pk against Dnepr. 1985-1986: eliminated in the First Round of the Champions Cup by Fenerbahçe. 1987-1988: eliminated in the Semi-finals of the Cup Winners Cup by Ajax. Ajax beats Mechelen in the Final. Best results and stats: Semi-finalist of the European Champions Cup in 1985. Semi-finalist of the Cup Winners Cup in 1988. 10 matches/ no goals in Champions Cup. 7 matches/ 1 goal in Cup Winners Cup. 11 matches/ 7 goals in UEFA Cup. Stats card © footballyesterdayandtoday.blogspot.com (if ever one wants to copy this, please provide source). VIDEO : Bordeaux v Leipzig '83 : goal Giresse at 3:30 for the 2-2... superb but Leipzig will win this leg 3-2 then 4-0 at home. Unfortunately the TV production doesn't follow the action (they're playing a replay) but it's still not bad too watch. it's quick though and one has to imagine what happened during the replay.