Bafétimbi Gomis

Bafétimbi Gomis

Gomis with Swansea City in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth	6 August 1985
Place of birth	La Seyne-sur-Mer, France
Height	1.84 m (6 ft ^1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Swansea City
Number	18
Youth career
2001–2004	Saint-Étienne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2004–2009	Saint-Étienne	142	(40)
2005	→ Troyes (loan)	13	(6)
2009–2014	Lyon	178	(64)
2014–	Swansea City	62	(12)
National team^‡
2001	France U17	1	(0)
2008–2013	France	12	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:00, 16 April 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13:43, 3 December 2014 (UTC)

Bafétimbi Gomis (French pronunciation: ​[bafetimbi ɡɔmis]; born 6 August 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Swansea City and the France national team.

Born in La Seyne-sur-Mer, Gomis played youth football with Saint-Étienne before making his professional debut for the club. After spending time on loan at Troyes, he moved to Lyon in 2009. Gomis joined current club Swansea City in 2014.

Gomis has made 12 appearances for the French national team, scoring three goals. He was a member of the squad for UEFA Euro 2008.

Club career

Saint-Étienne

Bafétimbi Gomis coming on as a substitute for Saint-Étienne.

Bafétimbi made thirteen appearances for Saint-Étienne in his first season with the club, scoring two league goals. In the next season, he made six goalless appearances for the club before going on loan to Troyes AC in a successful six-month loan deal, where he scored six goals in 13 games. The 2005–06 season was not as successful as the previous season as he made 24 league appearances for Saint-Étienne, scored only two league goals.

The 2006–07 season was when Gomis established himself with Saint-Étienne, scoring ten goals in 30 appearances. Gomis continued this form into the 2007–08 season where he scored an impressive 16 goals in 34 appearances.

On his future with Saint-Étienne, he said: "I am very happy to play for Saint-Étienne, but I don't know if I will still be there next season. The coach did his best for me to stay last summer, and he has improved me a lot. I am very happy with him at the helm. His stay at the club will be an essential factor for my future". He was watched by Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan, and was thought to be on his transfer list in the summer preceding the 2008–09 league season. However, a move never materialized and Gomis remained at Saint-Étienne.

In an interview with French newspaper L'Équipe, Gomis stated he was attracted by a possible move to England, but revealed Serie A would be his preference. In the weeks leading up to the 2009 January transfer window, his name was again touted in speculation surrounding various Premier League sides, though he moved to allay the rumors, stating his desire to see out the Ligue 1 season with his current club.^[2]

Gomis' form in the 2008–09 season was scrutinized more heavily than it was in the previous season. Despite this, Gomis successfully netted five times in 17 league appearances, and excelled with his performances in the UEFA Cup, scoring three times in four games.

Lyon

On 29 July 2009, Olympique Lyonnais announced that they had signed the striker for €13 million and the player had agreed to a five-year contract. With the move, Gomis became just the sixth player in French football history to transfer directly from Saint-Étienne to Derby du Rhône arch-rivals Lyon.

2011–12

Gomis playing for Lyon against Stade Brestois 29 in 2013.

On the first day of the 2011–12 Ligue 1 campaign, Gomis scored the winning goal in a 3–1 victory over Nice on 6 August 2011.^[3] On 24 September, Gomis scored a first-half brace against Girondins de Bordeaux firing his side to a 3–1 away victory.^[4]

Gomis bagged 4 goals in the last round of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage, helping Lyon to a 7–1 victory over GNK Dinamo Zagreb and progression to the Round of 16 on goal difference.^[5] He also created a new record for the fastest Champions League hat-trick ever scored, beating the record owned by Mike Newell.^[6][7]

On 25 February 2012, Gomis scored on a volley to bring his side level with league leaders PSG 1–1;^[8] the game finished in a dramatic 4–4 draw, after Lyon was winning 4–2.^[9] Gomis replaced Alexandre Lacazette in the 70th minute in a derby match against former club AS Saint-Étienne on 17 March, and ten minutes later scored a 30-yard strike to earn his side a 1–0 victory.^[10] Gomis continued his rich vein of form against relegation-threatened Sochaux on 24 March when he converted an Anthony Réveillère cross to earn his side a 2–1 victory.^[11]

