- published: 16 Oct 2013
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Bruno Metsu (French pronunciation: [bʁyno mɛtsy]; 28 January 1954 – 14 October 2013) was a French footballer and football manager. During his senior playing career from 1973 to 1987, he played for seven different clubs in his native France. From 1988 until his death, he was the manager of a total of nine clubs in France and the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, the Guinea, Senegal, United Arab Emirates and Qatar national football teams. He was perhaps most famous for coaching Senegal to the quarter-finals of 2002 FIFA World Cup, including a surprise victory over defending champions France in the opening match of the tournament.
Before embarking on his career as a football player, the teenaged Metsu worked as a courier on the docks of Dunkirk.
Metsu played in the attacking midfield position. His career as a youth and senior player with eight different clubs was largely based in his native France. He had a three-year spell as a youth player in Belgium with Anderlecht. During his 14 years as a senior player between 1973 and 1987, all with French clubs, he played 366 Division 1/Division 2 matches and 28 Coupe de France matches, scoring 30 and 2 goals in Division 1/Division 2 and Coupe de France matches respectively. He did not manage to win any national-level or international trophies. While at Lille, Metsu played 63 matches and scored 3 goals in all competitions. Metsu had his heyday at Valenciennes between 1975 and 1979, scoring his highest number of club goals, 14 (in 134 league - all of them Division 1 - and Coupe de France matches), while playing alongside top players such as Didier Six and Roger Milla. After Metsu had finished playing his first season (1984-1985) for Beauvais, it won promotion to Division 2.