Olivier Pantaloni (born 13 December 1966)[1] is French football manager and former player. He is the current head coach of Ligue 2 side Lorient.

Olivier Pantaloni
Pantaloni as Ajaccio manager in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-12-13) 13 December 1966 (age 57)
Place of birth Bastia, France
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[citation needed]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Lorient (head coach)
Youth career
1976–1981 Gazélec Ajaccio
1982–1983 Ajaccio
1983–1985 Gazélec Ajaccio
1985–1988 Nice
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1990 Bastia 44 (7)
1990–1994 Saint-Étienne 4 (0)
1990–1991Martigues (loan) 29 (6)
1992–1993Gazélec Ajaccio (loan) 20 (2)
1994–2000 Ajaccio 146 (37)
Total 243 (52)
Managerial career
2004 Ajaccio
2009–2012 Ajaccio
2013–2014 Tours
2014–2024 Ajaccio
2024– Lorient
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Pantaloni played as a striker for Nice, Bastia, Saint-Étienne, Martigues, Gazélec Ajaccio and Ajaccio.[2]

Managerial career

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Pantaloni has held various positions in AC Ajaccio's staff since 2001.[3] When assistant coach in September 2004, he was put in interim charge when Dominique Bijotat was sacked with the team in last place in Ligue 1,[4] and held this position for a month until the appointment of Rolland Courbis.[5]

In December 2008, Pantaloni ended a six-month hiatus by returning to Ligue 2 Ajaccio, being named assistant to José Pasqualetti in the new year and succeeding him upon his resignation in February.[6] In 2010–11, his first full season, he led the club to promotion as runners-up behind Évian TG, ending a five-year exile from the top flight; he resigned in June 2012, having kept them up with a 16th-place finish.[7]

Pantaloni had his first job outside of ACA in June 2013, signing a two-year deal at Ligue 2 club Tours FC.[8] He resigned in October 2014 with the club second from last, having lost eight of eleven fixtures.[9] He returned to familiar surroundings days later, replacing the sacked Christian Bracconi at 12th-place Ajaccio.[10] In 2017–18, he led the club to a promotion play-off place, and they defeated Le Havre before a 4–0 aggregate loss to Toulouse.[11] He led Ajaccio to a 2nd place finish in the 2021–22 season, securing promotion to Ligue 1.

References

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  1. ^ La fiche de Olivier Pantaloni – Football – L'Equipe.fr
  2. ^ Olivier Pantaloni Ajaccio AC
  3. ^ La saison le staff technique Olivier Pantaloni
  4. ^ "Coach Bijotat is sacked by Ajaccio". CNN. 21 September 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Le retour de Courbis" [The return of Courbis]. Le Parisien (in French). 27 October 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Ajaccio. Pantaloni remplace pasqualetti [sic]" [Ajaccio. Pantaloni replaces Pasqualetti]. Le Télégramme (in French). 24 February 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Pantaloni leaves Ajaccio". Eurosport. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Pantaloni : deux ans au TFC" [Pantaloni: to TFC for two years]. La Nouvelle République (in French). 22 June 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  9. ^ Launay, Ch. (21 October 2014). "Olivier Pantaloni démissionne du Tours FC" [Olivier Pantaloni resigns from Tours FC]. France 3. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  10. ^ Mangon, Angélique (5 November 2014). "Olivier Pantaloni de retour à l'ACA" [Olivier Pantaloni back at ACA] (in French). France 3. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Ligue 1. Toulouse, vainqueur face à Ajaccio, est maintenu" [Ligue 1. Toulouse, winner against Ajaccio, survives]. Ouest France (in French). 27 May 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2019.