Quick Facts
Biography
Bernard Diomède (born 23 January 1974 in Saint-Doulchard) is a retired French footballer of Guadeloupean descent. He played as a winger and won the World Cup with France in 1998.
Club career
Diomède's career began with AJ Auxerre. After playing at the youth level for the Burgundy club, he made his Ligue 1 début in 1992. He played in the first team during eight years, under Guy Roux Auxerre won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 1996. The winger scored 30 goals in 175 Ligue 1 matches for Auxerre.
In June 2000, Diomède was signed for £3m by then Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier. Making his debut against Sunderland, Diomède appeared to have scored with an overhead kick, but the goal was not given even though replays showed that the ball had crossed the line. However, he did not settle in England, and only played five games for Liverpool. In January 2003 he was loaned out to AC Ajaccio, newly promoted in France's Ligue 1, until the end of his contract. After his spell at Liverpool had come to an end, he joined the Ligue 2 team Créteil, and then Clermont Foot in the Championnat National (3rd division). As of 18 January 2008, Bernard Diomede has announced his retirement after being without a club for the past 18 months.
International career
Diomède was capped eight times for the France national team, but never scored. He received his first cap in a friendly against Spain on 28 January 1998. At the 1998 World Cup he started in three games, against Saudi Arabia and Denmark in the group stage and against Paraguay in the round of 16. He was unable to regain his place in the French national team after the 1998 World Cup.
Retirement
On 18 January 2008, Diomède announced his retirement from the game after being without a club for 18 months.
He now runs the Bernard Diomede Football Academy at the Saint Nicolas high school in Issy les Moulineaux, just south of Paris.
Honours
Club
- French championship: 1996
- French national cup: 1996
International
- FIFA World Cup: 1998
Individual
Following the 1998 World Cup, he was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1998