Raymond Zarpanelian

Raymond Zarpanelian

Personal information
Date of birth	17 May 1933
Place of birth	Paris, France
Date of death	29 March 2011(2011-03-29) (aged 77)
Place of death	Paris, France
Managerial career
Years	Team
1993–1994	Sierra Leone[1]
1997	ASF Bobo Dioulasso
	Al-Ansar

Raymond Zarpanelian (17 May 1933 – 29 March 2011) was an Armenian-French football coach who was last known to have been based at Al-Ansar in Saudi Arabia.[2]

Career

Sierra Leone

In 1993, he was appointed manager of Sierra Leone.[3]

Assisted by Sam Obi Metzger, Zarpanelian guided Sierra Leone to a 4–0 defeat to Ivory Coast and a 0–0 stalemate with Zambia at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, causing him to step down as coach and go back to Paris.[4]

Burkina Faso

Working with ASFA Yennenga in early 1997, the Franco-Armenian took charge of ASF Bobo Dioulasso by summer of that year, driving them to a runners-up position in the league and a national cup trophy.[5]

Uganda

Visited Uganda with French journalist Frank Simon to watch the 2000 CECAFA Cup and observe East African football.[6][7]

Personal life and death

The former Sierra Leone mentor was said to have been a magnanimous person.[4]

Diagnosed with kidney cancer, Zarpanelian died at a hospital in Paris at the age of 78 in 2011 and was buried on 6 April.[8] Previously, he was linked with the Central African Republic technical director position.[6] The Raymond Zarpanelian Trophy was launched in 2014 to honor an African-based French football technician each year,[9] with Pascal Janin getting the award for his achievements with Stade Malien.[10][11]

References

1. Sierra Leone Zarpafoot.com (Archived)
2. "Un Français à la tête des Fauvest". afrik-foot.com.
3. "Back in Time: '93,'94,'95 & '96 Leone Stars Golden Years". sierraleonefootball.com.
4. Zarpa Story (1) Afrofootball55
5. Zarpa Story (2) - Le Burkinabé Afrofootball55
6. Zarpa Story (3) - Objectif Kampala Afrofootball55
7. Uganda summons Songe, Buwembo out New Vision
8. Former Sierra Leone Coach Zarpanelian Passes Away Sierra Express Media
9. Trophée Zarpa, c'est parti ! Afrofootball55
10. Le trophée Raymond-Zarpa à Pascal Janin du Stade malien de Bamako Panapress
11. "Pascal Janin reçoit son Trophée Raymond-Zarpa". malifootball.com.