Swansea City

On 27 June 2014, Gomis signed a four-year contract at Swansea City after leaving Lyon at the end of the 2013-14 Ligue 1 season on a free transfer.^[12] He made his competitive debut in the opening match of the season on 16 August, replacing Wilfried Bony for the last 13 minutes of an eventual 2–1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.^[13] He made his second substitute appearance against Burnley on 23 August, implying that there will be competition between him and Wilfried Bony, not partnership like originally planned. On 26 August he scored his first competitive goal for the club in a 1–0 victory over Rotherham United in the Second Round of the League Cup.^[14] Gomis' first Premier League start came at Stamford Bridge, against Chelsea, on 13 September, in a 4–2 defeat. Although he did not score, he had a chance to equalise when his team was 2–1 down and earned applause from both sets of fans, when he was replaced by Wilfried Bony. Gomis scored his first Premier League goal on 9 November 2014 scoring the winner barely a minute after entering the field, as his side came from behind to beat Arsenal 2–1.^[15]

At the beginning of 2015, with Bony leaving to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Gomis became the main forward for the Swans, starting the year with a brace at Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park in a 2–6 win in the FA Cup. On 10 January, after equalising in a 1–1 home draw against West Ham United, he displayed a French flag in support of victims of recent shootings in Paris.^[16] On 4 April 2015, Gomis scored in the 38th minute against Hull City with a volley and further sealed the victory by chipping the ball over the Hull City keeper giving him his first Premier League brace and Swansea City a 3-1 victory.

International career

Although born in France, Gomis was eligible to play for both France and Senegal through his ancestry. On 8 May 2008, he said regarding his international future "I don't have to choose between the French or Senegalese teams, as I have not been called yet. The French team? It would be pretentious to ask for it, but I am not adverse to the French team".^[17]

On 18 May 2008, Gomis was called up for the provisional French Euro 2008 squad, ahead of experienced striker David Trézéguet. This was due to his particularly good form towards the end of Saint-Étienne's Ligue 1 campaign. Gomis scored two goals in 26 minutes in a Euro 2008 warm-up match against Ecuador on 27 May 2008. He was the first player to score twice on his debut for the national team since Zinédine Zidane. On 28 May 2008, he was selected in the French Euro 2008 squad ahead of Olympique de Marseille striker Djibril Cissé. On 9 June 2008, Gomis won his third cap by coming on as a substitute for Nicolas Anelka in the scoreless draw against Romania. On 7 October 2009, he collapsed in the training for the game against the Faroe Islands.^[18]

In 2011, after a good start of the season with Lyon, Laurent Blanc called up Gomis for UEFA Euro 2012 qualification matches against Albania and Bosnia.^[19] This was his first call-up in Laurent Blanc's era.

On 15 August 2012, Gomis was called up by new national coach Didier Deschamps. He has since played in two games, both coming as a substitute for Olivier Giroud.

Personal life

Gomis has a medical condition, suspected to be Vasovagal response, that means he is liable to faint during times of stress, and this has caused him to faint during a number of matches.^[20]

Career statistics

As of match played 24 April 2016^{[21][22][23][24]}

Club	Season	League			Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Troyes (loan)	2004–05	Ligue 2	13	6	0	0	0	0	–		13	6
Saint-Étienne	2003–04	Ligue 2	11	2	0	0	0	0	–		11	2
	2004–05	Ligue 1	6	0	0	0	0	0	–		6	0
	2005–06	Ligue 1	24	2	0	0	1	0	–		25	2
	2006–07	Ligue 1	30	10	0	0	3	3	–		33	13
	2007–08	Ligue 1	35	16	1	0	1	0	–		37	16
	2008–09	Ligue 1	36	10	2	1	1	1	8[lower-alpha 1]	4	47	16
	Total		142	40	3	1	6	4	8	4	159	49
Lyon	2009–10	Ligue 1	37	10	2	1	2	0	9[lower-alpha 2]	2	50	13
	2010–11	Ligue 1	35	10	2	0	1	0	7[lower-alpha 2]	2	45	12
	2011–12	Ligue 1	36	14	6	4	3	1	6[lower-alpha 2]	5	51	24
	2012–13	Ligue 1	37	16	1	1	1	1	5[lower-alpha 3]	2	44	20
	2013–14	Ligue 1	33	14	3	2	4	3	9[lower-alpha 3]	3	49	22
	Total		178	64	14	8	11	5	36	14	239	91
Swansea City	2014–15	Premier League	31	7	2	2	3	1	–		36	10
	2015–16	Premier League	31	5	1	0	1	1	–		33	6
	Total		62	12	3	2	4	2	0	0	69	16
Club total			395	122	20	11	21	11	44	18	480	162

