Thierry Laurey

Thierry Laurey (born 17 February 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a defender and midfielder.

As a manager, he led Gazélec Ajaccio to consecutive promotions from the Championnat National to Ligue 1. In five years as manager of RC Strasbourg Alsace, he won Ligue 2 in 2016–17 and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2018–19.

Playing career
Laurey earned one cap for France on 8 March 1989. He played in a 2–0 loss to Scotland at Hampden Park in 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Early years
After ending his club career at Montpellier HSC, Laurey began his coaching career at an assistant manager at the same club, serving several managers over the next eight years. His first job as a head coach was at FC Sète 34 in the third-tier Championnat National for 2007–08, finishing 6th.

In June 2008, Laurey was hired by Amiens SC in Ligue 2. His one season ended with relegation to the Championnat National.

Laurey became director of football at AS Saint-Étienne – where he had played – in March 2011. In November, he returned to Ligue 2 management at AC Arles-Avignon. His team were in last place when he replaced Faruk Hadžibegić, but climbed to safety with a long unbeaten run. In the 2012–13 Coupe de la Ligue, he led the team into the last 16 with wins over En Avant Guingamp, Gazélec Ajaccio and AC Ajaccio, but was fired on 5 November 2012 after a 4–1 loss at nearby Nîmes Olympique.

Gazélec
In February 2013, Laurey was the third manager of the season at Gazélec, who were six points inside the relegation zone. Their season ended with relegation to the Championnat National, followed by immediate return in third place behind US Orléans and Luzenac AP, the latter of whom were barred from Ligue 2 for licensing reasons.

In the 2014–15 Ligue 2, Gazélec were promoted in second place behind ES Troyes AC to reach Ligue 1 for the first time; the club prepared for their maiden top-flight season with a budget of €12 million, half of that of Corsican neighbours S.C. Bastia and one-fortieth of the budget for champions Paris Saint-Germain FC. Laurey's team reached the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France in 2015–16 before a 3–0 loss at FC Lorient. The season ended in relegation and Laurey was permitted to speak to other clubs, despite having a year left on his contract.

Strasbourg
On 31 May 2016, Laurey was signed to a two-year contract by newly promoted Ligue 2 team RC Strasbourg Alsace, a day after Jacky Duguépéroux left their managerial post. He led the team to the title in his first season, ending a nine-year exile from the top flight, and was rewarded with a new contract to last until 2019.

Laurey added another year to his contract in December 2018, to last until June 2020. On 30 March 2019, he won the Coupe de la Ligue final on penalties against Guingamp after a goalless draw; it was the Alsatian club's third such title and first since 2005. The result put the team in European competition for the first time in 14 years, and the first of Laurey's career: they eliminated Maccabi Haifa F.C. and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds before falling to Eintracht Frankfurt in the playoffs.

In March 2020, Laurey signed a new contract to stay for one more year at the Stade de la Meinau. Club president Marc Keller chose to let it expire in May 2021.

Paris FC
On 20 June 2021, Laurey was appointed as head coach of Ligue 2 side Paris FC, on a two-year contract. The team had recently finished fifth and been eliminated from the play-offs by Grenoble Foot 38. In the 2021–22 Coupe de France, his team won 14–0 at home to CSC de Cayenne from French Guiana in the eighth round, but the next round at the Stade Sébastien Charléty against Olympique Lyonnais was abandoned due to fan violence, leading to both clubs being expelled. A 4th-place league finish was met with another play-off elimination, by FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in the last second after missing two penalties in a 2–1 home loss.

On 3 June 2023, Laurey left the 13th arrondissement club at the end of his contract, having come 7th in his latter season. His assistant Stéphane Gilli succeeded him.

Player
Marseille
 * Division 1 runner-up: 1986–87
 * Coupe de France runner-up: 1986–87

Montpellier
 * Coupe de France runner-up: 1993–94
 * Coupe d'Été runner-up: 1994

Manager
Strasbourg
 * Ligue 2: 2016–17
 * Coupe de la Ligue: 2018–19