Wagneau Eloi

Wagneau Eloi

Personal information
Date of birth	(1973-09-11) 11 September 1973
Place of birth	Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1993–1995	Lens	19	(2)
1995–1997	Nancy	41	(7)
1997–1999	Lens	37	(10)
1999–2002	Monaco	32	(4)
2002–2003	Guingamp	18	(5)
2004	Lens	4	(1)
2004–2005	La Louvière	15	(7)
2005–2007	Roeselaere	28	(11)
Managerial career
2008–2009	Haiti
2014-	FC Miami City Champions
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 January 2007

Wagneau Eloi (born 11 September 1973 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a Haitian former international footballer, playing as a striker during his career. Wagneau had a humble childhood with his father and mother, a carpenter and seamstress, respectively.

At the age of nine, his family relocated to Paris, France. Upon his arrival in Paris, Eloi enrolled in the soccer little league at the Red Star F.C. where he played for four seasons. On 8 April 2008 he was unveiled as new head coach of Haiti national team.

In 2014 Eloi Co founded the US Champions Soccer Academy with Ravy Truchot and Éric Rabésandratana. He is currently the technical director. He also became head of coach of FC Miami City Champions in the Premier Development League expansion franchise in the Miami, Florida metro.

Club career

Eloi came to France when he was nine years old. He has had the opportunity to play alongside many of the world’s great players such as Fabien Barthez, Bernard Lama, David Trezeguet, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Marco Simone, Eric Abidal and Rafael Marquez.

In the beginning of his career, Eloi continued his training at the Paris Football Club before joining the Racing Club de Lens in 1991, where Roger Boli welcomed him to the team like a brother and establishing a strong bond and long friendship between the two players.

In the next four years, Eloi earned his stripes at the Racing Club de Lens, became a professional player, and joined the AS Nancy Lorraine Team where he continued to hone his soccer skills. During his rookie year, Eloi befriended Roger Lemerre, a well-known French soccer coach. Roger became Wagneau’s mentor and coached him to his first professional championship title at the Military World Championships with the French Team, Joinville Battalion.

In winning this championship, Wagneau had not only elevated his game but his confidence was also apparent. As a result, he returned to the Racing Club de Lens stronger than ever. With his leadership, the team was not only able to join the tightly-closed and prestigious club, “Circle of the Champions of France”, but also won its first championship title during the 1997-1998 season.

In 1999, the President of the AS Monaco FC invited Eloi to join his team, replacing Thierry Henry who had just signed with the Italian Team. During his four years stint with the AS Monaco FC Team, Eloi won numerous titles and an assortment of championships. With all his successes, he also faced many obstacles as well. Wagneau had a rough time adjusting to his new team style of plays and was often sidelined due to injuries thereby diminishing his overall game.

Frustrated at his then current situation, Wagneau was more than ever anxious and eager to return to his glory days and to the best possible physical shape. He later joined the Guingamp Team in 2002 as it offered him the most on the field playing time. Eloi immediately regained his love for the game and decided to rejoin the Racing Club de Lens for the third time. In 2008, his professional soccer career came to an end in Belgium where he had played for both the Roeselaere and La Louvière Clubs.

Upon his retirement, Eloi returned to his native country, Haiti, in 2008. He was subsequently offered the Head Coach position of the Haiti national team in order to prepare it for the upcoming 2010 World Cup.

Since then, Eloi is now Co-founder & Technical Director of the US Champions Soccer Academy and Head of coach of FC Miami City Champions the new Premier Development League expansion franchise in the Miami, Florida metro.

Honours

Lens

• Ligue 1: 1997–98

Monaco

• Ligue 1: 1999–2000

External links

• Player profile – L'Equipe.fr
• Player profile – VI.nl