Michaël Ciani

Michaël Ciani

Personal information
Full name	Michaël Ciani
Date of birth	6 April 1984 (1984-04-06)
Place of birth	Clichy-sous-Bois, France
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Bordeaux
Number	2
Youth career
1996–2000	ES Colombes
2000–2001	Racing Paris
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2003	Racing Paris	1	(0)
2003–2004	Charleroi	18	(1)
2004–2007	Auxerre	0	(0)
2005–2006	→ Sedan (loan)	37	(3)
2006–2007	→ Lorient (loan)	33	(1)
2007–2009	Lorient	65	(4)
2009–	Bordeaux	59	(5)
National team‡
2003–2004	France U21	5	(0)
2010–	France	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 March 2010

Michaël Ciani (born 6 April 1984), often referred to as Mickaël Ciani, is a French footballer of Guadeloupean descent who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Bordeaux. Ciani plays as a central defender and has starred for several French clubs before finally settling in with Lorient in 2006, where he became nationally recognized. His play at Lorient resulted in a move to 2008–09 champions Bordeaux. Ciani was formerly a France youth international having earned caps with the under-21 team. He currently plays for the senior team having received his first cap on 3 March 2010 in a friendly match against Spain.

Club career

Early career

Ciani began his football career in his hometown of Colombes playing with amateur club ES Colombienne. After a four-year stint, he moved to nearby club Racing Club de France where he made only one league appearance during the 2001–02 season while Racing were playing in the Championnat National. In 2003, Ciani migrated to Belgium joining first division club R. Charleroi S.C. in the French-speaking city of Charleroi. During his only season at the club, Ciani appeared in 18 league matches scoring one goal. Following the Belgian season, he returned to France joining Auxerre. Ciani spent his first season with Auxerre playing in the reserves. For the 2005–06 season, the Auxerre hierarchy agreed to loan Ciani to second division club CS Sedan Ardennes. Upon his arrival at Sedan, Ciani was inserted as a starter and performed exceptionally well appearing in 37 league matches scoring three goals against Grenoble, Châteauroux, and Istres. The team's overall performance led to Sedan finishing second earning promotion to Ligue 1 for the 2006–07 season.

Lorient

Despite helping Sedan to promotion, the club decided not to sign him permanently. With Auxerre establishing themselves as European contenders, the club, for the second straight season, loaned Ciani out, this time to newly-promoted Lorient. In his inaugural season with the club, Ciani made 33 league appearances scoring his lone goal in a 3–1 defeat to Lyon. The team's stable performances led to the club finishing in 14th position, thus staying up in the league. Following the season, Lorient decided to sign Ciani on a permanent deal. The next two seasons over, Ciani established himself as a premier Ligue 1 player making 55 league appearances scoring four goals with all of them coming during the 2008–09 season. His performances during the season led to increase speculation that Ciani would sign with another club with the player preferring a move to the Premier League over Ligue 1 contenders Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain.

Bordeaux

On 28 July 2009, Ciani and Bordeaux reached an agreement on a four-year contract with the Aquitaine-based club paying Lorient €4 million for his services. The defender was recruited by Laurent Blanc as a replacement for the departed Souleymane Diawara who joined Marseille. Ciani made his league debut on 23 August 2009 in the club's 4–0 victory over Nice. He was beneficial during the team's 2009–10 UEFA Champions League campaign scoring group stage goals against Israeli club Maccabi Haifa and German giants Bayern Munich. On 23 February 2010, Ciani scored a vital away goal against Greek team Olympiakos in Bordeaux's Round of 16 first leg match. Bordeaux later won the tie 3–1 on aggregate. A month later, he scored the equalizing goal in Bordeaux's 3–1 comeback victory over league rivals Lille.

International career

Ciani made his under-21 debut on 30 March 2004 in a 1–1 draw with the Netherlands in a friendly match. Two months later, he featured with the team at the 2004 Toulon Tournament appearing in four matches as France were crowned champions of the competition for the eighth time. On 25 February 2009, after five years of not playing international football, Ciani was called up to the senior team by coach Raymond Domenech for the squad's friendly match with Spain on 3 March. Ciani earned his first cap in the match starting in the centre back position alongside veteran Julien Escudé. France lost the match 2–0.

Career statistics

(Correct as of 11 March)

Club	Season	League			Cup			Europe			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Racing Paris	2001–02	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
	2002–03	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Charleroi	2003–04	18	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	1	0
Total		18	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	1	0
Auxerre	2004–05	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sedan	2005–06	37	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	39	3	0
Total		37	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	39	3	0
Lorient	2006–07	33	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	34	1	0
	2007–08	36	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	40	0	0
	2008–09	29	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	31	4	0
Total		98	5	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	105	5	0
Bordeaux	2009–10	30	2	0	5	0	0	9	3	0	44	5	0
	2010–11	19	2	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	23	2	0
Total		49	4	0	9	0	0	9	3	0	67	7	0
Career total		203	13	0	18	0	0	9	3	0	230	16	0

International

(Correct as of 11 March)

National team	Season	Apps	Goals	Assists
France	2009–10	1	0	0
Total		1	0	0

External links

• Michaël Ciani French league stats at LFP.fr (French)