1. Appearances in the UEFA Cup
2. Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
3. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League

International appearances and goals

National team Season Apps Goals France 2007–08 4 2 2008–09 0 0 2009–10 1 0 2010–11 0 0 2011–12 1 0 2012–13 6 1 Total 12 3

International appearances and goals # Date Venue Opponent Result Goal Competition 1. 27 May 2008 Stade des Alpes, Grenoble, France  Ecuador 2–0 2 Friendly 2. 31 May 2008 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France  Paraguay 0–0 0 Friendly 3. 9 June 2008 Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland  Romania 0–0 0 UEFA Euro 2008 4. 13 June 2008 Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland  Netherlands 4–1 0 UEFA Euro 2008 5. 14 October 2009 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Austria 3–1 0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 6. 7 October 2011 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Albania 3–0 0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying 7. 15 August 2012 Stade Océane, Le Havre, France  Uruguay 0–0 0 Friendly 8. 7 September 2012 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland  Finland 0–1 0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 9. 12 October 2012 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Japan 0–1 0 Friendly 10. 14 November 2012 Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy  Italy 1–2 1 Friendly 11. 5 June 2013 Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay  Uruguay 1–0 0 Friendly 12. 9 June 2013 Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre, Brazil  Brazil 3–0 0 Friendly

Honours

Club

Saint-Étienne

• Ligue 2: 2003–04

Lyon

• Coupe de France: 2011–12
• Trophee des Champions: 2012

Individual

• UNFP Player of the Month: January 2007

References

1. "Premier League Player Profile Bafétimbi Gomis". Premier League. Barclays Premier League. 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
2. Haond, Patrick (29 December 2008). "Gomis not thinking of exit". skysports.com. Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
3. Report: Nice v Lyon – French Ligue 1 – ESPN FC
4. "Olympique Lyonnais 3 - 1 Bordeaux Match report - 9/24/11 Ligue 1 - Goal.com". goal.com.
5. "Dinamo Zagreb 1–7 Lyon". The Guardian (London). 7 December 2011.
6. "Gomis usurps Newell with fastest hat-trick". Four Four Two. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
7. "Bafetimbi Gomis scores four goals to stun Dinamo Zagreb". BBC. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
8. "UPDATE 2-Soccer-PSG snatch 4–4 draw at Lyon, Montpellier go top". Reuters. 25 February 2012.
9. Report: Lyon v Paris Saint-Germain – French Ligue 1 – ESPN FC
10. Report: St Etienne v Lyon – French Ligue 1 – ESPN FC
11. "Ligue1.com - French Football League - Ligue 1 - Season 2011/2012 - Week 29 - Olympique Lyonnais / FC Sochaux-Montbéliard". ligue1.com.
12. "It's Go, Go, Go for Gomis". swanseacity.net. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
13. Bevan, Chris (16 August 2014). "Man Utd 1–2 Swansea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
14. "Swansea 1–0 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
15. "Bafetimbi Gomis heads home Swansea winner as Arsenal throw away late lead". PA Sport (ESPN.com). 9 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
16. Chafcoulloff, Christophe (10 January 2015). "Attentats en France : Bafé Gomis marque et brandit un drapeau français" [Attacks in France: Bafé Gomis scores and brandishes a French flag] (in French). RTL. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
17. Haond, Patrick (8 May 2008). "Gomis looking at future". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
18. "Gomis bricht zusammen!". nachrichten.at. OÖ Online. 8 October 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
19. "Bafé Gomis est de retour". lequipe.fr (in French). L'Equipe. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
20. "Swansea striker recovers after fainting". BBC Sport. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
21. "B. Gomis". soccerway.com. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
22. "Bafetimbi Gomis". lfp.fr. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
23. "Bafetimbi Gomis". Soccerbase. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
24. "Bafetimbi Gomis". ESPN. Retrieved 29 June 2014.

External links

• Bafétimbi Gomis – French League Stats at LFP.fr (French)
• France U-17 season 2001–02