Lucien Leclercq
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| Full name | Lucien Jean Leclercq | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 January 1897 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tourcoing, France | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 14 June 1971 (aged 74) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Lille, France | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||
| Stade Rennais | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Lucien Jean Leclercq (16 January 1887 – 14 June 1971) was a French footballer who played for Stade Rennais in the mid-1910s, and later a referee who oversaw 13 international matches between 1934 and 1938, including two in the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France.
Playing career
Born in Tourcoing on 16 January 1897,[1] Leclercq was a member of the Stade Rennais team that participated in the Coupe des Alliés in 1915–16, a knockout competition contested during the First World War, which given the mobilization of Frenchmen to the war, was mainly contested by U20 players, such as the 19-year-old Leclercq, who started in both the semifinals, a 3–0 victory over Le Havre,[2] and in the final, helping his side to a 7–1 trashing of CS Terreaux, with the journalists of the French newspaper L'Auto (currently known as L'Équipe) stating that that the best player on the field was the forward "Leclercq, without a shadow of a doubt".[3]
Refereeing career
After retiring, Leclercq became a referee, making his international debut on 4 November 1934, aged 37, in a friendly between Switzerland and the Netherlands, which ended in a 4–2 win for the Dutch.[1][4] The following year, on 5 May 1935, he officiated the 1935 Coupe de France final in Colombes, which saw Olympique de Marseille claim the title with a 3–0 victory over his former club Stade Rennais.[5] During the final, Rennes scored from a free-kick, which he disallowed due to an offside from André Chauvel.[6] Two years later, he refereed another club final, but this time in a international tournament held in Paris, which saw Bologna defeat Chelsea 4–1.[7]
In total, Leclercq oversaw 13 international matches between 1934 and 1938, including one in the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification, and two in the tournament itself.[1][4][8] He officiated a first round clash between Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands, with the Czechs winning 3–0 after extra-time, and the semifinal between Hungary and Sweden at the Parc de Princes in Paris, which ended in a 5–1 victory for the Magyar, who went on to lose the final.[1][9][10]
Throughout his career, Leclercq oversaw a total of 12 Olympique de Marseille matches, which ended in 5 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses for OM.[11]
Death
Leclercq died in Lille on 14 June 1971, at the age of 74.[1][10]
Honours
- Stade Rennais
- Coupe des Alliés:
- Champions: 1915–16
References
- ^ a b c d e "Lucien Leclerq, international football referee". eu-football.info. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "La Coupe des Alliés" [The Allied Cup]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 17 May 1916. p. 2. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Rennes bat Lyon" [Rennes defeats Lyon]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 5 June 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Lucien Leclercq football referee from France". worldreferee.com. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Saison 1934-1935 OM Vainqueur" [1934-1935 Season OM Winner]. www.om4ever.com (in French). Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Rennes a marqué un but" [Rennes scored a goal]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Le Miroir des sports. 7 May 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Paris 1937: Final, Bologna 4-1 Chelsea". www.bolognafc.it. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Lucien Leclercq - Matches as referee". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "World Cup 1938 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ a b "19 juin 1938, un Français en finale" [19 June 1938, a Frenchman in the final]. www.fff.fr (in French). 19 June 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Statistiques des matchs de Marseille arbitrés par Lucien Leclercq" [Statistics of Marseille matches refereed by Lucien Leclercq]. cintana.free.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 May 2025.